My next project? 1921 Packard Coupe

4 minute(s) of a 548 minute read

Many of you obviously have a lot more experience with Packards than I have. I have now removed the sump and have discovered a very poor attempt to weld the aluminium centre main bearing cap. Has anyone come across problems with the centre main bearing in early Packard Six engines? 

I suspect the best way around this is to make a new steel cap. What is your thinking?

Otherwise the engine continues to baffle me. Having just removed all the valves they are all original and have plenty of life left. Just looking at it all makes me think that the head has never been removed. Certainly there are none of the usual tell tales such as centre punch numbering on the valves. No odd washers or nuts or rounded corners on the head nuts. Judging by the build up of dirt/clay/oil on and around the sump tells me that it is a long time since it was removed. . Yet looking around inside the crankcase everything is clean. I have not removed any bearing caps as yet but the big-ends seem to have no movement and feel good. There is quite a build up of sludge in the valve chest yet not nearly as much sludge and rubbish in the sump as I had expected. The oil pump screen is quite clean yet to get at the sump nuts I had to literally chop away the cooked on clay/oil up to half an inch thick and baked on really solid. We are going away for the weekend so won't get back to it until Monday. 

I need to get the engine out (it is all ready to lift) so the chassis and body frame can go over to Aaron my body man. He is all ready to go and is waiting for me to deliver it to him. 

Is all this weird or is it just me.

Hi y'all

The photos will have to wait until next week. We are off to the Coast to help my sister celebrate her 80th Birthday. 

40+C forecast for Sunday then HIGH 30sC for the rest of the week. This always happens the week the children start school after their summer holidays.

Re: the snubber webbing so far I have not bought any. I had thought Restoration Supply Co but any suggestions welcome.

2-1-2011

Another day in the HIGH 30sC. Finally have the engine & gearbox out and almost dismantled. Should get the chassis and body frame out of the way, at Aarons for some real work on the panels and I should have some room to work on the engine.

Photos soon.

Hello Bill & Pete

Thank you both for your interest. I should get the block & head into my "engine" man's "hot tank" sometime this week. Once they are clean and any necessary work completed I can think about paint. It will be interesting to compare your paint "chip" with the one that David McC has sent me. It too is a dark olive green.

2-2-2011

On the subject of engine paint colour I have been able to save the remains of the original paint on the inside of the starter brush cover. This is a dark khaki green. Quite a bit darker that that shown on Pete's starter and a totally different green to David McC's sample. It will be interesting to see Bill's sample colour chip. If necessary I can probably use this as a sample and have some paint mixed to match. Meanwhile the engine is slowly coming apart. Right now I am waiting for a "tilt tray" tow truck to collect the rolling chassis and body frame.