Packard Library

Owen, I stand corrected on the cruising part - that is why a ring and pinions that has a higher ratio should be used. Which in turn lowers engine speed.

Geoff, let me try to give you the right information on connecting rods. first the replacement bearing you are most likely looking for fits a standard eight/ super 8 from 1935-39. Packard itself in one of its parts books that you can retrofit insert bearings in an earlier engine specifically, The 1933-34 Packard Parts book says, the following:"We are shipping for connecting rod replacement a rod with a detachable type crank pin bearing. This bearing is not included in the rod assembly part number, but must be ordered separately. the bearing insert that a lot of people used was from a chrysler slant 6. even if you used these bearings the first thing you need to do is to machine out not hone the id of the rod. also, when you do this you machine into the connecting bolt area. once that is done now you have to deal with the excess side clearance. remember that packard used flanges on poured babitt as well as inserted bearings. this was done for a reason. namely that the piston and piston pin are said to be full floating meaning that it is the flange on the rod that keeps the rod centered in the bore and centered on the shaft. so that now led to people welding up the side of the rod. this is a problem because the heat anneals the rod and now it is steel to steel contact on the crankpin cheeks. so this promotes wear to the crankshaft and develops heat. some people even left the side clearance alone meaning they didn't reduce it. this is a problem because now the rod has too much side clearance and they move forward and backward and it too damages the crankshaft. another problem that arises is it reduces oil pressure because now there is too much clearance and you lose pressure from the sides of the rods. contending that poured babbit is bad is shear mechianical BS. the problem with poured babbit is when the shaft has to be resized namely to lets say .030 under now you are asking for problems because with that much babbit the bearing can not dissapate the heat. and it can lead to a failure. so this sounds like im making an arquement for inserts right. Wrong if you read the parts books for std and super 8 the insert bearings (from 1935 39) were only available to .015 oversize. the answer is in the babbit material. insert bearing and poured bearings used what is called SB meaning high lead tin Babbit. it wasn't until 39 that CA babbitt was used in the inserted bearing that is Copper tin babbitt. now CA has an advantage over SB because it can dissapate heat easier. but it also is harder and not as complyant as SB material. another problem that needs to be stated is in those earlier days all car companies did not have the techincial knowledge to harden shafts to any great depth so the last thing you want to do is to regrind any crankshaft below .020 unless you reharden it. the engine oil that was used in those days was non detergent. that type of oil allows dirt to settle to the bottom of the crankcase. while detergent oil keeps the dirt in suspenesion. when it comes to gearing remember THAT ALL ENGINES CAN BE OVERREVED just earlier cars have less tolarance for it than newer cars. Bottom line is - putting insert bearings into a rod that was designed for a poured babitt creates a lot of problems. just don't regrind your shaft greater than .015 and you will be fine and the car will cruise all day at 65mph. if you need to go greater than .015 then you need to repair the shaft and reharden it. By the Way we make the std and super 8 bearings - Standard and Super 8 bearings for Packard 1935 - 39

Bill, Caster is not built into the steering knuckles. that is called king pin inclination. Caster on those early cars that have a straight axle is the forward and rear tilt of the axle which is done by tapered shims which are inbetween the axle and the spring. Camber is the inward and outward tilt of the wheel. both are checked with a bubble gauge now they use a digtial meter which is attached to the hub of the wheel. it is always best to follow the factorys recommendations - why because they tested the front end with these specs and most likey felt that the vehicle performed better with these specs. basically, the rule of thumb is setting a car with negative caster provides easier steering at low speeds but loses stability and higher speeds. postive caster creates better stability at higher speeds but, becomes harder to steer at lower speeds. one must remember too that many times techinicans adjusted caster differently on each side in order to deal with local conditions such as camber in the roads. one must set the car and then drive it to see if it pulls to one side or the other. toe out or toe in can also create a pull just as uneven tire pressure. toe out on turn is a different measurement. a layman can make sure that the tire pressure is correct and the wheel and tire are balance as a unit. if the vehicle lacks stability, pulls, or shimmys take it to a person who has experince with and has the equipment. Before you even begin to work on the front end you must make sure that the steering gear is adjusted and working correctly. as this can also cause wander. Bad or worn shocks must be corrected prior to adjusting the front end. rule one is if you are having stalibity problems - the front end components must be in good condition before any alignment is done. hope this helps my over all recommendation is to let it. remain obscure and untouched! unless you know what your doing. Dave Schumacher

Joe no problem There are basically two different types of "reader file" one is PDF and the other is DJVU. They both work the same, the difference is that when an item is scanned the djvu file requires alot less of disc space when you store the image file. than does pdf many of these books ie: parts books are over 350 pages. Websites are charged by how much disc space they use. On the "The Packard Library site it shows the plyg in that is needed . here is a link DJVU plugin

on the top of the page it also shows the plugin that is needed

go to the bottom of the page and get the plugin the packard library

tom did you download and print the trade letter in the first columm it tells you the model id (ie: DE 1392) etc. So yes the your plate will have a DE in front of the body number.

car guy i would start by downloading the parts book - it will tell you the parts that are needed etc. Parts books I have a dealership showroom catalog for 49 scanned 48 is mostly the same. it has the paint and trim colors etc. station sedan has special trim on the inside. i can send you a scanned copy email me to let me know if you want it. Dave Schumacher

tom btw - when they talk about special door trim they are including Onyx knobs on the door - shifter etc

Poster, all of the trunks were lined with a cloth - and the luggue (sic) came in different configurations. I have posted a service info from 1935 talking about the new junior cars. but you can see the different configs. will look in the earlier service info back to 1929 and see if it mentions what cloth. hope this helps. Service info

Tom, there are many differences between a standard and deluxe please refer to the link below down load the plug in to view the page it is General trade letter to Dealers Dated Jan 18, 1940. Number T-2985 it will tell you the EXACT difference. Packard Trade Letter Dated Jan 18 1940 Director Dave Schumacher

The 120CD was in fact a super 8 138 inch chassis and it did have a shuttered grill. Some of the interior appointments were different than a "true Super 8" I have a catalog of the 120 CD which is based on a 138 inch chassis. follow the link you need to download the plug in to view it. Model 120 CD

I recently bought a 1940 model 61c pheaton and i don't think the car has the right color "red" interior. nor for that matter the right color paint supposed to be Rainer Blue - appears black I need to color sand this to see if it blue black. It could be very close to some of my Packards which are painted Packard Blue which is so blue its black.

Bkazmer - with respect I have all the paint chips for 1931 to 1960. Both the Ditzler, Dupont books make no mention nor have any Gold paint listed for 1949. If you have the formula or flip chart please post it. I would love to see it.

Sorry fixed now Parts flyer Super 8 bearing and std 8

I have a 1948, 49 and 1950 Dealer Showroom Catalogs. Also have the Salesman kits for all three years. no where do they mention any special paint scheme for 49. in print or in any of the 18 films for 1949. I do have a gold coin, watch, and special key fobs that are special for 1949. if you follow the link you will see to different pages for paint schemes - one is an introductory " used at the first start of production" and the second page of schemes are for the balance of production. This was not uncommon they did this for many years. If you examine the names of the colors you will see the difference. If you look at the clothes none are special for 1949. sorry for the late response and scans - hope this helps 1949 Showroom Catalog

We now have the new Rod Bearings for Super 8 and Standard 8 1935 -39 in stock. Packard Super 8 Rod Bearings Dave Schumacher

We have completed and have in stock a limited number of Rod Sets for Super 8 1937 - 39, and Standard 8 1935 - 36 http://www.thepackardlibrary.com/Mechanical%20parts.htm

We have now completed and have in Stock a limited number of rod Bearing Sets for Packard Standard 8 and Super 8 from 1935 - 39 http://www.thepackardlibrary.com/Mechanical%20parts.htm Director Dave Schumacher

I forgot to include : Bill Hirsch thanks Dave schumacher

If you would like to pre-order these bearing set you can order them at the following authorized dealers. Tucson Packard Kanter Terrill Machine Max Merritt Thanks, Dave Schumacher Director@thepackardlibrary.org Website link : http://www.thepackardlibrary.org

For everyone's information we have now posted on our website the information about the new Packard Super 8 and Twelve rod bearings. These bearings are made exactly as the orginial rod bearing except we made these at .030 semi. Which means that you will need to fit them to your crank. The reason that we chose .030 was, many of these engines are now longer std. And another advantage is one set covers all engine bearings sizes. Most quailfied engine rebuilders will be able to perform this task. We have done the same thing with the twelve bearings. If you need to regrind your crankshaft to more than .020 we recommend you have the shaft re-heated and hardened. It should be understood that we have produced a very limited supply of these bearings. If you need them or think you might need them you should order them. This eliminates the need to modify the rods. Also, to modify the rods is costly up to $2,000 minimum. And that type of repair is not proper nor recommended. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS - Send them to me at the email below or post it this forum and I will respond. Dave Schumacher email: director@thepackardlibrary.org

For everyones information we have now posted on our website the information about the new Packard Super 8 and Twelve rod bearings. These bearings are made exactly as the orginial rod bearing except we made these at .030 semi. Which means that you will need to fit them to your crank. The reason that we chose .030 was, many of these engines are now longer std. And another advantage is one set covers all engine bearings sizes. Most quailfied engine rebuilders will be able to perform this task. We have done the same thing with the twelve bearings. If you need to regrind your crankshaft to more than .020 we recommend you have the shaft re-heated and hardened. It should be understood that we have produced a very limited supply of these bearings. If you need them or think you might need them you should order them. This eliminates the need to modify the rods. Also, to modify the rods is costly up to $2,000 minimum. And that type of repair is not proper nor recommended. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS - Send them to me at the email below or post it this forum and I will respond. Dave Schumacher email: director@thepackardlibrary.org