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scott12180

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Everything posted by scott12180

  1. I have a 1926 Packard Eight Phaeton to which I installed a Mitchell overdrive. The Mitchell unit does not require an additional gear shift. I mounted a push-pull cable under the dash which is very unobtrusive and works well. I would opt for the overdrive because I live in hilly country (New England) and frequently prefer the standard ratios over 2nd in OD. Mitchell has the advantage that you can choose from a wide variety of ratios. I chose a 26% reduction because I never drive on highways so keeping up with the SUV's at 70 mph is not a priority. My 26% Mitchell lets me criuse easilly at 45 - 50 without over-revving the engine. With an original babbit engine, you do NOT want to push the revs too high. I can also throddle down to 25 mph, still in OD, and enjoy our beautiful rolling scenery. The Packard has alot of flexibility due to the high torque engine. Mitchell makes a 33%, a still higher, the 26% and still lower reduction. They mount amid-ships and require that you make two new smaller driveshafts, which is a good idea anyway. The advantage is that because you will retain the original driveshaft you can always revert the car to 100% originality. The cost of the Mitchell was about $1500 plus installation. I don't think installation was difficult. They provide a full kit to help you out. The drawback with the Mitchell is that I think it's rather noisy. It does seem to quiet down with age, and I do seem to have gotten used to it. Bottom line, I love it. The high speed gears woudl not have provided enough of a high speed boost for my car and driving. The overdrive retains all the original gears plus gives you 26% or 33% or whateveryouwant beyond. I'd buy another one. It turns these old cars into something that can really be driven and enjoyed. --Scott
  2. Hi all, Can someone give me a clue as to what the value of a 1934 Pierce Arrow 836-A 5-passenger Sedan would be? The car is just about perfect mechanically. It's fully restored, sorted out and toured. The body is also restored with some water stains on the headliner from a leak that is now repaired. Otherwise, cosmetically it's authentic and very good. Not concours, I'd say it's a solid number Two condition... or optimistically between number One and number Two. Thanks for any insight. --Scott
  3. Any suggestions on how I can remove the rear wheel (brake drum and hub) from a taper axle shaft on a 1926 Packard? My wheel puller, which screws onto the hub cap threads, slips off because the wheel is so tight. Any suggestions appreciated. I need to get at those brakes ! --Scott
  4. Any sugestions on how to remove a stubborn rear wheel from a taper axle shaft? It's so tight that my wheel puller slips off the screw-on hubcap threads, so I can't get a grip on it. The car is a 1926 Packard. Advice appreciated !! I need to get at those brakes! --Scott
  5. Hi all, I own a 1926 Packard and need to remove the rear wheels to inspect the brakes, replace an oil seal, etc. The right side comes off fine, but someone overtightened the left side (apparently) and I just can't get the wheel off. My wheel puller slips on the hubcap threads because they've been buggered up, so that's kind of useless. Any suggestions? Any particular kind of wheel puller that really GRIPS the hubcap threads and won't slip off? Other tricks to get a wheel off? --Scott
  6. Does anyone have any experience with buying an American-make car in Europe and shipping it back to the States? I would like to go through a third-party broker of some sort who can look at the car and oversee the payment, the loading, shipping and the paperwork nightmare that will probably happen once it reaches our shores. Ideally, I'd like to have the car shipped right to my door in New York State. The car is a 1920's Packard with a body style that isn't too common over here, hence my interest in this car which is in Belgium. But perhaps this process is just too cost prohibitive? I don't know. Never done it. Thanks for any advice. --Scott
  7. Hi, Could anyone out there tell me the bearing area size on a 1st or 2nd Series Packard Eight? I'd like to know the rod bearing width and the diameter of the crankshaft at the connecting rods. Thanks alot! --Scott Troy, NY
  8. Hello, Has anyone had experience with Bob Jefferson and his restoration shop north of Boston? I beleve he calls himself "Sports Cars Unlimited". Would you say that on mechanical work he is good? Has anyone had a bad experience? I'm thinking of buying a car that has had an engine rebuild by Jefferson. Thanks -- Scott
  9. Hello, Has anyone had experience with Bob Jefferson and his restoration shop north of Boston? I believe he calls himself "Sports Cars Unlimited". Would you say that on mechanical work he is good? Has anyone had a bad experience? I'm thinking of buying a car that has had an engine rebuild by Jefferson. Thanks -- Scott
  10. Hi all, Can someone give me an estimate for how much a Packard Straight Eight engine weighs? No transmission. Big eight -- 3-1/2" x 5" bore stroke. Good guesses welcome, too. Thanks, --Scott
  11. Hi all, I've located a spare straight-eight engine for my car down in Florida. Any suggestions how I can ship it from there to my home near Albany, New York? --Scott
  12. Hi all, For 1911, Reo made three models. According to Bev Kime's "Standard Catalog", there was a Model 25 (98" wheelbase), and a Model 30 and Model 35, both with 108" wheelbase. How can you tell the Model 30 apart from the Model 35 by looking at the car? What was the engine bore and stroke of the Model 30 versus the Model 35? Thanks ---- Scott
  13. Hi all, For 1911, Reo made three models. According to Bev Kime's "Standard Catalog", there was a Model 25 (98" wheelbase), and a Model 30 and Model 35, both with 108" wheelbase. How can you tell the Model 30 apart from the Model 35 by looking at the car? What was the engine bore and stroke of the Model 30 versus the Model 35? Thanks ---- Scott
  14. Hi all, For 1911, Reo made three models. According to Bev Kime's "Standard Catalog", there was a Model 25 (98" wheelbase), and a Model 30 and Model 35, both with 108" wheelbase. How can you tell the Model 30 apart from the Model 35 by looking at the car? What was the engine bore and stroke of the Model 30 versus the Model 35? Thanks ---- Scott
  15. Hi, Can someone tell me the engine bore and stroke for a 35 HP Reo, 1911? Thanks --- Scott
  16. Hi all, I like antique cars prior to 1930 --- twenties and the teens. I have a job interview coming up at GE in Cincinatti in a week or so. I'm just curious what the laws are for driving antique cars in Ohio? Do you need to have them inspected every year like in NY? Do you need to register them every year, like in NY? Do you need to kiss some politician's *ss every year, pay the highest taxes in the nation and get nothing for it, like in NY? Seriously, I know the requirements are different in every state. I seem to recall Ohio being a bit friendlier than most. Am I right? Thanks, -- Scott
  17. Hi all, I have a 1926 Packard Eight with a Detroit Lubricator carburetor (spring-loaded air valves). I set the float to give a gasoline level of 3/16" below the top of the main jet. It does not leak or drip, so I know the level is below the top of the jet. However, I wonder if the level is set too high, will the mixture be too rich and give poor fuel economy? OR, is the mixture determined only by the setting of the air valve? The car runs fine, but the spark plugs are always black and sooty, and I only get about 10 miles per gallon. Should I lower the float level? And if so, to what? The Packard service manual recommends 1/8" below the top of the jet. I'm at 3/16" now. Thanks! --Scott Troy, NY
  18. Hi all, Does anyone know if there is a website, book or other source of information on the Simplex or the Crane Simplex? I believe that the "Crane" Simplex was built from about 1915 through WWI, and that the six cylinder engine was 4-3/8" x 6-3/4" (BIG!) but I can't find any detailed information on Google.com. There's only one reference in Automobile Quarterly, too. (That I own) Thanks, Scott
  19. It's not a good idea to start with a small spark plug gap and allow it to "wear in" to 0.031". I used to believe that and did it for years on my modern car. The reason is that when the electrode wears, is rounds off. It's much better to have a sharp, square electrode. This provides a stronger electric field and hotter spark. That's why you sometimes see in the old repair manuals the suggestion to file the electrode flat. It made a great difference in my modern car. --Scott
  20. I gapped them all myself to 0.031", as recommended by my owner's manual. Lower rpm likes a bigger gap, and since I run an overdrive, the engine never revvs that much. Here's something else: I had a very odd experience with this set of plugs. One plug (of eight) was not firing at all. When I pulled it out, the gap was nearly zero. I KNEW I gapped it correctly. Then I could see where the intake valve hit the end of the plug and closed it! The other plugs were not so effected. I need to check the valve clearance on that cylinder, but it's not hanging open because the car runs very smooth and powerfully. These Champions have a very long reach. From shoulder to tip of electrode: New Champion W-18 = 0.808". 60 year old Blue Crown Husky 76 Comm = 0.677" (Crossover lists tell me the Husky is one step hotter than a W18.) I'm just very thankful that the plug wasn't much longer or I could have bent the valve. I took the Champions back to NAPA and they refunded my money. I also bought a set of Autolite 7/8" plugs of comparable heat range. I'm going to run the Blue Crowns as long as they continue to work (they look nice), but since we don't know if the 7/8" plugs might cease production, I'll have something on the shelf. The Autolites were half the price of the Champions, too. --Scott --Scott
  21. A well respected friend has used Hastings spark plugs with good results. Are they still being manufactured? Anyone have a source, if so? --Scott
  22. When I bought the Champion W-18's at my local NAPA store, they did have one AC plug -- 7/8" in the same heat range. I bought the Champions simply because they had them in stock. Perhaps I should have them order seven more AC's. --Scott
  23. I put a brand new set of Champion W-18 spark plugs into my 1926 Packard. The engine started hard, idled somewhat roughly, but when I got onto the street, there was a severe intermittant miss on several cylinders. After 1/2 mile I got back home and found that at least four of the eight were firing irregularly (fouled, and after only 1/2 mile!) I replaced all the new Champions with my old set of Blue Crown Huskies (same heat range) and the car ran just fine -- smooth and powerful. Why?? I had this problem years ago on a Franklin, except I did not think it was due to spark plugs. After years of fiddling, I finally gave up in frustration. A spark plug is a simple enough device, isn't it? Now I believe that there's something about modern spark plugs that may not allow them to work on old ignition systems. (The Franklin had a magneto) Is there? Do modern plugs require voltages or currents far in excess of what antique ignition systems can produce? Anyone else have a bad experience with moden spark plugs? Just Champions? Or what? --Scott
  24. I put a brand new set of Champion W-18 spark plugs into my 1926 Packard. The engine started hard, idled somewhat roughly, but when I got onto the street, there was a severe intermittant miss on several cylinders. After 1/2 mile I got back home and found that at least four of the eight were firing irregularly (fouled, and after only 1/2 mile!) I replaced all the new Champions with my old set of Blue Crown Huskies (same heat range) and the car ran just fine -- smooth and powerful. Why?? I had this problem years ago on a Franklin, except I did not think it was due to spark plugs. After years of fiddling, I finally gave up in frustration. A spark plug is a simple enough device, isn't it? Now I believe that there's something about modern spark plugs that may not allow them to work on old ignition systems. (The Franklin had a magneto) Is there? Do modern plugs require voltages or currents far in excess of what antique ignition systems can produce? Anyone else have a bad experience with moden spark plugs? Just Champions? Or what? --Scott
  25. Hi, Can anyone recommend an appraiser for antique autombiles in the viscinity of Albany, NY? --Scott
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