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My original oil pump works fine after 57 years. I see no folly there. How many of todays cars will have a functioning original oil pump 57 years from now. Randy, PM me about your pump.

The orginal oil pump is still in my 1955 Packard Clipper

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OK, the service P/N for the body of the original 55-56 pump is shown in the parts book as 440679. Such close proximity in the numbering sequence suggests to me that that your pump #1 and #2 are the early design.

Sounds as if the longer spring and valve are actually correct, then, for the pump from the subject Pat (#2, no?). Plugging appears to have been done in the same fashion of the confidential field trial. Given the absence of holes in the casting for a cotter pin, perhaps this was executed in-house - another stepping stone (variation?) in the path to the late design pump.

The casting number on pump #3 is 6492430, verified on page #10 of my Caribbean blog.
Somedays I'm slow, other days I am slower.

i;m still torn,

want to stay packard, pi pump, but like the melling,idea., what jack vines showed on his eval of pi pump, its ok, but i am glad he took it apart, showed all the crud that would of went into engine if it was not cleaned first.

staying with packard, i would sent it to jack vines. or ross if he does them.

i think that thick plate is over kill. and looks like cheap brass bushing. but must be bronze. i hope.

OK, so it's the Carib has the late design pump; this Pat has the early (55-56) pump, but plugged like the later design.

I just didn't want you to go swapping the releif valve details that would be incompatible between the two designs.

Still, I hope you explore what caused the releif valve to be stuck and addresss that before rebuilding this pump.

riki -

I strongly suspect that the PI's approach was inspired, in part, by the 56J GoldenHawk version of the Packard oil pump, which has no vac pump, but a thicker bottom plate. PI further modifies the pump by installing a bushing in the bottom plate. However, I never really bought into the notion that the vac pump or separator plate was flexing.

I think PI missed the mark, as it was found that air was being introduced into the oil stream due to wear between the driving shaft and bore in the casting.

As such, I prefer the late Bob Aller's approach - install an upper bushing in the casting and true up the existing driving shaft (as new seem to be unobtainable). It also allows you to retain retain the original vac pump set-up, without additional expense of converting the wiper motor (to electric) or fuel pump (to dual action). A good local machnist might know what to do, but it's been reported, here and in other forums, that Terrill Machine (TX) does same job. I seem to recall member Ross mentioned doing some pump repair, once, but haven't seen anything further.

Meanwhile, take a look at what member PackardV8 discovered between the pump casting for SBC and PV8 - a modest internal oiling channel. Food for thought.

Last, but not least, you might wanna consider installing the late design camshaft thrust plate and spacer that's reitetated in STB 56T-20 AND SSL No. 936. Member Jack Vines has reproduced these parts.

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Felzt Terrill

Oct 19 (7 days ago)

to randy
Dear Mr. Berger,
We still have a lot of Packard engine parts but we don't rebuild the 1955-56 oilpumps anymore. I'm sorry we can't help you. Thank You,

Feltz Terrill Jr.


Terrill Machine
1000 CR 454, De Leon, TX 76444
PH 254-893-2610
FAX 254-893-4841
terrillmachine@yahoo.com

I am reasonably sure at this point in life that the entire problem was always that they drew air in along the input shaft. That some did it early, and that some did it much later, and some never did it, probably had to do with some sort of alignment issue.

Capacity only became a question after the bearings were already noodled out from oil with air entrained.

I am running a 55 320 in my Packup with the original to the engine oil pump. Without knowing of the TSB I ground reliefs on the side of the plunger and capped the end. That may have helped as it works great, but I think the major improvement was this:

A machinist turned down the input shaft to the next convenient nominal size and fitted a nice long bronze bushing. I then cross drilled a 1/8" passage from the oil output to the center of the new bushing so that it is pressure lubed. Even if it wears in the future it will not be able to draw in air.

I probably only have 12K miles on it or so but have been quite happy. Even when the oil level is a quart low there is no sign of tappy lifters. When the old engine was anywhere below the traditional "quart over full" it would throw a clattering fit.

That some did it early, and that some did it much later, and some never did it, probably had to do with some sort of alignment issue.

Agreed Ross, I've long suspected that it's a "stack up of tolerances" situation. My 56 is approaching 95,000 miles, oil pressure galore, lifters silent, and of the 2 main bearing caps I pulled for examination a few years ago, nearly insignificant bearing wear.