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Some minor work on the car today. First I has to fix a gas leak where the line was not sealing to the tank. Nothing like opening the garage door and finding a pool of gas under the car. This started happening after I filled the tank all the way car up. Replaced the line, and all is well.

Also since the car is still smoking on acceleration, I think I have a stuck ring. So I drained two quarts of oil out of the car, and replaced it with two quarts of ATF. I will run it through several warm up cycles per Jim's advice, and hopefully that will unstick the ring as it did his. Also that should help clear out any gunk in the motor.

I also installed the washer jets that Howard was nice enough to send my way. Look a little PB Blaster to get the plugs out of the washer towers. But after that the jets fit perfectly. Thanks Howard!

Finally Mat, Noel, and Gary stopped by for a visit and to inspect my work on the '54. Also I wanted Gary to here a tick that is coming from the motor. He thinks it may be water pump impeller. But not 100%.

Quote:Kev,

Glad they made it, but......where's the pic? It's almost De rigueur when Packard people come to Wade's Shed!

Mal,

Next time you will have to come with to document the scene! Mat is pondering the possibility of coming back at the end of January with Russ for the PI Meet in SoCal. One of these trips we shall have to convince you to come with!

Not much done on the Packard yesterday. There was a list of things to get accomplished before garage time would be permitted:

Halloween boxes had to be fetched from the loft storage for last minute decorating and costume accessorizing.

The hot-tub pump was running, but was not pumping water. So I had to take it apart, and found a piece of plastic from the filter cartridge was fouling the impeller. Fixed. But this involved draining the tub, removing the access panel, unhooking the plumbing and removing the pump from the tub chassis. Then of course refilling the tub, and balancing out all the chemicals.

After that I had to run to the parts store to get a brake light bulb for my wife's car that went out.

Then a trip to the hardware store to get some bib-washers to fix a leaky faucet in the shower.

Finally with all the "Honey-Do" list complete. I was in the garage. I let the Packard run for about 20 minutes in circulate the ATF in the engine oil in a attempt to free the stuck ring.

While that was running, I managed to get all the rest of the door handle clips removed from the car. Now with the door handles off the car, I can pull off the trim at the base of the side windows, and finish stripping the paint on the body.

Stopped by the Ford dealer today to try to buy a couple of can of Motorcraft Carb Cleaner and Tune-Up. Only to find out it's only available in calif in the liquid form that goes in the gas tank.

I guess because of Calif EPA, they are not allowed to stock the spray kind.

Perhaps I will just use some Sea Form down the carb.

PM

Thanks to Jim, I was able to spray a can of that Motorcraft cleaner down the carb. Now it is currently going to soak over night, and then rinse and repeat with another can.

I was expecting smoke to pour out of it like an 1800's era train smokestack. But I actually think it was making less smoke.

I think the double whammy of the ATF in the oil, and the bug bombing it with the Motorcraft is starting to work it's magic. Jim you were right on the money!

Not much time for the garage this week. But I did receive the correct style fender skirts bolts, and thick washers (made in stainless steel) from the Motor City Packard Region.

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Back the garage today. It the process of trying to track down some engine tick noise and vibration I am getting. I noticed that with fan and pulley off the water pump, and a getting a bit of rub noise when I turn the pump back and forth by hand. Not sure if that is reason for the vibration or the ticking noise I am hearing or not.

Thoughts?

Possibly insufficient clearance between the water pump impeller and the backing plate? I encountered that once on a pump for a 356 - answer was to reassemble with a thicker rear cover gasket which was easier to do than to change the press fit of the impeller on the shaft.