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Anyone pulled an engine recently from a 1941-42 senior series car? Motor's Manual says to remove from below but to me that looks pretty complicated and I'm tempted to pull the front clip and remove conventionally from above. Appreciate comments on your experiences.

Odd... in the Packard section under Engine, Replace in my Motors manual (1954 17th edition, second printing) it says:
"1940-42 except Clippers-- The general procedure for removing the engine is the same as that given below except that the fenders and grille must be removed as a unit. The engine may then be hoisted through the top of the engine compartment." It then goes on to list 18 detailed steps to remove an engine for the 1941-54 series which ultimately ends with hoisting the engine up and out. I'm just curious as to which Motors manual and where in that manual you are finding information on removing from below. Somehow I must have missed it.

I'm told (didn't actually check the cover myself) that the Motor's Manual being used was a 1946 edition.

Having pulled and put in a 39 12 and 40 super many times. In my garage I have a beam running the length of the garage with a hoist attached to it. It is far easier to have another person help you lift off the fenders and radiator shell. Then as I remember it is a one man job to remove the radiator, and then attach the engine to the hoist bolted to the block, tilt up just a bit and out comes the engine very easily. I have removed or put in engines and the front body parts in as little as one day.

Thanks Todd.

I just finished pulling and rebuilding a '38 and a '39. I pulled them both from the top. I used a cherry picker and only removed the radiator and grille leaving the fenders in place. I also pull the '41 through '47 Clippers and '48 through '50 engines the same way.
Works for me.

So now I can answer my own question and thanks to those who offered advice. Left the front clip intact. Removed the hood, removed the fan and waterpump which permitted removal of the radiator. Removed flywheel and disconnected bell housing from block, removed front motor mount, and just lifted it out - cleared by an inch or better at both ends.

It makes sense to me to remove the engine from the top, but I am having difficulty understanding what bolts etc to remove to take the clip off as one piece, understanding the hood would need to be removed first. Somewhere, I don't know where, I had found a file on the internet that was supposed to tell how to do this exercise. However, is was something that my computer would not open, and I have adobe acrobat reader and several other programs on my computer. I am looking for a procedure of what bolts to take out and remove the front clip as a single piece.

Willie J

As I indicated earlier in this thread, I was involved in the removal of a 356 engine from a 1941 160DE convertible just last year. We removed the hood, then the usual things, wiring, gauge connections, air filter, etc.; then the radiator, the fan and waterpump, and perhaps the generator (don't remember). Then disconnected the drive train at the bell housing and the motor came straight out thru the top. Very direct, no complications, no need to remove the front clip. Back in the same way.

I did quite a few of these things using an overhead gantry and dropping the motor and trans assembly out the bottom is the fastest and safest. Especially for a show car. The flat rate was something like an hour for two workers. However, there is a catch. They used to have a pit into which the assembly was lowered. One place I worked actually had a bay with an old engine pit out back.

I used to raise the car high enough off the floor to lower the power pack onto a dolly and then wheel the thing out from under the car.

The big advantage here is that the motor is removed as a unit assembly (great for a show car), and because the trans is attached potential damage to the marcel plate is minimized.

I never tried it, but I think this method also works for the twelve.

The oldtimers were doing this for valve jobs and timing chains as well. The junior series engineers did a good job in having unit front ends and power packs because this was terrific for service profits as well. If you were in a collision just put a whole new nose on the car. Great profit margins in that.

All I could find on front clips is this one brief mention in a 1935 manual. Others will have to say if it would be close to what is needed for your car. Must be another of those subjects all Packard mechanics were born knowing--Seems like extra work though if it doesn't absolutely have to come off.

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