Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hi guys,

Ive got myself a nice project a 1954 patrician.
It needs a lot of work before it will be in good driveable condition.
Did some work on engine, automatic gearbox, brake system, and did a little drive. It does not run great yet but i will get there.
Ive got 2 issues that and want to tackle first those are i think a blown head gasket car runs and drives but hoses are very hard and it always throws some (a bit) coolant out after a shut off and can hear air moving.. some bowl movements..😅 but adress that in a other topic.

The one i notice now is a lifter tick when engine is warm/hot it also then starts to run a bit rough and got little backfire in the exaust.
Checked valves and blasted them with wd 40 and got some visegrips on the stems to rotate a bit first i taught maybe a stuck valve but that all checked out. Oil pressure was at 35 on startup and droped to 25 did the wacher in oilpump trick and bumped up the pressure to 50 max and 37 idle for testing.
The tick takes longer to come up but it will come back (only at ilde) with driving it is better.
The bigg question is can the lifters come out without removing the head? So remove spring and push up the valve and take the lifter out?
Or does the head has to come off? Maybe a no brainer if a head gasket is blown just to take it all off and do it all at once. And does anybody know where to get the lifters? I've seen a set from kanter 16 new lifters but dont know what the quality is from the new lifters.

Car has not been driven for leas 7 years and old owner also said overheating was an issue(thermostat was/is removed)
Engine had 4 oilchanges (leftover oil for flushing) and dropped the pan to clean pan and pickup now running clean oil and filter, crackcase all looks clean.

I would keep an eye on the oil level and condition and look for any leaks anywhere in the cooling system. A good quality 10W30 detergent oil is fine. Lifters need clean oil. **Be sure the correct radiator pressure cap is installed and that it is actually working. /// I would drive the car for at least a couple of hundred miles with fresh oil and a clean oil filter before I started taking things apart. Lifters will often clean up and work just fine after some road miles. The engine will run better with the right thermostat to keep it at the proper running temperature. !!!If the thermostat is missing, it can cause problems like gurgling or coolant loss out the overflow.!! ** I'd replace all the hoses if they are in poor condition and look for any signs of leakage or bearing play in the water pump. There are several ways bad hoses can cause problems besides just leaking.

First, make sure you have a copy of the service manual. It's here for download:packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/archive/content.php?op=&catID=10&ContentID=4

Reference also the literature archive at left.

If you think you have head gasket problems, why not buy a new head gasket and check out the lifters at the same time? Though I don't doubt the previous advice that they might clear up on their own, I think it's pretty obvious that if the head is coming off anyway, then to clean and leakdown test them would be the best course of action.

To answer your question, the head and valves must be removed in order to remove the lifters but more importantly, go through the brakes, rebuilding all the cylinders including the Treadlevac and replace all the brake hoses, before driving it an inch. Drain and clean the fuel system or run only from an external can of fresh gasoline. Once those things are done, then you can worry about the tick although I may go away on its own eventually too.

G'day Green,
to PackardInfo.

I invite you to include your '54 Patrician in PackardInfo's Packard Vehicle Registry.

I would agree with other posters here that the lifter noise may go away with a change of oil and it won't hurt anything to run the engine with the tick. The head does need to come off to replace the lifters but Packard heads are easy to remove. All the nuts are easily accessible and there is very little else in the way. Does your 359 have it's original aluminum head? The aluminum head will have "359" cast into it. If it does, then you definitely want to remove it and inspect the mating surfaces. Your head gasket problem may be related to a corroded head or an improper head gasket.

Many of these engines have a replacement cast iron 327 head but your car came with a 359 ci engine with an aluminum head.

If you eventually do need a new lifter, i can recommend the Kanter lifters. I put in a whole new set in a 1954 359 and it is the quietest engine that I have ever owned.

Quote:

First thing you should do is post some pictures of your new car!!!

If you're going to open up your engine I would clean, test and measure everything you can. Such as: Cylinders, Pistons, Rings, Valves, Valve guides, Lifters, etc.

You can clean and test your lifters to know if any need to be replaced.

Sounds like your cooling system could use a good cleaning/overhaul as well.

Keep working on projects and little by little she'll get there. Before you know it you'll have a good reliable car that you can drive as far as you want! They're very fun cars to work on!