Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Reply to wheelhorse:
Yes that is a 6 volt Optima battery. I have them in all my Packards. I cut a "filler" adapter out of plywood to hold them in place.

Let us know how the diodes work out if you follow that circuit. Packard stopped using the separate rear turn signal bulbs starting with the 23rd series and with the double filament bulbs, the small filament is tail lights and the large filament is shared with brakes and turn signals.

I have a 6 volt Optima battery in my 54 with a Woody's Customs fugazy box. I use the original hold down (I think) and tray.

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Stay tuned on the diodes. Quick question. I have attached 2 pictures of the rear light wiring. One is left and one is right. You can clearly see the brown wire and the yellow wire. And the green wire to the back up light which does not work. If you look closely you will see an errant bulb with an old plug just hanging there and there appears to jumpers from the outer lights to the inner lights with a newer looking plug on the inner lights. The turn signals actually flash all of the rear lights not just the outer. I'm not sure about the brake lights. The regular lights when on illuminate all the bulbs. Is this normal looking for a 54 Pack?

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The sockets with the red and black wires are aftermarket. The original inner sockets are the ones that are hanging.

Normally it is only a single filament bulb for the tail lights at the inner halves. Apparently someone wanted the turn and brake lights to be more visible so changed to dual filament bulbs on the inner half and paralleled he filaments. Am a little surprised the stock flasher took the extra filament without acting up or maybe they also changed the flasher.

Here is how the stock tail light assys would have been wired. Left side would be a mirror image.

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I have noted earlier that the aftermarket aluminum heads have their spark plug location located more centrally in the combustion chamber than the Packard heads. Packard placed the spark plug over the exhaust valve. These two photos showing the aftermarket and Packard heads are the clearest examples of this I have seen. I wonder why the difference?

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Everything is all set. Very easy. Quick and fast with no issues. T-tap into the left rear brown wire (22 gauge ) and T-tap into the right rear yellow wire. No need for any additional diodes. I used the suction cups with slant window brackets. There is an option to just use 3M adhesive pads. Brake lights and turn signals all work on the third light. Strangely, my in-line auxiliary 6V Airtex electric fuel pump stopped working. Very dubious.

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Maybe interference between the valve and sparkplug??

I was trying to figure out if a 6 blade 55/56 fan with a/c #465574 would be compatible on a 359 L8 with a/c fan #465538 regarding dimensions and bolt pattern. This was in addition to comparing a 1947 5-blade and trying to figure out what makes the service counselor heavy duty fan #426696 so special. I was also trying match all the fans to something flex-a-lite might have with a spacer. Thought are welcome.

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I have a tiny oil drip under the car. The oil pump looks ok. Oil pan drain looks ok but there is one nut underneath between the engine rear and trans that has the drip? Is this an issue with with the rear main rope seal? Thought are welcome.

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