Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I am in the process of tearing down and rebuilding a 1929 standard Eight Engine. I have a couple of questions that I need help with:

1. How is the cam removed from the aluminum crankcase? I have removed the 6 cam bearing retaining pins along with the front cam bearing plate (located behind the cam drive sprocket). I have tried pulling it forward (out the front of the engine) but a couple of cam lobes come up against their respective cam bearings and all movement stops. I suspect when new the bearings and cam slide out together but perhaps years of dirt / corrosion are locking things up. Suggestions?

2. How is the distributor / oil pump drive gear timed to the mating gear on the camshaft? I believe each of these bevel gears has 17 teeth and I don't see any timing marks on any of them. During assembly, the distributor drive gear is held in place with a cast aluminum bushing that in turn is held down by the cylinder block so any re-timing of the gears means a big tear up. I know there is some timing adjustment that can be done by rotating the distributor, but it seems if the gears are too far out, the distributor will be in some wildly incorrect orientation. Does the distributor drive shaft with its slightly off-center drive slot want to be oriented in a particular way with cylinder #1 at TDC? I'm puzzled.