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I think my rear main seal is leaking and I wanted to know how hard it is to change and does anyone have a part no for seal.It is not leaking a lot yet.1953 Pat

It's a simple 2-piece graphited cord seal plus a couple of wooden side seals. It's included in full gasket sets so it's probably available from the usual Packard vendors separately. If not, the graphited cord is a pretty generic item.

If you've never done the job before, I suggest you get help from soneone who has. Basically you remove the transmission and the front timing chain cover, drop all the main bearing caps EQUALLY, then remove the rear cap. Pull the upper seal into place with one of those "chinese torture toys" after removing the old one, retighten the main caps and trim the ends of the seal cord. Then using a mandrel of crank journal diameter, form the lower half into the cap, again trimming. Wooden side blocks in between the cap and block are important but can be easily made.

The graphited cord seals are quite long-lived, sure that's your problem?

You have to drop the transmission? I thought you drop the oil pan. Anyone near Tampa fl that has done this?

You have to drop the transmission?

I've only done this job 4 or 5 times, so not a lot of experience. I was never able to remove the old upper seal and pull the new one thru properly without slightly dropping the crankshaft, and I wasn't able to do that with the transmission in place. I don't recall how much I lowered the crankshaft, perhaps 1/16" or so but it's important to leave the crankshaft supported by all the mains so you need to lower evenly. Perhaps others have different experiences.

I have Ultramatic trans not standard. Does that matter?

I'd be concerned with either trans. On Ultra, you have a heavy torque converter located by a pilot hole in the crank center and bolted to the flexplate. All that is suspended or supported on a long input shaft and thin bushings. Assuming it would lower (which I think is doubtful), it would be putting tremendous stress and pressure on the shaft, bushings and against one side of the front seal.

I'm going to replace rear seal and with my trans out I was wondering what other seals I schould replace.Does anyone have seal number for front of trans or any other seal numbers. I have rear seal,I see a short piece on the back of the trans is their a seal in that unit. Any other thing I schould do with oil pan down and trans out? Thank You

If you don't already have one, try to find one of those rear main bearing seal tool kits that used to be so common in auto parts stores. Mine had a little corkscrew device for removing the old upper seal half and the chinese finger toy to loop thru the upper seal opening and pull the new upper seal thru. Most all cars of the era had the same type of rear main seal so those tool kits were quite common at the time. Or see if you can borrow one, it will make that job much easier.

With the pan down, clean it and the oil pump intake screen. If you have concerns about bearing clearances, pick up some Plastigage and check them. You also may be able to reach up at the front and see how much play the timing chain has, though it will be close quarters.

Owen has an excellent suggestion in above post. I think Lisle still makes such a kit. Saw one at a CarQuest parts dealer about 2 or 3 years ago on the Lisle tool shelf. It's a good bet. IIRC they are refered to as Slim Jims. Maybe try eBay too. Just be sure to buy a good quality BRAND NAME such kit.

However, such methods (kits) have mixed success. so there is a risk that it mite not stop the leak. It just depends on what kind of a betting man u are. I'd say it;s worth the bet tho. They take alot of patience and persistence to use.

I just bought one on E-Bay it was a K-D 492 cost $5.00 and $5.25 shipping.