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Fuel pump arrived today and no sooner than I opened the box, it started pouring outside. I managed to get it installed between showers and even took it for a short ride after priming it. If I'd let it sit in the box waiting all week, it would've bugged the hell out of me. I also finally installed the rest of the battery hold-down that was laying in the trunk.
On a side-note, my uncle saw the Packard for the first time and said I've gone to the dark side. Whatever he meant by that?...

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He's probably one of those goofy Studebaker or Nash guys. They wouldn't know a quality car if it ran them over when the Easamatic failed!

Eric: Funny you should say that as this uncle is still taking care of my father's Studebaker which I'm still considered unworthy to maintain. Good guess!

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Thought so. Don't trust those Studey guys!

This morning after work, I felt ambitious and decided to change the thermostat since it wasn't raining for once. The surprising thing is that there was no thermostat in the housing. I wonder if this was giving me the high temps when idling? I know my other cars just wouldn't heat up at all if thermostat was missing. I had one here so I installed it with a little bead of silicone around edge to keep it up inside the housing. Don't know if there used to be some kind of clip holding original in place. If so, it's long gone. Next I'll monkey with the timing some since that might be causing my slow starter crank at engagement.

There is a retainer. IIRC, 51-4 had a spring wire about as thick as a coathanger with bends that landed in some notches in the housing. Parts book says 48-50 non custom engines used the same piece. If so, aside from vendors, another source is here.packards-today.com/catalog.php?CID=7

I'll look into ordering one this week. thanks!

I put in my order for a thermostat retainer Monday with Max Merrit's since I was already ordering from them and they had the retainer. It arrived today a couple hours ago and I've installed it the best I can since there is no locking groove in my water outlet housing. It should hold it in place anyway. The worst that could happen would be thermostat falling down which would give me the same as I had before with no thermostat.

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Hi Chuck

I had exactly the same issue re the thermostat retainer. In my case ordering wasnt an option, so I had to improvise. The thermostat I bought locally is from a French car probably a Peugeot. It has a rubber coated outside edge that I squessed tightly into the housing. It has been fine for a year now so I am happy. Mine also had the old thermostat laying in the head's outlet when I got the car.

How is your temperatures now? Mine seems great at a steady 90 degrees.

There is also a sleeve-type thermostat retainer that is used. It looks to me like the sleeve is just some steel tubing (exhaust) with a slit. This is the type that is on my 115C. I believe the spring type retainers require two knobs on the inside of the housing to hold the spring in place. It would be easy enough to fabricate a sleeve retainer.