Packard8

The TL suspension is a pretty sophisticated piece of engineering. Attempting to lower the car by modifying the components could throw the whole geometry (caster, camber, travel) out of whack. A much easier approach would be to buy some low profile tires, maybe 225/50/15?s that will mount on your existing wheels. It would cost a bunch less and be easily reversible if you want to go back to stock.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Speaking of design tricks, after a quick tour of the comparison tables at Craig's "1956 Packard Panther" site, I'd like to know what it was that Chrysler had in their V8 that let them develop more HP with less displacement - though the Packard V8 developed more torque. </div></div> In a nutshell...hemi heads!

Just received the latest Cormorant. I would characterize the comments re the 1965 Packard article as about as close to an apology as one can get without saying ?we apologize for printing B? S??. I would advise the article?s author not to spend too much time sitting by the phone waiting for the next Cormorant assignment?? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The manual trans on the V8?s was a Borg Warner T-85, usually with OD. The hard to find parts are the bellhousing and flywheel. Those were specific to the 55-56 V8 only.

Wow, what a flimflam man extraordinaire!!! I noticed that all of the Q & A?s were answered by ?it?s a trade secret?. Well, on a positive note the buyer won?t be out much for shipping? vaporware is pretty light, lol. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Oops? I see that I underestimated this con artist?s greed: ?Seller's payment instructions & return policy: The engine will be Shipped freight in two wooden crates. One crate will weigh 83 pounds and the other 98 pounds. Estimated to cost $500 to $750 for a 1700 mile distance. For exact pricing on shipping please contact us, and we will get you a shipping quote ASAP.? I just shipped a 90 lb Kohler motor from Ca to Fl?..the UPS charge was $79.00. Looks like this guy wants to make a 400% profit on shipping too! Wonders never cease.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There's one born every minute! </div></div> 47 born so far and counting....$7300....ouch!! I'm going to put some Honda 100cc motors on ebay...lol

I believe that would be a Mayfair HT. It should have a 4bbl 327 motor with a S/N of L4xxxxx. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...22&rd=1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">another view </div></div> Quite a gizmo?how the heck is it supposed to work? Gamma Ray collector? Sub-Atomic majuberator? An antenna tuned to Venusian Power Pulses that feeds them into the intake manifold? Funny as it may sound, there are still P. T. Barnum wannabes selling fuel line magnets that ?align the fuel molecules and increase power and mileage by 40%?, and ebay is chock full of ?Electronic Turbochargers???? little 12V fans that fit in the air intake and probably create more restriction than anything else. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Hi again Brian, I agree that it takes more than the absence of the vacuum booster to bring the V8?s up to snuff in the oiling dept. The modified cam plate, lower pump plate bushings, upper shaft bushings, enlarged primary passages, oil baffles around the valve springs and perhaps a few other tweaks should do the job. My point was that adding a vacuum booster located in the bowels of the motor to supplement an already obsolete wiper system seems goofy (IMHO). Incidentally, the 374 motor I mentioned will be going back ?home? in a ?56 Carib I?m working on (the ?56 GH was too rusty to repair and the Carib has a very tired original motor). I also intend to keep the vacuum wiper system for originality, as I won?t drive the car in bad weather if at all possible. I do plan on installing the dual M/C system Craig details on his website, as the judges don?t award many originality points for a crunched front end!.....lol. Cheers, John

Hi Brian, Yes, I consider the piggy-back affair Rube Goldberg, regardless of whether Packard, Buick or Rolls Royce employed it. Placing a service item like a vacuum booster inside the crankcase just doesn?t make sense to me (too many unnecessary hours of labor required to R&R, irregardless of the oiling issues). If they were committed to vacuum wipers, why not use the double action fuel pump approach of prior years?.....much easier to service. I guess I?m showing my age, but I drove many vacuum wiper cars when they were not ?collector cars? and I guarantee I never had one that worked well under acceleration. When passing in the rain on two lane roads it was common practice to let off on the gas pedal for a second just to see where you were going! I applaud your commitment to originality, but to me safety items like brakes, seatbelts and wipers are the exception for anything but a museum piece. BTW, I?ve never had a wiper motor failure on an electric equipped Stude, even tho the original motors are pushing 50 years of service. Cheers, John

Hey Craig & Guy?. I?ve always considered piggy-backing a vacuum booster to an oil pump buried in the sump to be one of the prime candidates for the Rube Goldberg Design Award for Automotive Silliness. I suspect that even right out of the showroom, the Packard wipers would crap out during a long uphill climb, (or worse yet while passing a big semi during a rainy night on a two lane road!). As I recall Studebaker went to electric wipers as standard equipment in ?50 or ?51, so it was hardly ?unproven technology? by ?55 & ?56, and the electric wiper motors were already sitting there in the SP Corporate parts bin.

Hi Brian, Agreed?.HEUI rated motor oil is more of a band aid than a fix, but it may help keep an older motor on the road a few miles longer and prevent further damage. The root of the problem probably lies in the pump design, materials etc.. Re single weight vs. multi-grade, I think your point may have been true a few years ago but I am pretty confident that the modern multi-vis oils are up to the job, or they wouldn?t be specified for the modern high output diesels. Think of the bearing loads imposed by a Cat C-18 running a 22:1 compression ratio and producing 950 HP and 2400 lbs of torque! (and running a million miles or so between overhauls) The last Packard V8 I built up was a ?56 374 that went into a 56 GH. I went with the thicker pump base plate (no vacuum pump) and the pump-gear tolerances were still within spec. On the advice of a knowledgeable Packard guru, I drilled out the primary oil passage to 9/16ths, chamfered the edges, installed the camplate ?squirter? which improves oil pressure to the lifters, went with Mopar 383 HiPo lifters, keepers, retainers etc. The motor now has only about 4000 miles on it, but has always has good oil pressure at any temp, no lifter noise etc. Re overfilling the oil sump, there is the potential of foaming the oil via the crank throws acting like an eggbeater whipping up a meringue pie! It?s been a few years since I had a V8 opened up, but I don?t remember there being a windage tray?..is there one? A deeper sump providing an extra quart or two of oil might also help. At any rate, there is a lot of good info in this thread. I?d like to think that one day we will be able to order an improved pump and put the matter to rest. Cheers, John

Hi Geoff, John here (Heather?s former owner)?nice to see you all, I just recently found this forum. Re low oil pressure, lifter noise etc. I have found some improvement (tho not a fix) by switching to a motor oil that is HEUI diesel rated. Hydraulic-Electronic Unit Injectors are actuated by the engine?s oil supply at extremely high pressures (40,000 PSI in some cases) and the motor oil specified for this application therefore has a much more effective anti-foam additive package than the average motor oil. These oils are specified for the Ford/International Powerstroke and many of the newer Caterpillar diesels. I use Chevron Delo 400 15-40 because it is readily available at Walmart and Costco, but Shell Rotella-T and Mobil Delvac also have these extra anti-foam properties. You might give it a try, as I?ve found it visibly reduces foaming in the V8?s. Cheers, John

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Say Packard8, i must say you have excellent taste in cars <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Tinpan </div></div> Well, I must say ?so do you! What is your S/N, if I might ask?......my car is #5479-2386 and I?ve often wondered how many are still around (I believe there were around 836 (?) produced. Another question if you don?t mind?. I haven?t been able to find any vendors who have the convertible ?boot? or even a pattern. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers, John

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Hey...who stole my car?