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Wednesday 10th February 2010

Was in early at the workshop, must have beaten Wade in by about an hour, that's exceptional! Disassembled the latest wind chimes apparatus of POR-15'd '41 parts. Discovered too many missed spots, which will be touched up next time round as well as three small pieces I missed completely! Also tidied up the parts, again.

When Wade arrived commenced on Big Red, by re-installing most of the left side accessories on the engine because Wade wanted to turn it over today to check oil pressure. Wade had attached the fuel/vacuum pump and oil cooler housing to the engine prior to it being re-installed. But had removed the oil cooler housing because the plumbing needed to be fitted, quite an awkward job with the fuel pump in place. Then the oil filter was installed complete with MBM gaskets. Next the road draft tube, also with a MBM gasket, anf=d the oil filler tube and cap. Starter motor in and wired up hooked up to the battery and the motor turned over. That was the theory, the starter spun but didn't engage! Disconnect starter and remove, place on bench and open up, fair bit of oil and dirt causing the starter gear to stick on the shaft because of that. Pulled the starter apart, cleaned everything, lightly lubed the bushes and back into Big Red and hooked up again. Mind you, at this point Wade's not trying to fire up Big Red just get oil through everything and show pressure on the gauge. Of course it would be hard to get it running without a head, manifolds, carb, distributor, etc, etc. Also used one of the shops booster batteries to get it spinning but it didn't last long and no pressure showed on the gauge. Left Wade to it as I went home to cut the grass, which is growing berserk with the rain, heat and humidity we've had here lately. Definitely no snow!

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Thursday 11th February 2010

Couple of hours at the workshop this morning, the afternoon being taken up with the granddaughters. First was removing the rear trans mounts from Big Red as one had de-laminated. Then removing the right side crankcase mount or rather what was left of it. Seeing that Wade is leaving next week to be in New Zealand for their 2010 South Pacific Wild West Wander at the end of February and will be away all up for about a month he's taking the opportunity to have these mounts rebuilt while he's away. Next was re-installing the front seat back and bottom frame into Big Red. Reason this hadn't been done before was the cross shaft had broken gears on one side. Noel had brought a spare with him on Sunday to the PACA AGM and because it was wider than the broken original Stan, Wade's machining man, had narrowed it up so now the seat parts could be re-installed.

Then onto the engine again. With me observing the oil gauge capillary fitting on the right side of Big Red's block for signs of life = oil, Wade put the recharged booster battery to work. After some cranking, oil started to emerge from the block fitting so the Oil gauge capillary was reconnected to the block. Because of this my observation post was moved to the front seat of Big Red with my focus on the oil pressure gauge. And it moved, not much about 5lbs, but at cranking speed it is reassuring that oil IS flowing through Big Red's engine oiling system. Next was installing Big Red's head, with first a clean up of block and head surfaces. On with the new head gasket, on with the head and new washers and after a quick polish the domed and chromed head nuts. Torquing down in increments in the standard tightening pattern on a hot and humid day saw these duties rotated with Wade starting each sequence and me finishing them off. At this point I left the workshop to slip into my other life of babysitter, what a contrast!

Quote: Steve,

Regarding the spray paint, a couple of pic's below, it's rated to 120C/250F which should be more than adequate for it's crankcase/sump application. And paint is made by PPG Industries.

And regarding cleaning of our air cleaners, it's usually "as normal". The huge dust storm we had back in September was "abnormal", see this previous post. And you've increased my knowledge of Australia, when I looked up Great Victoria Desert, learn something new every day. The Great Victoria Desert is probably about 2,000kms west of Sydney and for dust to travel that far takes a combination of exceptional conditions to occur.

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Thank you Mal, you never size to amaze me
Seems like the same kind of spray paint is here available to but under a different name and distributer.

Btw Mal have you considered making some videos of the first start and running of the rebuild Packard engine? Im not sure how many people here would wnat to see it, but I would like to.

Friday 12th February 2010

A couple of hours at the workshop this morning. While Wade worked on cleaning up some parts I was commissioned to make a gasket for Big Red's water pump. Proved more difficult than I initially thought as I didn't have an old one for a template. Measured up a piece of gasket material and cut to the rough size required. Used a ball-peen hammer carefully tapped out the water pump studs positions on the gasket paper. Then, using a punch set, cut the actual stud holes and placed the now 5 holed paper over the studs and against the block surface then hammered out the circular internal hole. Again using the hammer managed to hammer out the outside edge of the right hand side of the gasket. Cutting the hammered part off, then used that to trace the rest of the outside outline onto the gasket paper, couldn't tap right around the water pump block fitting because of obstructions. Result? A reasonable MBM gasket. Wade cleaned up the mounting surface of the water pump on the wire wheel then I gasket cemented all surfaces and installed the pump back onto the block. Wade also mounted the coil bracket and coil on Big Red's head, re-installed the temperature gauge sending unit and some other little tasks. Oh, and I found we had a template all along in the form of the old gasket. It was on the water pump housing but unless you looked very closely couldn't tell it was there. Only found when Wade went to clean up the gasket surface!

Wade and Gina are going to be away in New Zealand for the 2010 South Pacific Wild West Wander from early next week and wont be back until about mid March so reporting on workshop and related activities will slow down somewhat. I will be doing some work on the '41 and I'll report on that as it progresses.

Quote:Steve,

I'd certainly like to do a video but I don't know if I can. When Wade's '34 first fired up someone with a camera phone took about 30 seconds of video but it never got downloaded because these was some software problem in doing it. And I only have a cheap digital camera which is great for the pic's I take and post. But I think it probably has a video mode and, being a technological dinosaur, I haven't discovered it yet, even by accident! I will however investigate this to see if it will work. If not my #2 son has a little handi-cam thingie which I might be able to borrow for the big event. Then comes the problem of posting it here so my "tech support", #1 son, may be called upon to get the images from me to you.

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Mal, I was 19 when my brother-in-law taught me how to make a gasket with a ball peen hammer. He was already an accomplished body-man and mechanic. I learned a lot in his garage. Brought back some good memories. I am a tad older now.

Mal, did you use the ball or the peen?

Top quality!! I'd have guessed it was store bought if you hadn't have told us otherwise.

Quote:Randy,

I was about the same age when a good mate, a cabinetmaker but a terrific mechanic, showed me how. Hadn't used that skill in about 40 years until I had to remove and refit the waterpump on my '38. Came back without even trying. And I think we're all somewhat older now.

Quote:Keegan,

Flattery will get you nowhere, but the ego laps it up!

Mal, et al: I have made many gaskets like Mal has just shown us. Instead of using a regular size hammer I have a small ball and peen hammer that is about one-fourth the size of the one in the photo. It has just the right amount of heft to cut through gasket material and makes it easy to go around and into tight corners. Actually, I think these small bp hammers are called gasket hammers.

(o {I} o)

Just a bit of clarification for owners of the older 320 and 385 engines, they don't use a gasket as show for models where the generator is driven by the timing chain. They use a flat copper ring gasket (readily available) because the pump body rotates within the block to provide the belt adjustment and the paper gasket would probably be torn in just a single adjustment.

Thursday 18th February 2010

Nothing happening in the workshop with Wade enjoying the scenic wonders of his homeland, New Zealand, and the 2010 South Pacific "Wild West Wander" rally starting next week. But, besides a fairly busy few days of grandfatherly duties, a few Packard things did come up. Wade had left the new front engine mount rubbers at the workshop for the '39 120 that Harvey's getting the engine rebuilt. And because I had to take over the new piston pin bushes for the '41 engine rebuild to Graham Wilkins I took the opportunity to take the engine mount rubbers over to Harvey who lives nearby.

At Graham's, besides dropping off the piston pin bushes, also took some pic's of a V12 E-Type Jaguar that Graham is going to be working on. And why is he going to be working on it? Not for anything major, although that could change, but to fix all the oil leaks! Graham told me he expects to start in earnest on the '41's engine next week and all I need to supply to him now is the flywheel and clutch when I get them back from Burt Bros.

On to Harvey's where I found him under the house where his '37 Super 8 Club Sedan is currently quartered. He's been working there refitting this space and tidying it up. He told me the '34 Club Sedan, which Wade now owns, used to be kept there when he owned it years ago. Spent a very agreeable time with Harvey, courtesy of a cup of tea and slice of cake from Carol, Harvey's wife in the big shed up the back of the house. The shed currently only houses the '40 Willys and the 120 engine back from machining and balancing and all the parts ready for assembly. However it turns out his boss wants the guy who used to build his racing engines to assemble the engine with Harvey acting as Packard Technical Advisor only, C'est la vie.

Then on the way home dropped into a rubber supplies store, Clark Rubber, and picked up 3 metres of rubber backed heat/noise shield sheeting to line the front floor area of the '41.

Quote:

Pic below shows location and mounting of the generator on the older 320/385 engines.

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