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Put about 4 hours in on the front engine mount project this evening. Started with degreasing and blasting the engine mount support, plate, and fasteners. As I stripped the support stay I looked very carefully for and signs of Packard Green. I only found remains of black on various parts of the bracket and never even a faint hint of green. I always thought the front support was engine color, but from the looks of this one, I might have thought so in error.

From there, on to prepping the front of the engine and painting. One advantage to Phoenix in May is quick dry time! The isolator bushings pictured are actually made of polyurethane and supplied by Gary Osko. Given the reputation these isolators have for smashing down and the sever load they carry, this seems like a no brainier! They are priced very reasonable also.

Once dry, everything was reassembled and the engine once again resting in it's cradle. Not bad for an evening after work. Tomorrow night, it's on to removing the manifolds. Should make for an interesting evening.

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Don't forget to replace the timing marks on your harmonic balancer. It's easier to do it now than to try and do it after it's all put back together.
Good work. Brings back a lot of memories.

Though this factory picture of the 22nd series clearly shows the front engine support bracket was not black and apparently engine color (gray), I must say that all the prewar senior ones I've seen on cars that I took to be unmolested were black. Don't know for certain but if it were mine, I'd do it black. Photo from MSU's MMM collection (cropped).

Same photo also answers the frequent question about the color of the oil filler tube, though remember this is a 22nd series photo so it doesn't necessarily apply to every year and model. Some other interesting details in this picture, for example the long, sweeping curve of the carburtor fuel inlet line. And the connection point for the battery ground cable at the forward generator bracket bolt.

Good move on the urethane engine support cushions!

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There's a nice full-page prewar assembly line photo in Chapter 21 of Kimes' Packard book that clearly shows the bracket painted the same color as the engine, as well as the oil filler tube.
The generator bracket is also painted the same color as the engine.
Both manifolds are clearly black. Not grey, or green.

Yes, the front motor mount biscuits do deform and cause the motor to sag, but that's usually after 40 yrs/ 60,000 miles.
The positive about using urethane is that your great great grandchildren will not have to replace them again, but you will be sacrificing some of that legendary Packard smoothness with the higher durometer urethane.

There's a nice full-page prewar assembly line photo in Chapter 21 of Kimes' Packard book that clearly shows the bracket painted the same color as the engine, as well as the oil filler tube.
The generator bracket is also painted the same color as the engine.
Both manifolds are clearly black. Not grey, or green.

Thanks for looking into that, West. It's a dull day that you don't learn something new.

Started the evening out with close inspection of finishes mentioned by West. Sure enough the generator adjusting bracket had small remnants of the dark (seems more olive drab than the paint currently available) green. Then turned attention to the intake and exhaust finish. Sure enough, the intake had a fair amount of faint black places and the exhaust even had some very faint black patches left here and there. So... I have no reason to believe the total and complete lack of any green on the engine support and remnants of black might indicate it left the factory black. In any case, I agree with West's citation of a factory photo with an engine stay painted to match engine color. Who knows... one of those weird restoration conundrums. At this point, it is not a restoration project, just receiving sympathetic repair in the vain of being done as correctly as possible. The car deserves this at the very least.

As for the front engine mount being to rigid and creating more vibration, yes that is true. I had to weigh a tiny bit more vibration (couldn't be more than sacked mount nearly resting metal to metal) to installing a modern replacement part not as durable as the ones Packard installed when the car was new. For better or worse, this seems to be the best option in my view given challenges reported about various rubber mounts prematurely sacking out.

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On to more progress. Began by soaking the fasteners the other day and re-soaked before starting this evening. Chased the exposed threads of all manifold studs with a 3/8 - 24 die. The nuts were still brass (to my utter surprise) and came off with relative ease. One stud backed out with no damage. The exhaust flange bolts came apart with ease also. One interesting note (And Flackmaster mentioned this while he, Big Kev, and I were visiting Egge in January) there appears to be no intake to exhaust heat box gasket. The bolts look original and undisturbed and there seems to be no leaks! Heat damper seems to work freely and properly, so I might leave well enough alone.

Cleaned up the manifold block surface and moved on to cylinder head removal. Pulled spark plugs and found all 8 to be uniform fluffy brown. How fortunate I thought. Soaked the head bolts and soaked studs while removing other odds and ends. Ate dinner and went out to fill my truck. When I returned I tapped the side of the cylinder head with a large shot filled dead blow hammer and the head soon changed sounds as it released from the head gasket. The head came off with ease to revel a terrific looking top end. Inspection of the bores and valves showed no evidence of trouble. The valve faces are clean with no cupping or pitting, seats in excellent shape and valve margins are nice and thick.

Remembered that Kev's car had an issue with loose #7 exhaust and my car was actually collapsed #6 exhaust. Good thing I read back through this thread to refresh my memory. No matter, I would have double checked and realized this I suppose.

Tomorrow I will attempt to remove the hydraulic lash adjuster body from the body of the tappet. Might involve designing and machining some special collar clamp tools to hold the lifter and tappet bodies to avoid damage if they are stuck together. I remember JD mentioned this condition in his thread.

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Wow, Jim, you're barreling through here. Fantastic how much progress in a short time. I checked Jim Hollingsworth's 1940 book and on page 27 the bracket is engine color. Mine is black, taken from one of the engine illustrations probably, but if some tailpipe peeping judge sticks a flashlight down there could I borrow your dead blow hammer to bean him one?

I imagined my oil filler tube black, and was thinking I'd have to paint it again, but it is green. Black cap.

BTW Painted pieces coming fast. Picked up all I could carry last night. Another load today. I'll have an update on the Duchess soon.
Joe

Nice progress - keep it up. It appears you may well have an engine in very good condition. Did you happen to take compression readings before you pulled the head?

Spark plug appearance is completely typical.

Though the Steele rubber front engine mount isolators seem to last pretty well (the ones on my old 48 Custom have been in service for a couple of decades), if it was my choice and the car was a personal keeper, I'd probably have gone with the urethane as well. Tell me more about where you sourced them?