Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Somehow in all the pages I've lost which engine is in this car. Some later photos show that it was originally painted turquoise which means its out of a 55 Clipper Custom. That's OK as it is the exact same engine as should be in it--a '55 352.

ALL of those engines got the short reach plugs. Only the 320 engines changed to long reach mid year.

With a small flashlight you can actually look into a sparkplug hole and see how much thread is there. Or form a little hook on a piece of wire and slide it down the threads till the tip of the hook enters the chamber.

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Thanks Ross, I was thinking the Transmission was either pulled, rebuilt and painted or it was from another car that had that paint option. I didn't know that was a option for a 1955 Clipper Custom. I think they just swapped the transmission out and the not whole engine because I can still see old ivory paint on some of the engine pieces.

Ross.

I thought they 55.56 heads were the same.

Guys today I ......

* Got a Innova timing/dwell/rpm gun.

*Got the timing perfect

*Adjusted rpm at idle to 450 or so using low speed adjusting screw. Do you adjust your rpm after warm or cold?

*Tried to tune carb idle to 18-20 vacuum but I couldn't get it any higher than 16. Super steady at 16 really no fluctuation. Is this something I should worry about? Why wouldn't it go higher? Did I miss a step?

*I noticed the exhaust never really comes out of the drivers side tail pipe. I will even manually open the heat riser and still not really feel anything.The pic of the exhaust shows a drip from the drivers side muffler. How long does it take for the heat riser to open? Is this normal?

Thanks for the help guys!

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In a temperate climate I doubt it would take more than 5-10 minutes at most for the valve to fully open. Visually, you can tell if it opened by seeing if the weight changed from being almost horizontal to hanging downward. The spring should have almost no tension when at temperature and you can freely move the weight up only to have it fall downward again when you let it go.

The exaust will eventually come out the drivers side but maybe at a slightly smaller rate than the passenger side because of the slight restriction provided by the valve. Water drops are somewhat normal during warmup and will even come out the end of the tailpipe to drip on the chrome bumper end. Many have installed a short chrome tip extension so the drips are a bit farther out so as not to damage new chrome plating.

If when the valve is seen to be fully open and the exhaust on the drivers side is still not very strong, it is possible the muffler or resonator has rusted internally and is partially blocked or it is even possible some critter has set up housekeeping somewhere in the exhaust if the car sat for a long time. A restricted exhaust could also have something to do with low vacuum readings.

Mice do like to build their nests in the darndest places.

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That's why I cut the valve out

Thanks for the replys guys...

Even if I manually hold the valve open and have my wife rev engine there is still nearly no exhaust coming out.

While the car is idling the exhaust pipe isnt even really warm. I can wrap my hand around it all the way up to the heat riser/ manifold.

That would seem to be an indication something is restricting the drivers side exhaust. Unless there is something in the manifold itself located above the valve that is blocking the outlet or the valve is upside down, it would seem something in the pipe, muffler, or resonator must be providing enough restriction that the easier path is for exhaust to go thru the crossover passage in the intake manifold and then out the passenger side. With minimal flow thru the drivers side it is not heating up.

Here is the method to check the spring tension and make sure it is not too tight. With you moving the weight with same results, not likely but with unknown even if new valves, never hurts to check.

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If the photo you posted of the muffler showing water coming out of a hole in it is any indication, I think you need to replace the exhaust ASAP as it appears to be plugged.

I cut the muffler out and soaked the inside with muriatic acid.

Shook and rinsed inside until the majority of the rust was out.

Rinsed until clear water.

Air dried with hair dryer.

Bought and installed a couple e pipe sleeves and bolted everything back up. Now I have exhaust coming out of pipe!

A couple holes in muffler and on pipe,I will seal with JB weld extreme heat.

There was sooooo much rust in that muffler it was insane! I know this isnt a long term fix,definitly need new exhaust system. I just want to get her on the road for a bit so I can get a full list of what I need to do the next time I park her on jacks for awhile.


I still can't get any more than 15-16 vacuum when running the carb.

What should I check that may be the cause for not being able to get to 18-20? Idle is set to 450 or so.

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