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An old trick for a leaky seal is to wind string or a strip of rag tight around the shaft. Sometimes it helps.

Hi Mal, when I had my 47 Super Clipper (now in the Andrew Lidden collection), I had my front lever arm shocks rebuilt by WW Shock Absorbers in Brisbane. They provided excellent service. I simply posted one up at a time. They even supplied a better housing housing at no charge.

wwshockabsorbers.com/

Rusty,

Thanks for the tip. However I also received some advice from a local for a quick fix, which I won't elaborate on here because its probably a no no.


Lyndon,

Thanks for the link. I think Wade used them when he had his '37 Super 8 shocks rebuilt a year or so back. And I'm heading to the Gold Coast at the end of next week, so might work in well.

Saturday 3rd March, 2018

Topped up the shocks again, both sides taking about 12/15mls. Can see where the right side is leaking past a seal but, with the left obscured by the battery mount, can't see where the leak is on the left one. As per Lyndon(LJJ)'s suggestion I've requested a quotation from W. W. Shock Absorbers for rebuilding them. Filled out the online quote form then they came back asking for photos of the shocks. I'll be sending photos soon.

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Photo and a couple of scanned pages out of the workshop manual emailed to W.W. Shock Absorbers.

Then late this afternoon drove about 16miles(27kms) to the 135th Robertson Show for the Saturday Night Demolition Derby. First DD I've been to in at least 45 years. Reason for the run was not so much the DD but as a run for the Packard. Took my GPS and discovered that at an indicated 40mph it was actually about 31mph, while an indicated 60mph was actually about 53mph. Also found that an indicated 55mph(actual about 50mph) or about 80kph, was best for engine harmony. Taking it up to the 60mph indicated was starting to make the engine work. Thinking three things, 1) the engine is tired, 2) the modern lower profile radials don't help and, 3) an overdrive would come in real handy. Didn't realise how good the Coupe had been with its rebuilt engine. Spent many hours cruising in it at an indicated 60mph and easily at that. That was without using the OD. as it hadn't been used for about 3->4 years after nasty noises started coming from it. Prior to that, with the OD in the Coupe, 70mph+ was regularly attained. I must mention the Coupes speedo was about 10% fast too! But, even so, it never felt stressed. Also temperature, in the '50, although at about 2/3 to 3/4, was reasonably steady. And oil pressure sat at just over 40psi both going there and back.

Tires are the most likely the culprit. A tired engine wouldn't change the speedo.

Amen, just drive her where she tells you she wants to be, Mel, the old machines know best and all we have to do is to listen carefully to them. Our 23rd series wants to be in overdrive at anything over 50 as well. If I forget to let her go into overdrive, she lets me know. Beautiful day in Arizona. Ernie

Agreed, radial tires may be an inch or so less in diameter than the original bias which would cause the fast reading speedo. It could also be a tired spring on the pointer cup letting it read a bit higher and could need calibration.

If it is smaller tires and assuming the speedo gear is the correct one for the rear axle ratio, the odometer should also be off to a measured Km or however you do it in Oz. If it is only a tired spring then the odometer should be reasonably close but the speed reading would be high.

Kev, Didn't mean to infer the speedo reading would be influenced by the condition of the engine, sorry

Ernie, I will be "in tune" with what the old girl is telling me. Should be nice here as our forecast for today is 23C = 73F.

Howard, Checked the odometer reading against distance to Robertson and back and it is reasonably close. Haven't measured/checked the diameter of the tyres. But the weak spring hypothesis looks to have some credence.

Monday 5th March, 2018

Besides all the excitement generated by the imminent arrival in Oz of Bruce Blevins, with emails to/from Bruce and emails to/from PACA members in organising a dinner for Bruce on Friday the 9th, a package arrived today from the US. It contained this! Scroll down to see "my precious" which I'm very pleased with. It has exceeded my expectations and should add a little bling to the '50!