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My 1949 custom with a 288 is running hot. Ive replaced the water distribution tube, installed a high pressure water pump from Kanter, installed a six blade fan, and flushed the radiator. Any other ideas?

Have you replaced the thermostat? On my engine, it's inside the spout at front top of the engine head.

When I first run my engine for the day, As I drive I see the temperature gauge rise and make its way to a perpendicular position, like at 12 o'clock, that should be, I think, 160 degrees, at which temperature the thermostat in the spout opens and lets water from the radiator into the block and I can see the needle move back to a 10 o'clock position.

Someone who knows what they are talking about will tell you what to do to replace the thermostat, if you have to drain anything. Thermostats are available from the usual suspects.

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I would go to the hardware store and buy their handheld infrared pyrometer. Then when you think the motor is overheating pull over and point the pyrometer up and down the radiator, the engine, and so on to determine if there are hot spots.

I bought one on sale for under $20.

Good Morning...If you look in the Vehicle Registry for Miss Prudence and I, there is a list of all the things that we did to make her run cool. You have accomplished several. We did find that the inside of the engine was a mess. We took out the freeze plugs and power washed everything we could. This was after a normal engine flush and much more junk came out...remove the radiator hoses and flush again. Flush the head. We removed the head and added a new head gasket...the four center bores were leaking into/out of the cooling passages even though a chemical test did not indicate the problem. You could re-torque the head...it should be done once a year and may not have been done for a long time. We also relocated the vacuum advance line from the bottom of the carburetor to the intake manifold in order to give the old girl a bit more advance at idle in traffic...helped quite a bit. Check your distributor to see if it advances as it should. We switched to a Delco Distributor from an Autolite...the entire Autolite moves and can be effected by the plug wires...the advance of the Delco is all internal...we like it better. Old, dry, rusty Distributor bearings can be a real problem for you vacuum advance...at least remove the grease cap and clean out and put in some new grease...We also made a Radiator Shroud for the car and it made a difference...many things to do each helps...added a 142 degree Thermostat from NAPA out of their marine Catalogue...found some Packards specs that said to use the stat if running Radiator coolant...Good Luck...These engines are like unhappy women until you get all of these issues fine tuned and then they run cool and happy, Ernie in Arizona

Why do you think it's "running hot"?
is it boiling over? Or is it the gauge?

I have found many times that a worn, loose timing chain makes these engines run hot as it retards the cam timing. On engines with this problem I notice a very rapid heating of the exhaust manifold on startup, and after the engine has run for a while you can't even put you hand in the vicinity of the manifold--the heat is just rolling off. Of course ignition timing needs to 7 degrees, or perhaps a bit more.

The fan shroud really did the trick! If your packard is running hot, ashroud on the upper part of the radiator really helps.Thanks all for all your suggestions.

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Did you buy something commercial or make it yourself? Photo??