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the center holes are not used in the factory installation.

There is a service counselor articlehttps://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/SC/SC-VOL25NO7.pdf detailing the change made in radiator mounting for 51's to eliminate stresses. Since all radiator mounts 51-6 were pretty much the same, I believe the method & parts probably carried over till the end and is similar to what has been discussed -- with illustrations.

the center holes are not used in the factory installation.
I am not understanding CENTER holes. Do you mean the "B" location in the 1951 fix illustration? Every 51-56 Packard I ever saw had six bolts holding the rad in place.
The shop manual lists six screws (433821).
Obviously I am misunderstanding Ross.

Howard, the Service Counseler fix makes perfect sense and I appreciate your bringing attention to it however I'm with Randy on the mounting. The parts list does call for 6 bolts but 4 insulators and sleeves. My car had all 6 matching bolts in place with the top and bottom bolts having the enlarged holes and insulators. I'm beginning to think that maybe there was some confusion associated with the factory installation instructions.

Don't disagree on the number being 6. I think originally it might have had 6 screws right up to the cradle and no movement. The change just made the 2 in the middle solid to keep things attached using a washer as a spacer to keep the same distance from cradle as the new rubber insulators. Hard to say why there are so many variations but perhaps the rubber washers deteriorated over the years or people didn't know what was supposed to be there and just saw the solid washers.

Ok, I will claim brain fart, and I didn't look it up, but none of the six 51-56 cars on the grounds have the center bolt in them. Mea culpa.

The radiator in my 55 Clipper was bolted up solid when I got it. The 55-56 parts book calls for 4 insulated and 2 solid. The bracket is offset to accommodate the bushing on the top and bottom holes, but the center ones go right up against the cradle. This is what I did. There is plenty of flex in this mounting method.

(o{}o)

Ahhhhh so per JW's '55, they changed the bracket design to do away with the need for the washer/spacer at the center holes. While there is no reason to suggest that the installation on my car is factory original, the supporting evidence is certainly in place. The 6 bolts are all the same 1/4" self tapping style with 5/8" long threads. The sleeves are only 3/16" long which doesn't really allow for a second insulator to be added. In addition, adding a second insulator would be pushing the need to require longer bolts but it would certainly need longer sleeves.

I believe I'll install mine per the Service Counselor instructions even if it does require longer bolts and longer sleeves. Wrong or not, I'm really surprised that the 4 original rubber insulators and sleeves were still intact.

My 55 Patrician is just like the bulletin from 1951.

My early built '51 did not have spacers or anything like that. Not sure how I should reinstall it when the time comes. I don't like cutting things that were not cut when I took them off. Maybe the core issue was not as much of an issue as they thought?