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Barrie,

Can't you buy it from Max Merritt or Kanter? It would be a lot easier than making it.

You're not the only one where politics plays a part in the coaches selection. We now have Robbie Deans, a New Zealander as our coach. As for quotas, there's no worries about that. But there is fierce competition from Rugby League and Australian Rules not to mention Soccer which is on the resurgence in this country. So I think both countries have their work cut out for them as far as Rugby's concerned. Here endeth the sermon, all our US and other non Rugby countries will be wondering what we're talking about.

Tuesday 22nd January 2008

Phone call yesterday from Tony "Shocks", the shocks are rebuilt and I arranged to pick them up at 9:00am this morning. When I picked them up Tony explained that he'd had to make a number of parts for the shocks and that he'd aligned and set them up. Cost of all this? AU$500.00(about US$430.00), but would have been AU$100.00 cheaper if the parts fabrication hadn't been so extensive.

At the workshop when I arrived Wade was starting to wash and clean his '37 Super 8 as he's going out to lunch in it tomorrow with his former business partner. Should make quite a statement. While Wade was doing that it was back to parts cleaning and by the end of the day all the stuff off the front end had been cleaned except for a few bolts and nuts.

To break the monotony of cleaning Wade suggested we start re-assembly part of the front end. I was glad to accept his suggestion and the Right Lower Support Arm Pin and new Rubber Bushings were installed. This was done by pressing the end of the pin on one side of the vice and 2 sockets against the large washer on the other side so that the retaining clip could be inserted. This was accomplished after a few attempts as alignment is critical with the clip needing only one firm tap with a brass drift once aligned to secure it in place. The brass bushes for the Right Lower Support Arm were also pressed into place but this was done more conventionally on a 20 ton press without any dramas at all. Goes to show what the right equipment can do for you.

Cleaning then continued while Wade went and picked up the new fuel tank for his '37 120 Sedan. I reckon there won't be too many Packards, of any description, running around with an aluminium fuel tank! The guy who made it said it was easier to work with than steel.

Altogether not a very exciting day but we did take the first steps in re-assembly. Then when I returned home found that I had an email telling me the front springs are ready and should be shipped soon from the US. Problem is that Wade, his wife, and some other members of the Packard Club are going to New Zealand for some Packard runs, and Wade will be away most of February. So even if the parts arrive the apprentice is not equipped or capable of their re-assembly until the master and guru returns. So looks like March will be a big month as all the dirty work should be finished and all the parts ordered so far will have arrived.

Tomorrow - no Packard work, I've got home and family matters to attend to while Wade will be cutting it in style as he and Gina, his wife, proceed in the sparkling Super 8 to their luncheon appointment.

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Thursday 24th January 2008

This morning before going to the workshop, forwarded payment by International Money Order for an Electromatic Clutch Valve Assembly that clipper47 pointed me towards earlier in the month. Thanks Dave for the advice. Had also received an email about my quest for running board rubber but all it did was point me in the direction of Steele Rubber. I might also mention that Noel is trying to track down running board rubber for his '41 160 Coupe restoration, so he might find a source. I'd also received advice to use spray-on pick-up bed lining and the advice was that this was an excellent solution.

Anyway at the workshop, as I only had the morning available, marine cleaned numerous small brake and suspension parts. Then POR-15'd the underside of the Right Front Fender as well as touching up the spots I'd missed on the brake backing plates and drums as well as the inner fender panels. My eyesight, or rather lack of it, as well as inadequate lighting meant I missed some spots the first time round. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it, don't care if you think I'm a lousy painter!

Short day, short story.

Included though are some pic's on the stainless steel muffler in Wade's '34. The muffler was made by the same bloke who made the '37 fuel tank.

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Thursday 29th January 2008

Last Friday 25th New Front Engine Mount Rubbers arrived from US so delivered these to the workshop this morning. Then it was under the back of the coupe with lead light in one hand and scraper in the other. My scraper of choice is a table knife that has been snapped off about halfway along the blade. Don't know where or when or how I acquired this implement but must have had it for about 30 years now, will post a pic of this devilish device as soon as I remember to take one of it.

And speaking of pic's, because I spent 4 and a 1/2 hours just scraping and must have collected 6-8 pounds of dirt, grease and muck, I'll post some pic's instead of a car that's been at the workshop being fixed by Rick. It's a kit car, and these usually have VW engines but this one has a Subaru powerplant. What I want you to notice are the styling cues of grill shell and hood - seen those somewhere before?

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Wednesday 30th January 2008

Not much to report - scraped the underside of the fuel tank for over 3 hours while Wade was cleaning and painting parts for the '34. After lying on my back on the creeper for that long I'd had enough and fortunately Wade was almost finished and able to assist.

Started to try and take off the sway bar and its shock absorber. Easier said than done as nuts and bolts untouched for 67 years, together with the associated rust and corrosion, do not co-operate. Got the inside bolt off the shock with Wade on the end of the rattle gun doing so. The other bolt wouldn't budge so it is being left to soak overnight after a liberal dose of penetrating spray.

Then started to take out the fuel tank - again easier said than done. I easily removed the inner rear fender "baffle" in front of the inlet pipe. Using a plastic bucket, the fuel remaining in the tank was emptied, but not without incident. Because there was more fuel than the bucket could hold I replugged the tank but this resulted in fuel running down my left arm and onto my back. Initially this was not a concern but the longer I lay there the more it burnt! Not in my armpit where you might expect but the underside of my arm and my left upper back. After the draining operation was complete I removed my t shirt and soaped and washed the burning areas - the relief was palpable. And all that from some excess fuel! Then Wade, after a minor battle, was able to undo the fuel line from the tank. Next were the nuts holding the tank straps and these too proved that 67 years is too long. These too were drenched in penetrant and will be addressed again tomorrow.

All in all a frustrating day as 67 years of inactivity played its part in thwarting our endeavours. And to top it all off, my wife didn't want to know me and couldn't believe I was so dirty and stank so much of gas and grease when I got home. Suffice to say much soaping, lathering and scrubbing was then required before I re-appeared close to clean again.

But to finish, included is a pic of my main scraping tool, the broken bladed table knife I've had for about 30 years from who knows where?

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Thursday 31st January 2008

On the way to the workshop dropped off the daily driver to get new front tyres and a wheel alignment. The guy at the tyre place is also looking into tyres for the coupe for me and will get back to me when he has the info. On the way saw Wade pulling into the driveway of the workshop in his Super 8 as I had to go round the block to get to the tyre dealer and now I know why they call people rubber-neckers. There were only a few people around but ALL of them just about twisted their heads off their necks to watch it pull in!

Less dramatic at the workshop, started again on the nuts holding the fuel tank straps to the frame and even though they'd been soaked in penetrant they still wouldn't budge. So Wade got out his trusty angle grinder and using a cutting blade sliced the nuts off with that, problem solved. It only took a bit of manouevering to slip the filler neck around the corner and VOILA the tank was out. Removing the pickup and sending unit from it's top revealed an amazingly clean interior to the tank!

Next, the same angle grinder technique was applied to the remaining bolt holding the sway bar shock. But first the nuts holding the rear exhaust pipe hanger were similarly sliced. This permitted the exhaust pipe to be moved sufficiently allowing the angle grinder access to the sway bar shock bolt requiring surgery.

Then I undid the flexible brake hose from the frame to the diff housing. Although it had obviously been replaced at some stage in its life, the giveaway being the piece of wire in lieu of a nut behind the frame bracket end. The hose, supposedly flexible was almost rigid, and obviously past it's use by date.

Onto the rear universal joint and after cleaning and marking the caps the caps were removed. This left only the u-bolt nuts to be undone, but as they also looked likely to be tight a liberal dose of penetrant was sprayed on each and this I'll catch up with when I return to the Workshop on Monday morning.

By the way, in the course of this diff removal exercise Wade realised that the rear jack stand were under the diff housing, so re-positioning was required. A relatively simple procedure you'd think? Well it was and it wasn't because after jacking up the diff, removing the jack stands there and using a pair of bigger and longer stands set to their maximum extension and placed just behind the rear spring hangers the car was lowered till the car was resting on the stands. Except the rear of the car was supported by only one stand! The other was fractionally under the frame on the right side! Not a good idea. So after a bit of shuffling of stands and raising and lowering of heights for each stand, all without improvement a piece of steel about 3/8" thick was used on the left side and this time it worked! Amazing, the strength and rigidity of a Packard frame!

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Mal, if they don't have PB Blaster down there, let me know and I will mail you a couple of cans. This is a serious offer.
Sorry to hear about your nuts being cut off - PB Blaster might have saved them.

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Randy,

That sure is a serious offer to a serious problem with a serious solution. Fortunately I don't contemplate having to cut my nuts off again, once is more than enough! If need be I might take up your offer in the future if the need does arise. I'd like to thank you for your very generous offer.

Monday 4th February 2008




Not happy!

Once again updated the blog and what happened? Lost the whole post thats what! So here goes again. And you know what - it happened again! Fortunately second time round I'd saved most of it, so all's not lost. Now - third time should be lucky.

After donating blood in the morning arrived at the workshop at 10:00am with only 2 hours available for Packard work, because I had to take my Mum for a medical appointment in the afternoon.

First up was removal of the left side rear end u-bolt nuts. This task was eventually accomplished but not before the exposed threads were wire- brushed, the nuts were loosened and re-tightened with the rattle-gun and also loosened and re-tightened with the long bar. These are the trials and tribulations of 70 year old Packard nuts, mind you Randy. However the left side was eventually finished after the right side and in contrast after a dose of penetrant and, voila, using a rattle-gun the right side nuts came off relatively easily!

Next the sway bar and its shock were removed as the mount to the rear end was welded to the diff housing and needed to be released before the rear end assembly could be removed. Should be pretty straight forward, you'd think? Noooooooo. Because of the position of the tapered mount access was very limited. Trying with a long lever and a hammer applied judiciously to the housing where the taper fitted together with liberal doses of penetrant was all to no avail. Then the Guru, aka Wade, came up with the idea of using the arm's securing nut to force the tapered shaft out. Brilliant - after putting the nut back on the shaft and taking it out so that a ring spanner could be used and slipped out for its next part rotation 2 pieces of steel were used to fill the void between the nut and the rear end housing. Then by turning the nut out, pressure was applied until with a hammer knock the shaft broke its 70 year old bonds - jubilation! Wade then prised the shock from where it had been left last week after having its nuts cut off. Now here was an even more straight forward removal situation you'd think. Remove the sway bar from the shock, out from under the confines and strictures of automobile architecture, easy? Again No. Couldn't be pressed out with the 20 tonner because of awkward angles and such. So to Wades steel vice to use as an anvil. While I held the bar with one hand and a long pry bar with the other, Wade wielded a hammer against the arm of the sway bar shock. Still no luck, until John came over grabbed a bigger hammer and proceeded to give a demonstration of how it should be done resulting in further jubilation as it released. As wade says "Theres nothing you can't do with brute force and dumb luck".

Now came removal of the complete rear end assembly. Earlier Wade had placed a small trolley jack under the nose of the diff so it wouldn't fall forward when all the nuts were undone. This he replaced with a large trolley jack under the centre of the housing and jacking it up until it cleared the springs. Then with Wade on the left side and me on the right this whole assembly was rolled towards Wade until I could lower my side past the inside of the right spring. Then the assembly was pushed toward me until Wades side could be lowered past the spring. The whole assembly was then lowered on the jack and manoeuvered by zigzagging and pushing and pulling until it was eventually pushed clear on my side of the '41. Wade and I then carried the rear end assembly and placed it behind the back of the '41 and then put it on stands with a lump of wood under the nose to keep it level. Both axles were then removed and marked in preparation for replacing the bearings and seals.

I'll take some pic's tomorrow of what came out and I'll try and recreate the Guru's nut and taper pushing exercise as I'm sure pic's will explain it better than I can.

Mal -

I've lost posts in mid-construct in more than one forum - even with online e-mail. Seems liek if it takes too long to compose a message, something in the software times out.

My best advice is to construct your message in a plain-vanilla text editor (like Notepad), save on your computer, then cut-n-paste it to the online. Yet, because I've lost many good thoughts even when working offline, I'd further recommend saving the file, periodically, as you compose it on your computer - a paragraph at a time, overwriting the existing file.

Computers are powerful tools, but far from perfect.