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

Hi All,

The last several months have been unexpectedly busy for me but I have been following along - especially threads regarding valve clatter.

Last week our refrigerator gave indications that it was breathing it's last so Friday found me needing to drive around to look at replacements. Since it was a pretty nice day, I decided to take my '51 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan as it gets "peckish" when not run fairly regularly. Starting it up produced the usual clatter but I have keep hoping that someday all that will be gone. I did note the thread about the correct positioning of the oil tube brass "T" fitting and mine had the restrictor going the wrong way. Correcting that didn't make a whole lot of difference in the noise though. Anyway, after looking at several likely refrigerator candidates, I headed home.

Then, I pulled into the garage.

At first all I could take in was that something was "different" - but I couldn't figure out what. Then it came to me: The only sound coming from the engine was a very soft "ticking" sound! I drove it yesterday and today and ticking is all there was to hear!

I've no idea what changed except that maybe changing the orifice so that the increased pressure might have dislodged a "plug of crud" so that the lifters actually got the amount of oil they needed. No matter what, I was dumbstruck.

I had planned spending the coming week replacing the hydraulic lifters with the solid lifters from a spare 288 engine I have. Now, I plan to do an oil and filter change so maybe the lifters will stay silent.

On other news, '55 Patrician's still in the shop as my mechanic got real busy again. I hope to have it out the the National Collector Car Day this summer.

While I was out driving the '51 this weekend and stopped behind a couple of cars at a stop light, I saw another '51 - a Mint Green Club Sedan go by the other way. The driver was wearing a Fedora appropriate to the car. When the light finally changed, I tried to catch up to him but I lost him.

So does anyone in the Portland, OR area have a light green club sedan that they were driving Friday afternoon? I've looked in the Owner Registry under '51s but didn't find any "suspects".

More news as it happens,

Jim L. in OR

That's good news and one less thing to worry about. Hard to say whether some clog freed up or if reversing the connection did it -- although if they were being starved by the restriction, would certainly explain the problem. It does take some running time for them to all pump up so that might be why no immediate fix was apparent no matter the cause.

Thank you yet and still again, Howard. My thinking pretty much mirrors yours. I've thought about running a can/bottle of engine cleaner (solvent) through but I've heard of even much newer engines being ruined by all that muck suddenly turned loose in all those small passages - never mind an engine that began it's life on non-detergent motor oil. I think I just stick with very frequent oil and filter changes.

Now that I won't be taking the head off I'm going to be checking the adjustment on the transmission linkages. I've printed out some of the pages's of "51 Packards '51 Packard" blog and will start reading it with your comments and the others. I've been driving my '51 for just a year now and the transmission seems to work fine but the head was off for the valve job at my mechanic's and the horror stories I've read about how critical these adjustments are has given me pause.

No doubt I'll be back asking for more advise.

Jim L. in OR

Hi ,I have a clatter problem on my 327 with hydrolic lifters The engine runs great but I think its louder than it should be ,Some one, a 48 dodge owner, leaned in the engine compartment and said ,are your rods getting oil?

The t fitting ,with a restriction ,this is really interesting

ive looked at the oil lines they are not kinked ,the filter is new ,the oil level ok ,i tried different oils ,marvel mystery oil,checked the timing (6 btdc )
the oil light goes on at idle if the engine is hot after a freeway run, if in gear but goes out if in nutral and if revved ,which i think is normal

I hadnt heard about the the little t fitting ,how would I know if its backwards ?could I dismantle the oil lines on the outide of the engine and blow them out with brake parts cleaner??? is this the final clatter mystery solved??