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Yes, that sway bar link arrangement was used thru the 21st series cars, and some of the very early 22nd series Custom Eights. On my 48 Custom, I replaced the sway bar with one from a later 22nd/23rd series car so I could use the other style link, no problem with the interchange.

Barrie, JD & Dave,

Thanks guys, you've each given me something to think about. I did find an illustration in my Motors Manual here at home which shows that for 35-42 the links are the same as shown in JD's pic. So it looks like a later or another stabilizer bar has been swapped in at some stage of the '41's life. I'm going down to the workshop soon and will fiddle some more with remounting the bar and also look up the '41 manual which is down there. Don't have my camera here at the moment but later will take a pic of the page in Motors and add it to this post.

EDIT - Pics below from '41 manual and Motors Manual added.

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Saturday 16th August 2008

On the way to the workshop this morning went looking for 6V globes to replace the 12V ones that came with the turn indicators. First stopped at Tibbie Rose, an Auto Electrician at Ryde, they didn't have them. Then tried Repco, spare parts retailer at West Ryde, they didn't have them. And last tried Salmon Bros, an electrical wholesaler at Meadowbank, and they didn't have them.

Continued to the workshop and went back to removing the front sway bar. Then re-fitted it, but reversed the attitude of the "arms", but loosely secured the nuts and bolts securing the rubber mounting blocks to the front frame horns. This allowed a little more reach for the links to meet with the lower bracket on the front of the torque arm. Then using the small trolley jack and a block of wood jacked up the front of the torque arm so the suspension was bearing some of the weight of the car. This helped but still wasn't sufficient as I couldn't compress the sway bar far enough to get the final rubber, collar and nut on. What to do? Needed something to compress the sway bar a little bit and hold it while I did the nut up. EUREKA!!! - The valve spring compressor sprang to mind as an implement suitable for the task at hand. So, and when you read this Wade you can be assured I was very very careful in using the compressor for a job it wasn't intended for, very gradually just hand tightened the compressor using the handle at the end of the long thread. Took up very easily, so I'm sure the valve spring compressor didn't suffer any undue harm. Repeated on the other side where it was slightly harder because there was now some tension on the sway bar but still required only hand tightening to bring the shaft of the bolt through the rubbers and collars. Then tightened up the sway bar mounting brackets on the frame horns. After this, seeing the uses I put his tools and equipment to when he's not around, I'm afraid that Wade won't let me work unsupervised in the workshop.

Turned to the lower radiator tube and hoses because, after installing them earlier this week, I'd discovered that the upper hose of the two lower hoses had a kink in it. I'd discussed this with Wade and he suggested cut some more of the upper part of the s/s tube off so that the angle to the water pump inlet was reduced. Took the hoses, s/s tube and clamps off. And speaking of which, I've replaced the clamp on the lower radiator outlet because it was extremely difficult to reach, let alone tighten up. Rummaged through the bucket of hose clamps that Wade's accumulated and found one of the right size with a slotted hex head. This meant I could use a small socket coupled with a universal joint to tighten it instead of a screwdriver, much much easier. Wade had also come up with 2 lengths of new radiator hose, one about 6" in length and the other about 18". Determined to try and use the 6" length only, if possible, and save the longer length for Wade. Hacksawed off another 1" from the upper part of the s/s tube so that now a bit over 2" in total has been taken off. Then installed the longer of my 2 pieces of hose, the 6" length of hose from Wade, the s/s tube and the clamps.

That did me for time at the workshop this the morning, but I'd been thinking all along about 6V globes, so went to Metropolitan Motorcycle Spares at Silverwater instead of going directly home. And this time, success! Bought out their entire stock of 7 globes, although I only need 4, now have some spares for the future. And on leaving Metroploitan there was a nice Chrysler New Yorker parked still LHD and very nice in it's powder blue.

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Monday 18th August 2008

Turns out that today developed into a parts chasing day. Started at the workshop by cleaning up and masking up the taillight housings so I could spray the inside surface of the housings to better reflect the light. Then cleaned up the taillight retaining plates that go inside the trunk. Because I needed to go out and get some paint for the housing part of the painting exercise also went to Grippy Rubber and picked up a wide selection of rubber grommets for the re-wiring task ahead. Back to the shop and with a spray can painted the housing surface with chrome paint and brushed POR-15 silver on the retaining plates. Interesting that each tailight housing has "coupe" cast into it while the retaining plates are marked RC and LC, I presume for "right coupe" and "left coupe". No doubt helped in the assembly line process.

About this time Wade, who had been fitting the con rods to Kevin's '35 crankshaft, realised he didn't have one of the big-end nuts for #8 rod cap. One had been lost at the machine shop, but at the time Wade wasn't too worried because he thought he had some spares. Alas and alack, no spares were to be found. Because I was going over to Mobile Instrument Services at Kings Park to chase up repair of the '41's temp gauge sender head, I was pressed into dropping into Lee Bros, the fasteners supplier, on the way there. This suited me because the sooner Wade finishes Kevin's '35 the sooner he can assist with the '41. So, armed with #8 rod, cap, 2 bolts but only one nut, my quest began. Entered Lee Bros full of hope and left depressed. Couldn't find a nut to fit it, let alone a castellated high tensile nut. Went through measuring with calipers, electronic calipers, micrometers and various thread gauges but without a glimmer of hope. In the carpark phoned Wade told him of the news and asked him for the phone number of Graham McDonald Services where I'd bought the NPS Tap for the wheel cylinders then rang them to be told they don't carry any fasteners at all. Rang Wade again and asked him to contact Harvey, the guy wood-graining the '41 dash, as he was relatively close by and might be able to help. As I was continuing on to Mobile Instrument Services Wade called to say Harvey was expecting me when I finished there.

At Mobile Instrument Services was pleasantly surprised to find they can replace the bulb and although about 1" of the wire encircled tube is lost it will work. And best of all it will be ready in a week and is half the price of getting it done elsewhere. I also had a little task to do here for Wade too. In his '37 120 sedan he is using an electronic temp gauge, because the original gauge is cactus. But the only way you can read it is to switch the engine off! This is because the electronic interference when the engine is running turns the digital display to electronic flashes instead of readable numbers. So he's replacing the electronic gauge with the same manual gauge I'm using in the '38 and I was able to pick up a gauge and an adaptor.

Then arriving at Harvey's found him just about to dive under the house into the storage space to search for big-end nuts. Before he did that though he showed me what he'd done so far on the '41 dash. It's base coated and ready and he's been experimenting with different paints and colours because the stuff he used to use is no longer available. Showed me his test piece and a number of attempts thereon before he was satisfied with the result. Now, although it won't be original pattern or colour, it'll be a whole lot better than the chocolate brown the dash was painted in. So presuming the weather's right tomorrow, and the forecast is positive, he'll paint the dash. But then has to leave it for a week to harden, then he'll apply the clear coats and another week will pass. So in about a fortnight, all going well, I'll have the '41 dash back in all it's wood-grained glory. However back to the chase, while Harvey ferreted around under the crawl space I was looking through his nut and bolt collection in the garage out the back. Suffice to say we both struck out. Then it was into his under-house garage but again no luck. Harvey does have a spare Super 8 engine but naturally was loath to open it up for the sake of one big-end nut. Wade is now going to contact a number of other Packard Club members who he's reasonably certain should have a big-end nut.

And Wade did admonish me first up at the workshop for misuse of tools, but fortunately it was in a light hearted way.

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Mal,

I had a full set of rod bolts made by ARP for my rods when I converted them to accept the Plymouth rod bearings. This left me with the original 16 bolts and nuts. I would be happy to send a rod nut if you folks are unable to locate one at home.

Jim

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Super8,

The pics you are trying to attach are too large, and that is why they are not viewing. The above picture I manually resized to 800x600, and now it works. Pics should be 1024x1024 or smaller. Thanks!

Quote:

Jim,

Thanks for your offer, but hopefully Wade should be able to locate some nuts closer to home.

And Kev,

Thanks for your intervention on the pic.

An all round BIG

Tuesday 19th August 2008

Started at the workshop by removing the masking from the taillight housings, they turned out OK, not great but good enough. Next was rubber grommet time, and fitted grommets to:
- both sides of the rear floor for the tail/stop and turn indicator lights,
- to the body where the taillights mount, and
- to the tail light retaining plates, all well.
Then mocked up fitting the taillights to the body using the rubber taillight to body gaskets which came with the '41 when I bought it but weren't installed. And now I know why, they don't fit! They are both too short and too wide! About 1/2" too short and 1/4" too wide. They will fit "sort of" by stretching the length so the mounting holes in the gaskets fit over the mounting posts of the taillights. But that doesn't help the width issue or the tendency of the stretched gasket not to conform to the shape of the top and bottom of the housing. Fiddled around with this for a fair while and ended up getting it to fit relatively well down the outside of the housing. Now contemplating my options:
- perform surgery on the gaskets I have to improve fit
- make my own gaskets
- buy a new pair of gaskets from Steele Rubber
Probably try things in that order tomorrow and see how I go. Hope the first one works but if not my growing prowess with a Stanley knife and rubber sheeting will be put to the test.

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G'day Mal, I have a FOC conrod nut if you need one, overnight delivery, let me know. Peter T.

Wednesday 20th August 2008

The day at the workshop started very socially because a minute after I arrived Barry, he of the '51 convertible, and his wife Cheryl arrived. After Wade had made everyone coffee and general Packard discussion ensued Harvey, he of the dash wood-graining, arrived. So there was a fair group of Packard Club members gathered together unexpectedly. Barry and Cheryl had dropped in on their way home having dropped off most of the stainless trim pieces for restoration and was picking up new BW tyres with a narrow red stripe and some re-chroming work on the way home. Harvey had called in to deliver a big-end nut to Wade for the '35 which he'd pulled from his spare motor after removing the sump. He also brought along the instrument panel for the dash and I must say it looks great at this stage.

After everyone took their leave an hour and a half later, I turned to the taillight gaskets while Wade went back to the rods for Kevin's Super 8. After a brief discussion with Wade I had decided to forgo the first option of butchering the gaskets which came in the trunk of the car. Took up the second option of gaskets "Made by Mal". This entailed first consulting the Steele Rubber section at the back of the Max Merritt catalog and discovering the required gaskets are 10&1/4" long against the 9&3/4" ones from the trunk. Traced the outline of one of the ill-fitting gaskets onto cardboard compensating for the 10&1/4" length required and marking the mounting holes also allowing for the length required. Then using the cut-out cardboard template placed this on the left taillight housing using the mounting posts and traced the actual outline of the taillight onto the cardboard. Recut the cardboard and then traced onto the rubber sheet and cut out the MbM gasket. More trial fittings and trimmings before it was reasonably close but not quite good enough. So reversed the MbM gasket and tried it on the right side taillight, and lo and behold it was a much better fit on that side! A little more minor trimming and I had my first MbM gasket. Returned to the left side and with the right side gasket reversed, used that as a template, and compensating for the previously deficient areas traced and cut then trimmed another MbM gasket. Again, Steele's have nothing to fear from MbM.

By this time Wade had finished his trial fitting of the con rods big-end bearings to the '35 crankshaft and was ready to start engine assembly. After the bench and surrounding area was cleared the '35 block was turned on it's side, and Wade lightly honed each cylinder to remove the very light surface rust spotting and then thoroughly cleaned the bores and block. Next all the rods had their oil holes blown out and were inserted into their respective cylinders. The top sides of each of the main bearing shells were cleaned, oiled and inserted into the block. Likewise the crankshaft oil holes were all blown out and the journals cleaned before being oiled up and then the crank was lifted and placed into the block. The centre main cap was inserted and the double washers and nuts installed and nipped up so the block could be turned upside down. Then each of the other main bearing caps, bearing shells, washers and nuts were installed and nipped up. That's when the fun started. It was very difficult to turn the crank, not at all by hand and very lumpy using a bar. So began a process of elimination removing all bearing caps then the crank and one or some of the remaining bearings re-installing the crank and remaining bearing caps and nipping them up. During this time both John and Rick came over and offered advice and assistance. This was a long tedious process not to mention physically challenging as Super 8 cranks aren't exactly lightweight. Came down to the fact that whatever combination of bearings were in there the crank still wouldn't turn freely. And when each of John and Rick had offered advice the first thing they both mentioned was tighten down ALL the bearings to pull/push them into "round". And do you know this is exactly what happened in the end when having run out of bearing combination options this is what was done. Now the crankshaft turns by hand after torqueing all the nuts to spec.

Quote:
And Peter,

Wade is going to call you about the big-end nut situation.

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