Gaskets

This weekend I going to pull the oil pan so I can clean out any thing that may by lurking in the pan and also check the pickup screen. I got a one piece oil pan gasket from Ultramatic Dynamics. The gasket is cork. Should I use a little gasket sealer with it, or should it be a dry fit? Also is there a particular tighting sequence for it? One last thing, does the engine mount have to be loosened and the engine jacked up to get the pan out? If so where is the best place to jack it at?

I wouldnt ask all this, but there is nothing covering this in the service manual.

I like to use 'Permatex Copper Spray-A-Gasket' on cork gaskets. Seals better with less torque on bolts and makes it easyer to remove the next time. Don't over tighten and damage gasket, is the most important thing. I also use a little non-hardening thread-locker on bolt threads.

Follow directions that come with the Ultra'Dynamics gasket. They should note that the holes in the trans pan need to be flattened out if they are coined. Let us know how it works out. The 56 Trans gasket is a problem but since your's is 54 maybe it won't be.

Well it the engine oil pan gasket not the trans gasket. I thought someone told me once that you had to jack up the engine off it's front mounts to get the pan in and out.

READ the MANUAL on installation of the engine pan gasket. You mite have to look under "removal of pistons" or crank or somethother heading to find out the engine lifting proceedure.

In general, it is advisable to begin tightening at the the CORNER bolts of the pan first. Also u mite need to use some very thin dental floss to hold the gasket in place on the pan during installation to keep it from falling off.

GET THE CAR JACKED UP high enuf to work on it!!!!!

If you cut a couple of 2x4 about 4" long you can unbolt the engine mounts and slip them in between that should give you enough clearance in between to remove the pan. I also you some of the 3m yellow adheasive (weather strip glue) on the pan surface to stop the gasket from moving aroune while i install them. Do check the pan around the bolt holes to see if they have pulled around the holes, if it has you can use a hammer an dolly to tap the holes flat again.

In the manual, they have the engine removed from the car when then have it opened up. So that why I was asking about an in-car removal of the pan. I can see from Albert's description with the 2x4's on what I need to do.

Thanks,

Motor's Manual suggests having a chain hoist handy

Are those Motor's Manual still available from anywhere? I am learning as I go, so the more information I can have at my disposal the better.

Keep your eyes on e-bay or the such, but the motor manual really does not go into much detail. Do you have the shop times manual? Someimes that gives you and idea just how much work you have to do, and planing you have to do. The flat rate manual is in the 51-54 xref section.

I have only the following reference materials at this time:

1954 Clipper Owners Manual

1948-1954 Packard Part & Accessories Book (Faxon reprint)

1951-1954 Packard Service Manual (Printed from a PDF I have on CD)

1954 Packard/Clipper Salesmen Fact Book (Printed from a PDF I have on CD)

I am looking for a good general purpose refernce manual that goes into good detail on most of the major systems on car from that era. It doesn't have to be exactly Packard specific. The ones I have looked at are mostly regular maintance related but dont go into the detail I am looking for.

Was there/is there a 3rd party manual that covered the Packards like the Haynes and Chiltons manuals do for newer cars? I guess I need an "Idiots Guide to Packard Service"

Bare in mind I am not a mechanic. I am just trying to learn as I go along. I have taught myself programming, PC's, residential electrical, and other things from good books, research, and tinkering. I really want to be able to learn to do all the work myself. I'm tired of paying other people to do the heavy duty car stuff for me.

I have a 53 MOTORS manual that i bought off E-bay but it does not go into much detail eather. I find a lot you just have to figure out for your self or as questions here. I have done just about everything to my 54 except dissemble the rear diff completly, only because i did not want to set the gears up. I have stripped a 54 Packard down to a bare frame and bare shell including the motor and auto transmission. I also have the training manual for the original Ultramatic, and the service mans training manual, and the flatrate manual which i have copied and posted here and all the radio manuals from 47 to 56.

Yes, Like I always say, 'If it Don't Fit, Make it Fit'. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Speedster you got that wrong, if first you dont suceeed find a bigger hammer, if it brakes it needed replacing anyway.

Kev, this is advice from a friend I consider very knowledgeable:

<span style="font-style: italic">You might want to suggest to your co-correspondent BigKev54Clipper, that the best TEACHING manual by far is Glenn's. Can't give you the title or publisher because the covers wore off years ago, but it actually teaches! Like how to inspect a part, where wear is most likely, where wear is critical and how to fix, etc. The issue I have covers cars up to the 70s.</span>

Do a Google search to locate one - good luck.

Thanks I will take a look for a "Glenn's" manual.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You might want to suggest to your co-correspondent BigKev54Clipper </div></div>

Co-Correspondent??