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Monday 25th June 2012

Arrived at the workshop to find Barry Smith's SUV loaded up with 2 blocks and a crankshaft for Darren, Barry's engine builder, to inspect as to suitability for Big Red's engine rebuild. Also mentioned was that there are another 2 blocks lurking in the background in case neither of these measure up.

Following Barry's departure turned to the 356. First though moved Big Red's front bumper off the engine bench. Then hooked up the engine crane to the 356 and lifted it and deposited on the engine bench. There the 356 was supported on wooden blocks so the bellhousing, flywheel and clutch hung over the edge of the bench. And then it was onto implementing the advice contained in Brian's post of a month ago - Quote: Found three nuts to do the job then needed to make a "fulcrum" on which to pivot the long bar used to open the release levers. The fulcrum was a long bodied socket together with a socket adapter to gain the length required. All three levers blocked then unbolted the pressure plate and slipped it, together with the clutch plate, out of the bellhousing. Out with the 120 clutch lever and in with the 356 clutch lever. With the correct clutch fork now in place the next step was
reinstalling the clutch and blocked open pressure plate. But before doing that a dummy spigot shaft was required to centre the clutch plate. Didn't need to revisit the MBM one from last month because Wade found a socket type stud remover which was almost perfect. One end fitted the pilot bearing almost exactly while the body only required 2 turns of electrical tape for an almost perfect fit inside the clutch plate. It was topped off with a bolt held by the stud removers jaws to give a handle for use, so simple! Then the pressure plate was bolted back onto the flywheel. The technique works, but I wouldn't want to try doing it like Dave, Clipper47, did! It's awkward enough with the engine on the bench let alone in a cramped, ill lit under car environment!

Then onto mating the trans with the bellhousing. But before inserting the trans into the bellhousing the throwout bearing and collar were inserted into the clutch fork and the return spring attached from the collar to the post on the inside of the bellhousing. With everything now aligned it Should have been easy, but that enemy of easy assembly reared it's ugly head. Paint buildup! And this time Noel it wasn't all my fault! Someone, don't know who but maybe you do, had liberally applied Hirsch Packard green paint. So much so the trans snout wouldn't fit in the bellhousing hole designed for a crisp clean fit. But not to worry Noel a session scraping all round removed the excess paint and the trans was united with the engine. Speaking of excess paint, the same someone had also painted the speedo drive connection and that too has been rectified. The bottom of the bellhousing and the lower bellhousing front cover were then installed.

While Wade went onto taking apart the 356's fuel pump for it's rebuild I trimmed the excess sump(pan) gasket and gasket sealant from around the 356's lower extremities. Looks a lot cleaner now, no snot hanging off. Wade also received a call from Noel and was able to tell him that he was ready for the rolling chassis so the 356 can be installed, with Noel trying to tee things up with Les to trailer it over either on Wednesday or Friday. Wade then passed the phone to me and I received an invite from Noel to accompany him to Valley Heights, mid way up the blue mountains to the west of Sydney, to visit Mat and his '55 Caribbean. Now I know the combination of Valley and Heights doesn't make sense, but I warn you, at one stage in life's journey I lived there myself! Didn't need to be asked twice and, as things are relatively slow in the shop, didn't even ask the bosses permission if I could have the day off! Sorry Wade.

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Tuesday 26th June 2012

No workshop today instead met Noel at the southside Macca's on the M4 and from there headed west to visit Mat and his '55 Caribbean which is presently undergoing repairs to the power steering pump at GeoffW's workshop. There it was surrounded by two Ferrari's, a Lotus Super 7?, Datsun 1600, Lancia Stratos, Lotus Europa, two scaled Jaguar body bucks as well as a couple of Lamborghini V12 engines with 6 dual throat Weber carbs. But all those were by-the-by as Noel's reason for the visit was to give Mat's Caribbean the once, twice even three times over because Mat wants to enter the Caribbean in the Concours at Shannons Eastern Creek Classic in August. But why the once, twice even three times over? Because Noel and don't hold this against him, he is a good bloke in all other respects, is also a Concours judge! There I've said it, and this time Noel it really is all my fault!The Caribbean had been off the road for almost two and a half years following a BTV failure and subsequent crash. As can happen, bringing it back to full health resulted in a lot more work being done than was initially planned or even thought needed. So now the car is very presentable but Noel was going to give it a thorough going over for any little items to be attended to prior to the Concours. I was conscripted as scribe noting down items as Noel inspected the car all the while explaining to Mat how these could affect the judging. Mat was left with a list, about half of which were must do's with the remainder as should do's. After about an hour and a half of walking around, inspecting, explaining, peering, poking, comparing and talking, Noel was finished and Mat has plenty of work to look forward to. Then phoned Russell, Russpackaus, Russell lives close by, works from home and was able to join us for lunch.

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Wednesday 27th June 2012

Found Wade with Big Red's disassembled starter motor on the bench. This came about because, while away on the Border Run a couple of weeks back, GraemeM's '53 Convertible suffered from a bendix spring failure. So Wade, seeing that the starter was out, took the opportunity to take it apart and check and inspect it. Checked out OK after a light skim and went back together. Hardest part of that was trying to draw back the 4 brushes at once to slip them over the commutator, managed to do that by using 2 pairs of hands and 4 pieces of wire!

But back to the Border Run and the convertible. When the spring failed the Convertible was started by towing it, it's an Ultramatic! Not a recommended procedure but Wade tells the process was quite exciting with Pepe doing the towing and Wade as a passenger in the Convertible. No one on the run had a correct spare spring and being a weekend there didn't look to be any hope of finding one locally. But...asking around Wade and Pepe were told there was an old auto electrical shop "just down the road". "Just down the road" turned into a mile walk, country peoples concept of distance is different, and there was the shop but closed up. However discovered some activity in a shed out the back and there was informed the owners father, who was the former owner, would be in later that morning. Back later, sure enough the father is there, but couln't find that particular Bendix spring. Tried one of the old sheds down the back, found a box full of springs but not the right one. Then pay dirt, found a disassembled starter together with two springs one of which was the right one! And the price, free! Don't have use for them anymore! With the requisite part now to hand Wade "rebuilt" the starter and Graeme was able to enjoy the remainder of the Border Run without having to worry about white-knuckle tow starts!.

Now back to the workshop. Yesterday while I had been on a 'Caribbean cruise' Wade had finished the fuel pump rebuild and installed it on the block. Had also dug out nuts, bolts and washers for the front engine mounts but these needed cleaning and painting. So that was my task, cleaned the fasteners then cleaned the "pot" from Noel's air cleaner that contains the copper wire filter medium. The air cleaner body and mount were already painted but not this piece. It too requires some painting around the outside of the "pot", part of it being visible when installed. So cleaned up the "pot" then POR15'd the lot.

And yesterday Noel had given me the rebuilt carburettor for the 356. Must say it looks lovely. Also yesterday the plan had been that the chassis would come over today but it didn't. With the possibility of rain Les, naturally, was reluctant to move the 3 or 4 Packards out into the open so it could be put on the trailer. But Friday's forecast looks promising so it should arrive then. Then before I took an early mark today Wade had a call from Junior's Dad that he would be dropping in later. Sorry I missed you John, but it's just as well that yesterday Wade painted Pepe's generator pulley and mounted it for you, otherwise your trip could have been in vain. Although picking up your two distributors and the side grills from Pepe would have made it worthwhile anyway.

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Friday 29th June 2012

Wednesday, after I left, Wade had pressed the pulley and hub off the 356's waterpump. So with it apart my job was to paint it with Noel's Bill Hirsch Packard engine green. Before that though I went over to Lee Bros and picked up some fresh bolts to mount the waterpump to the block, the old ones being very rust scarred. On the return run from Lee Bros also picked up some narrow, 9mm, adhesive backed sponge rubber strip to mount in the 356's air filter lip to provide a good seal. So on return mounted the tape and the air filter was assembled and put away for fitment once the engine is in the chassis. Then turned to the painting, first cleaning the parts and fasteners, then assembled a new set of wind chimes and painted.

Then the wait. It was a fine day and a phone call by Wade to Noel ascertained the chassis was coming over but it was taking time. Required three Packards at LesF's to be moved out of the way, chassis loaded on the trailer and the Packards moved back under cover. The time factor was exacerbated by one of the Packards being reluctant to start, but it finally did. With lunch time approaching I departed on an errand then returned to the workshop from where most of the guys, except Graham, had departed to the Pub for lunch. Then, there it was, the '41 160 Coupe chassis backing down the driveway on Les's trailer. Called Wade who hot footed it back to the workshop because he wanted to view the chassis out in light before it went inside. While waiting for Wade, rolled the chassis off the trailer, the hardest part of that being co-ordinating the direction of the front wheels because none of the steering was connected! Noel had the tie rods with him in the cabin of Les's Ute but that didn't help. When Wade arrived, and after the sunshine inspection, the chassis was wheeled rear end first into the workshop. For the final part of the manoeuvering, a floor jack was centered under the diff housing allowing the rear end to be steered as well as the front. Now the chassis sits between the shrouded shapes of The Fossil and Big Red and, come Monday and all going well, the 356 will go into the chassis. Speaking of shrouds, it was obvious the chassis hadn't been covered while at Les's. Reason I mention this is, because when I started to take pic's of the chassis, Noel requested only 10' shots because of the dust on it. And that Noel, I can assure you, is not all my fault!
You will notice, horror of horror's, there are no pic's! Reason being something has happened to my Picasa setup and I can't find, let alone open, the album with today's pic's! Tech support, aka #1 son, will be called upon this weekend to help this technological Luddite unravel this mystery!

EDIT - All is now well in the world, see pic's added below!

Pic's added for above post. Didn't need "Tech Support", Picasa came good on it's own accord.

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Mal,

I believe that the water pump pulley for the 356 should be black rather than engine color.
Others may be able to confirm this.

Brian

Quote:
Brian,
While it's for that, I really didn't need to hear it! Reason being Noel, is a Concours judge, and seeing here comes the judge I'll be getting the paintbrush out again real soon!
As I said !

Monday 2nd July 2012

A day spent cleaning parts and painting some of same, well it was for me. Started by cleaning the springs, cups, end nuts and covers for the steering connecting rod. While I was doing that Wade swapped the trans mounts on the 356 side for side, positioned the engine crane(with a little help) hoisted the 356 and positioned it in the chassis. Wade also mounted the starter, oil filter, oil filler and road draft tube. By this time I was preparing another set of wind chimes and as I was advised by BDeB "...the water pump pulley for the 356 should be black..." too. Just as I was doing that who should arrive but Noel. Noel was delivering more parts, then conferring with Wade as to what else was required, going over to Les's and returning with still more parts. During this we were graced by a visit from Noel's friend Tony, who also has some of the '41's parts. Among the parts Tony delivered were the bracket to bolt the triple horns to the head and the fan. The bracket was painted but the fan wasn't. Tony said he'd "chemically" cleaned the fan but hadn't yet blasted it and for which Noel had kindly volunteered my services. So that's what I started doing while Wade, Noel and Tony talked amongst themselves. That was fine except the bl**dy blaster wasn't bl**dy blasting! Well it was, but in a very limited way. So I was making very slow progress with a five bladed fan that only just fitted in the cabinet, which is a bench top model. With Noel's departure enlisted Wade's assistance and, while I turned to the wire wheel in frustration, Wade unplugged the blockage in the blasting cabinet pistol's barrel. Not the ceramic tip which is easy enough to clear, even I can do that, but the barrel itself. There was quite a collection of debris blocking efficient operation which on removal returned the blasting cabinet to its position as an ally rather than an opponent. Upon the return to normal service finished the fan and commenced painting.

Had almost finished that when Noel returned together with the "still more parts", included in which was a fuel tank. Little story in that in itself. The '41's tank had been beyond repair and Peter Packard had donated a '39 tank to the cause with Tony then reworking the '39 tank to fit the '41! At this stage I was doing touch ups on the '41 chassis and also a myriad of bolts and nuts on the chassis which hadn't been painted. I was held up a little because Wade was in the way of accessing some of them. Someone (Noel?) had painted the chassis and the front engine stabiliser mount holes needed cleaning out. So for this it can't be all my fault, can it? Also included in the parts were the front sway bar, tailshaft, rear sway bar and shock, and the pedal assembly. By this time Wade had finished his re-tapping exercise, so I was able to complete the touch ups. Then when Noel left I started on the tailshaft by removing the tape protecting the uni-joint trunnions from being painted. Then moved on to the uni-joint caps, they hadn't been painted, were dirty and required a good clean. While I was doing that Wade was working on the pedal assembly, also taking pictures while dissembling it. While generally similar to other Packard pedal units Wade is familiar with it is different and wants to make sure it goes back together the way it came apart. Plus Wade didn't have the benefit of removing it from the chassis himself. Finishing the uni-joint caps moved onto the pedal unit hardware being the bracket and the pedals themselves. One item of note, the clutch pedal has two rows of roller bearings while the brake just runs steel to steel. Included in the pic's are a sample of pic's of things Noel asked me to take and is then forwarding to the Flackmaster.

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Would you prefer Used or New/NOS?
(Coil Bracket is Hollingsworth repro which allows for coil replacement)

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Quote:
Over to you Noel. But probably a good move to run things past Wade first.