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Back from Atlanta....again. I just remembered one more item from my test drive last weekend that I should I would ask about. The speedometer is not registering, and all I here is a clack-clack-clack noise from it while the car is moving. I didn't think about it to much at the time as I was concentrating on steering and braking at the time. The sound is coming from the gauge cluster itself, so that tells me that the cable itself must be good. I luckily have a couple spare clusters I can salvage for parts if needed. Just wondered if anyone had any idea before I tore into it. I did give it some oil before I put it back in the car, but god knows what happened to it before I got the car.

This is a 54 senior. It sounds like the bushing or gears is still a bit dry and magnet can't spin freely.

Would suggest you remove from cluster and clean & lube all worm gears and lightly oil the gear train as far as odometer. You may have to work oil down into bushing from both sides of the cable drive shaft where oil hole is as well. Important there is free and very smooth spinning of the magnet and pole shoe. They are attached so essentially one piece and set up an eddy current in cup suspended between them -- Important no dirt or any touching between the magnet & cup. Try and not get any lube on the cup either and also make sure it is secure--no wobbles.

There have been a couple of failures on the forum where the shaft right at the front bushing before the point needle attaches has broken off.

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Howard,

Thanks for the pics and info. Most helpful.

I will look at how the speedo comes apart on one of my spare cluster first. My Clipper has the long sweeping speedo (one year only), so I will practice on my spare units before tearing into my original one.

Speedo was ok. Problem was that the last time I had the gauge cluster off to fix an issue I must not have tightened down the speedo cable connector good enough. So it had come loose and way spinning against the back of the cluster making that clack, clack, clack noise. Reconnected the cable and took it for a spin, worked just fine. Had it up to 30mph in the local neighborhood.

Still need to do the throttle and kick-down adjustments, and also the Carb still needs adjustment as it is stumbling/hesitation on initial acceleration, and smokes when it does. Then it "catches" and runs fine through the rest of acceleration.

The steering is feeling better (easier) the longer I drive it. Perhaps the fresh kingpin grease is working in, or I am getting used to it with out the power steering. Brakes still need some attending so, they just feel to soft. The parking brake is binding on release. But I think it's something in the mechanism up front. So I just need to recheck it.

My 12 year old daughter went along with me. I think there was some trepidation in her eyes as rolled down the road and she has never ridden in a car without seat belts. Perhaps it was seeing the ground move past thought the holes in the floor boards! Or though sound of wind rushing through the car since all the door weatherstripping is off the car.

Kev,

Glad it was just that, a quick easy fix.

As for your daughter. That's not what one usually receives from The Packard Driving Experience, especially the first one, but sure to remain a memory for her. It should also give her a greater appreciation over time as the various issues are remedied and The Packard Driving Experience becomes what is expected.

Mal,

I think they are still in amazement that the rusty, rodent filled hulk I had towed home almost 5 years ago actually moves under it's own power!

And they'll be even more amazed when it starts winning prizes at shows!

Kev -

I can't recall, but did you overhaul the carb?

Adjustments aside, an off-idle stumble makes me think of a vacuum leak or a problem with distributor vac advance control. That squirt of fuel you get from the accelerator pump won't do much good if the timing doesn't advance - hence the black smoke.

WRT to steering, you might wanna give the kingpins another shot of grease and watch to see if it's pushing the old grease out. if not, you might have to resort to Ross' suggestion of a torch.

As for brakes, whether or not you turned the drums, I believe you've replaced linings/shoes. Keep in mind that the brand new linings are likely not of the same arc as the drum - even a new drum. It will take some time (miles) for those linings to take a set to the drum, but you might help that process along by burnishing the linings them with a series of firm stops at speed in a big empty parking lot Just be sure to check the adjustment after your done, and things cool down.

WRT to parking brake cables, they can be lubed. With the ends of the cable disonnected, pull the cable all the way to one end. Coat the exposed cable with Lubriplate. Pull the cable the the way in other other driection, and apply Lubriplate. Now, pull the cable alternately, from one end to the other, and you'll gradually work the grease deeper into the sheath. Reapply Lubriplate as needed. The process can be accelerated with a helper, working like a couple of lumberjacks with a two-man saw.

Kev -

Great progress! I was a tiny bit apprehensive about the tranny, but my repairs appear to have withstood the test of time.

Doug

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I'm just going to comment on this without looking it up, to sort of test my confidence in general automotive knowledge-- I believe that the distributor vacuum diaphragm advances the timing more as vacuum increases. On acceleration, the vacuum should drop, retarding the spark.