Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

getting back to putting this thing together, working on the carbs, where to get the insulation sheathing for the lines, and do the hoses use corbin clips (wire clips) owner doesn't want a concourse job, just a nice job... as I said he is not in good health... and I like to see him in it...

I believe the only insulation sheathing will be on the T shaped heat tubing between the manifold and automatic choke stoves and finding the exact look and off white color as the original might not be easy today. You can check out some of the wire and cable sleeving from McMaster-Carrmcmaster.com/fabric-tubing There are a couple of high temp modern material sleeves in white that are not too expensive and look fairly close although not quite the same weave as the original. Downside is you will need to buy the specified minimum length which varies on selection at around 3 to 5 ft and will be more than you need. It is also a slide on the tubing sleeve which will be difficult to install over the end fittings if you already have the original tubing. McMaster only has the wrap around type in black and would not be a correct look. If I recall, the original tubing uses compression fittings at the choke stove ends so it might be possible to remove and replace the ferrule and nuts to install the sleeve.

The heater hose connections all use wire Corbin clamps and the size needed is easy to find. McMaster carries them also in bags of more than you need if you can't find them locally. The radiator hoses used both adjusting screw type and the wire Corbin clamps. There are factory and original car photos that show both types in use at the same place so conceivably either was used in spite of what the parts book lists. There is a large 2 3/16 wire clamp for the water pump return end that will be hard to find and If I remember correctly even one of our vendors had difficulty trying to find that one for his car. The others are not too bad but you still might wind up deciding to use the old style screw type which would look more appropriate than the modern stainless steel screw clamps. Restoration Supply has a nice selection of the older style clamps.restorationstuff.com

well apparently I misplaced the bracket (plate)on the left head that covers the water port and thinking it holds the temp sensor and has an arm to hold the rod, anyone got one, I am also in need of better pics of the vacuum and water hose routing on the rear right side of the engine,at the heater box.. thanks any help would be appreciated
almost forgot, wiper hose routing, to and from the bottle to the motor, this car was horrible...

If no one on the forum has the plate immediately available you might give Mike Dulinski a call. He has a multitude of 55-6 parts cars and can probably help and maybe has anything else not Caribbean specific that might turn up missing. If he has nothing pulled then the weather might be an issue in getting to his cars this time of year but worth a call.

IMO, there was not too much thought with hose routings. Minimal clamps just to keep things away from damage. Here are photos from a low mileage 56 showing some of the firewall. The washer hoses and wiring were just sort of draped across the firewall to the bottle on the right side following the path of other items.

The water hose from the washer to the tee located under the dash sort of followed the loom and power brake vacuum hose until it veers upward into the aux grommet. Vacuum supply and co-ordinator hose went with the electrical loom and stopped midway to catch the balance valve port and the co-ordinator. The extended wire loom to the washer pump comes out of the aux grommet and down to follow the main loom going toward the generator. There is a small space between the heater box and air plenum tube where everything can pass thru along with the formed heater water hose between the head outlet and the thermo valve. If you need a new molded heater hose Randy Berger found a replacement hose that can be cut and made to fit.

NOTE: Heater water hoses in the photos are of a car with an underseat heater. 56 Caribbeans did not have that option so the hose routing would be as the parts manual shows with the return hose out of the box going straight to the return inlet on the water manifold..

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nice pics, thanks, that bracket is in that one pic.. my question mainly where does each hose go, there's a steel line coming from the pass side routing toward the back that goes up the back of the head, I am guessing water, where does it go, and the vacuum ports on the back of the carbs, do they go together and go where? sorry these are my stupid questions as I don't trust what I have,as for as wiper lines where to where,

IF the car is stock there will be two vacuum sources for the wipers. The main one is manifold vacuum in a steel tube from a 90 degree fitting in the port at the rear of the front carb. That tube routes along the right head lower edge and ends with a slight turn up at the rear. A short rubber hose connects the remaining distance to a side port on the balance valve mounted on the firewall. Another steel tube from the aux vacuum pump in the crankcase exits a port about midway on the block on the right side just above the oil pan and goes to the rear of the engine where it kicks up several inches. It also ends in another short hose connecting to another side port on the balance valve. Wiper motor connects to the large end of the balance valve and washer to the small end.

If the car has had the OLDS or PI oil pump conversion there is no longer an aux vacuum pump so any number of things could have been done or eliminated. It will be up to you do determine how or if an aux vacuum source was done and routed. The simplest method is to just add a dual fuel pump and disconnect the steel tubing and plug the hole in the block. Reuse the old aux tubing along with some additional fittings and hose for the vacuum source coming from the new fuel pump but that is not a given. If the wipers were converted to electric then part of the vacuum tubing could have been eliminated or capped off and just the washer is supplied. If there is no aux vacuum source and the balance valve is still installed then the hose from the old aux pump needs to be disconnected and aux port on the valve capped off to avoid the possibility of a vacuum leak.

The port on back of the rear carb is for the power brakes. There is a 45 degree fitting and a check valve which feeds the hose to the brake booster and vacuum reservoir.

Here is the vacuum lines for the wiper and washer. Shown is the standard Left fender washer setup used when there is no electric shift. With exception of the direction the hose routing takes it is the same for the right side mount.

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On the PS hoses, I don't have any good photos of the frame bracket and the factory AC blower covers all that area up from the top so I can't take any of my car without removing the blower. I did get a poor partial shot from the bottom. The Caribbean should have the Bendix system with the separate control valve. If it is the Monroe then the same route but slightly different with the final loop at the bottom.

The hoses go from the pump to a large clamp and rubber support on the air vent tube then to the rear of the left head. A piece of bent metal which is more of a holder than a clamp keeps them away from any linkage. From there they drop down to a U shaped bracket and another rubber grommet affair bolted to the side of the frame. Loops of hose then goes on to the Bendix control valve or the Monroe unit. The length of the final loop seems to vary -- large enough so the control valve has full range but not so long that they drag the ground.

On the dual action fuel pump check out Ford pumps used on the 312 engine. I believe 57 Thunderbird with vacuum wipers is a pump that has been used which has almost the same arm as Packard did on their pumps but I don't know if the fuel section ports are in the same location as Packard pumps. There have been several who have converted to the dual pumps so perhaps someone has some definite applications that fit.

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alittle more progress..

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Nice to see the progress, looking good!

If you were looking for comments, I believe it would be correct to reverse the adjustment bracket on the generator so the fixed end is on the generator ear and the slotted end on the water manifold stud. Though images of the engine for exhibition purposes have it the way you currently have it, in actual production is was reversed. Also the fuel line routing from the pump not quite correct.

never would of thought that on the bracket for the generator, thanks, as far as the line from the pump, that is the only way that I have seen it, need a pic, by the way this Packard is not for me,give me late 60's and early 70's mopar, this pic is my car and what I actually have fun with restoring.....lol

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