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Trevor K Quote:

Electric conversion the ONLY answer. See this on my website:

1956packardpanther.com/Panther/wipers.html

BTW, I'm glad the Olds oil pump conversion worked out for you. Between myself and Jack, there are hundreds of satisfied users with that kit.

P.S. The oil pump and the wipers are the two main deficiencies. Of course, a disc brake conversion is required if you're going to drive your Pat much, particularly in metro areas with lots of "rice rockets." Otherwise, I think that most Packard engineering is first rate.

Craig

All in all, it will be less money spent to have your old vacuum motor rebuilt and they work very well once in top notch condition. You can probably even get a new fuel pump plus the rebuild and still keep it within the cost of the electric conversion although mechanic rates could take it over.

If you do decide on electric, several have used the Newport electric wiper conversionnewportwipers.com/product-category/cars/packard/ and those work fairly well.

Biggest downside is the Newport switch is now electric so you have to give up the stock cable operated assy. You also need to order an optional switch to control the washer. The new switch fits in the same 55 dash location and can use the knob and bezel but you need to either find an extra lever to modify or cut your old one to use as a fill piece to avoid an ugly dash. That cutting prevents reverting back without finding another Packard switch or lever should you or someone else decide to go stock again.

Another thing is because there is no longer a way for the windshield washer co-ordinator to mount and control the new motor you also lose that function unless you build a special module to keep both coordinator and switch. I went that route mostly to see if I could do it and because any mods I do on my car I want to be easily reversible for the next person.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... .php?post_id=157986#forumpost157986

An option to the Newport is a 55-6 Chevy electric wiper motor which will bolt right on and keep the cable and coordinator setup but those motors are large, hard to come by and fairly expensive when you do find one. They are available though.

Thought I should put out there my mechanic's information in case anyone is looking for a really good one in the Central NJ, Bucks County PA area:

Brian's Customs & Classics (908) 319-4687
121 Annandale-High-Bridge Rd. Annandale NJ 08801

Question regarding accelerator pump and fuel pump. Could too high a pressure at my fuel pump be destroying the accelerator pump? I ask because my mechanic found that the accelerator pump he put in months ago was torn, just like the last one. Then on my way home with the car it died on the road. I thought vapor lock, but that's not it. Now I'm wondering if the accelerator pump bit it again and if so why.

No. The fuel in the carb is always at atmospheric pressure, or just about. Just like the water in your toilet tank, no matter what your supply pressure is.

By the way, a torn accel pump will not cause the car to die. Stumble yes, die no. Your problem this time is elsewhere.

Not likely. The only item that directly sees fuel pump pressure is the needle valve operated by the floats. Too high a pressure would result in fuel leaking past the valve as it tried to close off the flow. In that instance there would be flooding or leaking fuel from the carb.

The accelerator pump is supplied from what is already in the fuel bowl and never sees pressure other than the level of fuel in the bowl. If you have an electric pump those can cause problems with overwhelming the needle valve and need to be within the proper range but still would not affect the acc pump..

Pressure specs for the mechanical pump is 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 psi. If there is an electric pump mounted in the rear and pushing thru the fuel pump and filter as most are then it should have an output of, or be regulated to be, in the 5-9 psi range. Several have added electric pumps which can be turned on when needed to prime the carb after a long sit or to alleviate vapor lock situations.

I wonder if there is some kind of burr or otherwise rough or damaged surface in the acc pump chamber and that is cutting or tearing the accelerator pump.

Agreeing with HH, when you say the accelerator pump plunger is "torn", that very strongly suggests some mechanical cause rather than incompatibility with the chemistry of the fuel.

Curiouser and curiouser. The pump chamber is smooth and clean and the last time my car did knock out and not start again the accelerator pump proved to be the issue.

Right now there is no fuel going into the carb - after the significant amount of work that was done suffice it to say I need to step back and not get frustrated. I will say it was driving like a dream for the 20 minutes I had it lol

Looking at your list of what has been done posted at the front of this thread I see no mention of a fuel pump rebuild or replacement. It appears almost everything else in the fuel system has been addressed. If it is the original pump with original rubber parts or even a rebuild, if done with a NOS parts kit, that is the first place I would look. The rubber flex line between the pump and steel supply line would be the second.

I know there have been comments that it has not been proven ethanol is harmful to the Packard original rubber components but there has to be some reason all the rebuild places selling pump and carb kits are saying their products are made with modern ethanol compatible rubber. A pump rebuild kit from Then and Now has had favorable reviews by many on the forum.

If both accelerator pumps came from the same place I think I would try another source. Possibly the pumps that are failing are slightly larger than the originals and the lip is being damaged that way. If a pump with a different style or from another place also has issues then I would think something amiss in the pump chamber is about the only thing that can be causing the problem.

EDIT: Another thing if the fuel pump was rebuilt has been the staked in plug holding the lever pivot pin has worked loose for some and if that happens it lets the lever disconnect from the diaphragm

Howard - valid point about the fuel pump. It looks brand new and I believe Fred changed that out before I received the car. But that has been a point of conversation with my mechanic. Perhaps that's the next step.