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Would you folks have a recommendation for an engine gasket set 1951 300? The engine is like a crop duster when driving so I'll need to take it apart to see if a ring is bad or piston. It was suppose to be a 327 but the head is 288 and there is no engine number on it.

I get all my gaskets from Olson’s Gaskets near Portland and while they don’t make the rebuild kits themselves, they have them in stock and their prices are excellent. They make all my custom gaskets too and I always provide fitment details so they can add it to their pattern inventory so others can buy without needing to send a sample.

I have a 327 and the head has had the 288 scrubbed by the factory and 327 stamped on it, so they are the same heads. I got my gasket set from Kanter, I would recommend it as it was complete and well made. They also ship it sandwiched in plywood to prevent any damage, nice extra service on their part! If it is the correct engine, yours will be the 5 main bearings for the crank, you may want to drop the pan to verify as it may affect which gasket set you need.
Bob J.

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You could also have a stuck ring. I had that issue when I first got the Clipper running. I poured in some Lucas Oil Stabilizer and went for a 150-mile drive at interstate speed. When I got back, the problem had disappeared.

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The heads were physically interchangeable but with slightly different compression ratios so once you determine which engine you have, you can then find which engine is needed. I do have a 1951 300 core at my Oregon shop should you need it.

My 327 has a 288 head on it as well. Slight compression ratio bump.

One of the heads I have has something like 288STD 327.

There is a post here somewhere that lists all the 288/327 heads and the different compression ratios when swapped to different blocks.

Found it:

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/Packard%20Heads%20Compression%20Ratios.pdf