Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

Picked up my radiator core support and front fender braces from the sandblaster today. Look great, one coat of primer to keep them safe. I do have a few rusted out areas that need to be fixes in the core support. Pin holes, but still needs to be fixed.

Ken,
Although this is your 115C Blog, for including your '37 One Twenty Touring Sedan in the Registry, looks good!

Thanks Mal! Started a new blog, just as a place to store what I'm doing with the new car.

Worked on the 115 a bit today. I was going to install the head and paint the engine, but the studs I ordered 3 months ago aren't right - 9 of them are, but the other 14 were coarse on one end and fine on the other. So, once I get that fixed (I cannot catch a break!) I'll install everything, and start breaking the engine in.

Engine is painted, bellhousing, flywheel and clutch installed, and engine in frame! A few notes:

Install the ball for the clutch fork to mount on before you put the clutch in! You can do it in the opposite order, but it is a lot harder.

I used the old trick with a socket and grease to push out the pilot bearing - worked great! If unfamiliar with what I'm talking about - fill the cavity with grease, take a socket whose outside diameter is very close to the ID of the pilot bearing, fill said socket with grease, add an extension, and then sharply rap it with a hammer. The grease acts to transfer the pressure hydraulically and slide the bearing out. I put a wrap of electrical tape outside the socket to reduce the clearance. I would recommend starting out with a deep well socket so you don't push it behind the bearing as it starts to come out.

Use an arbor press (or the clutch pedal before you take the clutch out) to depress the clutch fingers. Block the fingers with a small piece of wood. Because of the fact that the bell housing goes on before the clutch, you cannot easily pull the clutch down with the bolts like you would on a later model car. I read about this in the owners manual before I pulled the clutch, but I had the clutch rebuilt, so I wasn't able to really apply the knowledge.

I wish I would have pre-bent the tabs for the flywheel bolt locking tabs. I was able to get them all bent up, but it would have been much easier if I had pre-bent the corners.

I put the engine in with a cherry-picker. Almost was able to do it by myself, but I had to have my wife come push the engine hoist around a little bit while I was lining up the engine with the transmission input shaft.

Attach file:

---

  (57.56 KB)

Quote:

Ken, would that be the pilot bearing?

(o{}o)

Yes! Thanks for the catch- I'll edit the post.

"I put the engine in with a cherry-picker. Almost was able to do it by myself, but I had to have my wife come push the engine hoist around a little bit while I was lining up the engine with the transmission input shaft."

They do come in handy at times like that!

Installed and torqued down the head, installed the fuel pump, and installed the manifolds. I do have a question on the manifold installation, referenced here:https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=16571&post_id=165358#forumpost165358

Tomorrow should see me adding oil, new plugs, and the electrical side of the house, and maybe a quick light-off.

As far as breaking in the engine- I have seen some stuff about high idle, and I have also heard that the engine should be driven somewhat aggressively to seat the rings. Any tips? I know my engine book says drive aggressively, but not too hard, at 35-40 mph without racing the engine or letting it idle excessively.

No light off today! It turns out that I need to get two new studs and two manifold clamps before I get there.

I also need to get my distributor installed. I installed a rebuild oil pump (on exchange, sent my old in for a core charge). Now the distributor won't go in! The slit in my distributor drive is about 0.030" wide, but it appears that the drive plate in the oil pump is quite a bit thicker. I'll call Kanter tomorrow and see what's going on. I can't imagine that they would be thicker in later years, but maybe that's what is going on. Good thing I'm not in a hurry on this project! It's been about a year since I've heard it run.

Actually there ARE two different oil pump distributor drive plates. I learned this lesson the hard way too...check the parts book and you will see.

I'm sorry but I do not have any of those later manifold clamps. They are the same up to 54, nothing special other than they are pretty thick if you have any steel scraps around surely you could fabricate, or maybe some sympathetic soul can grab a pair for you from a parts engine/pile.

Your 115C has fought you all the way, and now is even more jealous with the new 120 in the garage. Get used to it...