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

Just bought a 48 Packard that was stored inside for decades, and the engine is seized. My mechanic has started putting marvel mystery oil in cylinders. I've read a seized Packard eight is not unusual after long term storage. Ugh.

And the valve stems stuck or rusted in guides are another thing to look out for after long storage.

Valve sticking issues also seems to be something that happens after running the engine on any old stale gas that might have been in the tank and then not starting the engine again for even a few days. Several have found the next time they tried to start the engine one or more valves were thoroughly stuck in the guides to the point of requiring disassembly and brute force to free them.

After the engine is free, would strongly suggest you drain the tank and line to get rid of any old gas before even attempting a start. When you do drain the tank, if the drain plug is the original steel or has not been removed in years it may be rusted or stuck in the tank side portion. The tank side is only pressed and swaged into the sheetmetal so be sure to use a small pipe wrench or large vise grips to grab the tank side so it does not try and turn as you attempt to remove the drain plug. If it does turn, it is a guaranteed situation where you will need to send the tank to a shop and have it repaired before the leak will stop. If you have a steel plug, suggest replacing it with brass.

I think it needs to come out and be taken apart, but I'm an optimist. No telling what caused it and better to find it, than chance messing it up. You don't want to start it if you get it unstuck with MMO.
I see many get in a hurry to start their "find" only to later have major issues. First they ask about a tick or noise or no oil pressure, etc.
My '49 (288) sat outside for years and I could turn it by hand before I bought it.
Conv. car's got good value, so best to have a sound motor in it, but assuming, we didn't see the rest of it.

My engine was stuck from sitting for nearly 20 years. ATF down the cylinders,
and every day I would come home from work and try to rock it back and forth with a breaker bar on the crank pulley. After about a week it broke free. I then rotated it several turns to make sure that none of the valves were stuck. She smoked like a crop duster when I first got her running. Both from burning off all that left over ATF and the gummed up rings. But after while she ran like a top. For a "stuck" motor, it has great compression now. Never took the engine apart.

You got very lucky but personally I would take a stuck engine apart to unstick it. Otherwise serious and expensive damage may occur. Even if you simply take it apart and put it back together again without replacing anything, you’ll know that there is nothing to go wrong. Sure, free it up as you’re doing but don’t even try to start it until it’s been thoroughly checked out.

Based on the one - of several potential - that I have been messing with, I think that there is stuck, like Kev described, and then there is stuck! Mine seems to be stuck!


There ain't no tellin', no matter what the former owner tells you. It's that old "it ran when I parked it" thing.


I guess I'll go out and check this one I just dragged home, and I'll also wish you best of luck with yours, Rob.


ETA: I just checked both of the new additions, and they're both stuck, punctuation to be determined.