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I marked 90 degree increments with a magic marker (3, 6, and 9 O'clock) on the vibration damper, and that allowed me to more accurately place the crank/camshaft in the exact right position to adjust the valves....Cyl 4 was the last cyl I did on the first go around, and I had mistakenly adjusted the clearance to something like 015 instead of 007 or 010. Of course it was noisy! Now the valvetrain is nice and quiet again, and my vacuum gauge is nice and steady. Idle seems even a little smoother. As usual, it takes me 2 or more tries to get everything right, but persistence pays off. (Advice from the forum and Ross helps a lot!)
-Axle is also quiet again after tightening the nuts.

I had this heat shield off while adjusting valves, so before putting it back on, I thought I would apply some heat shield material. As long as it stays glued onto the bottom side of the shield, it should help keep the fuel pump a bit cooler.

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Good Morning...How very clever...I wonder why the rest of us did not think of that! Ernie in Arizona

Hi Ernie, glad you liked my first insulation attempt. That one is pretty invisible, and may only help a teeny tiny bit.
My latest exercise in insulation is a little more obvious. I will drive it for a while this summer and see if it brings any advantages or new Problems. It doesn't look very classic, but I did as neat a job as possible.....The devil will find work for idle hands to do. Not sure if that will stay. I don't really have heat problems other than a slightly rough idle when hot and heat soaked.

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I've never had an issue with vapor lock even living in the inland valley of Southern Calif with temps north of 100f.


Usually, vapor lock occurs on the vacuum side of the pump as opposed to the pressure side of the pump.

Is the bend in your fuel line taking it too close to the manifold?

You can see on this early pic of my rebuild that the fuel line slants slightly towards the radiator before marking the turn towards the carb. This gives it a lot of spacing from the manifold.

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Here is another pic with the fuel pump shield in place.

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Good point about that slight bend away from the exhaust manifold. I also have not suffered any vapor lock, but am kind of just experimenting with heat shielding. I may see if I can get a little more clearance from the manifold, that will not hurt.

Well, after some 26 years of ownership, lots of fun, lots of work, lots of learning...It is time for my dear clipper to move on to the next caretaker. I'm keeping the clipper "in the family" as it is going to my brother and sister inlaws. The car was used in their wedding, so they also have an emotional attachment to it. I spent some time with the new owners explaining how to drive and shift an overdrive transmission, and all the "ins and outs" of the car. Alex enjoys driving the car, and a few weekends ago he and Nadia drove on a ~100 mile rally in the countryside here. After the long distance, they are still enamoured with the car. I'm happy to turn some more people into the Packard scene.
There is another Packard in my family that I will be soon taking over. It is pretty much the only car that I considered giving up the clipper for. It is a 1953 Caribbean that my uncle has had since 1973. (before I was born!) It's in the registry, and I will start a blog for that car. -I will still be taking care and consulting with the clipper, so either I or Alex will update this blog as things go on.

That is a gigantic change for me (my wife and my daughters too), but I feel it is the right choice. It sure is hard to sell a car that I built from the ground up. It is pretty much a once in a lifetime thing to acquire a caribbean, so I decided it is the right time to change. I feel like the young guy who got the "entry level packard" when young and have now graduated to a more special Packard.

...Now to start a new blog for my next challenge!

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Mike (Tobs), this turn was unexpected. For more than a decade I followed this thread and always admired from afar your devotion and surpassing skill. I can't believe that the new owner knows how much of your time, money, power and especially heart's blood is inside of Madelyn. I'm almost speechless with amazement.

Hi Gerd, thanks.... I've had "Madelyn" for a long time. She has been with me through college, more than half of my life, and also a long time on Packardinfo! It sure is a big deal, and crazy to part from the clipper that I did so much to. That being said, I have known about the Caribbean even longer than the clipper, so that is also a special car for me. I think for as long as I have had the Clipper, I considered (in the back of my mind) the Caribbean the only car the I would trade it for. For this reason, it is turning out to be a surprise for a few people. My wife first, and now you too Gerd
I'd also like to thank everybody that has helped me with advice and parts and motivation with getting the clipper to the state it is in now. The knowledge here is fantastic!
Anyway, I am staying in the packard club, and am glad to have my in-laws also driving a Packard now.