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Quote:G'day Doug,
to PackardInfo.

Great to hear from a former owner of Kev's '54 Clipper.

And, if you still own the '58 Hardtop could you please include it in the Packard Owner's Registry here, together with a pic, any known history and how you acquired it?

Just spoke to Joe Peterson, the gentleman who owned the car before Doug and after Doug. We believes he sold the car to someone in Oakland, CA after buying the car back from Doug. But doesn't remember that persons name. I believe he sold it through a newspaper/magazine ad, and didn't know the guy.

But he does remember who he bought car from in the Mid-70's, a Keith Milbrandt. Keith now lives up in Oregon now, and through the magic of the internet, I was able to find his phone number, and have a call into him. Joe thinks that Keith may have got the bought the car in the greater Placerville area as Keith liked to collect Hudsons, Packards, and Studebakers.

Based on the tags on the License plate, the last registration slip found in the car that matches the tags, and the lack of record in the DMV database, I don't believe the car was ever registered since Doug owned in in 1986.

Kev and Ozstatman,
The '58 went to Joe, too. Just not right away. He got it from me in the late '90s.

Some minor progress today. I got the first two sections of fuel hard line in. So from the fuel pump hose, across the front crossmember, over the top of the member and along the top for frame rail. Then a coupler to the next piece of line right where the line clamp on the frame rail is before going under the body. I used a fresh piece of hose slit down the middle to prevent abrasion on the hardline where it passes under the body. So that piece of line currently ends just about at the B-pillar on on the outside of the frame rail. I will try to add the rear portion tomorrow evening. Then I can install the electric priming fuel pump and glass filter.

I was only able to get fuel line in 60" length. The original line was 16 feet long. So three pieces of 60" (5 feet) line, and a few couplers are needed. The last 18" or so will consist of the fuel pump and filter, and some fuel hose. I can't believe how damn expensive fuel rated hose is. Even if I could get longer pieces of fuel line. I am not sure how the heck you could run it through the car with the body on the frame. The line, which I bought from NAPA, is epoxy coated on the outside to ward off corrosion.

Well I got the rest of the fuel hard line ran to rear of the car. That was a bit of an adventure. There is a shared bolt on a bracket that extends from the frame where the drivers side parking brake cable is held and also is where one of the fuel line clamps is secured. Due to the tension on the parking brake cable even when the brake is released, it prohibits re-clamping that cable. So you have to basically take all the tension off the parking brake cable using the equalizer adjuster. So which means I will have to readjust the parking brakes when all done.

Next problem is the the electric fuel pump I was going to use for priming, is not going to work. It has hose barb end on the outlet side that is only like 1/4". Way to small. Plus to even get it to hook up I would have to cobble together a series of adapters. Which I don't want to do.I didn't notice this small barb end until I got the pump out of the packaging and removed the protective shipping caps. The inlet side have a screw in barb, but the outlet barb is not removable. So I think I will look at getting the same pump that Randy recommended. The final hook up to the tank is on hold until I get a different pump.

I think I am also going to add one or two more line clips to the fuel line. Because I had to use a multi-piece hard line with couplers. I don't want the line moving around and possible causing leaks at the couplers. So there really need to be an additional clip at the rear portion of the hard line run along the frame rail before it goes back up and over the frame.

Next two problems. While I was under the car I noticed two small fluid puddles that have shown up since it has gotten warmer. The first one was under the transmission, and the second one under the master cylinder.

The transmission one is seeping from when the filler tube screws into the pan. So I just tighten the fitting a little bit more, and I will recheck tomorrow.

The Master Cylinder leak was coming off the distribution block. So first I wiped it dry, and then pumped the brakes over and over and recheck to see where the leak was coming from. It actually coming out the top of the brake switch. Basically seeping up between the seam in the metal casing and the black plastic insulator where the terminals are. So looks like I will need to find a new switch, and then re-bleed the brakes.

Also I noticed that the brake pedal lever itself is rubbing on the right side edge of the hole in the toe board. Is there an adjustment on the pivot shaft to re-center it? Or is the lever simply bent and I just need to unbend it? I also never noticed that lube fitting that feeds the pivot shaft. So I will also replace the lube fitting with a new one, and grease it.

Kev, I enjoy reading your progress. The brake switch is a standard off-the-shelf item at NAPA and probably the other parts stores as well. If the switch has male bayonet electricals and 1/8 pipe thread, it's a NAPA/Echlin SL-134. See attached listing.

Unsure of 51-54, but the 22nd/23rd series were known for wear on the shaft from lack of lubrication and the pedal arms would hit the toe board. Usual cure is to mount a new shaft whichis available as a slight oversize from one of the Packard regions. They also used rubber bellows to seal out dirt/noise when the pedals were relaxed, again I don't know if that practice continued into the 50s but the parts book has the answer.

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Dave it does look like SL-134. Thanks for posting that. I'll see if the local Napa has them in stock.

How to the pedals attach to the pivot shaft? I was think the pedal has migrated along the shaft and just need to be moved back to it correct location and retightened. But perhaps it's not that simple.

PS > ECH SL134 $8.99 at Napa.

Sorry Kev, can't help with that, never had one apart or even taken a close look.

I wonder what is the difference between SL-134 and SL-141. I mean what make SL141 Heavy duty?

Edit: No matter, Napa doesn't carry a SL-141.

Quote:

Kev, You know way more about what you're doing than I will ever know, but the reference to a glass filter caught my eye. I take it this pump will be by the tank, and the filter will attach to the line by the frame rail. A glass bowl type filter would be in a dangerous place there. I have put the same setup on an old Dodge, and used a clear plastic barrel type in-line filter. Easy to see if it's gummed up.

If you're concerned about water, which a bowl would trap, you can always plumb a bowl up in the engine compartment, if there isn't one there already.

Those glass bowls are tough, but if a rock or piece of metal happens to get thrown up hard while driving...

This may not apply to your application, but I thought it would be good information to share for anybody doing fuel line/pump/filter work.

Got any new pics?