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Any good automotive machine shop should be able to pressure test the head, mounting the head securely against a waterproof sealing surface such as a rubberized steel plate is one method. Sure, post a few pictures of your car here or in the discussion group for photographs. You may need an editing pr...

You would know better than I if it's driveable, but I'd think if either of the two possible situations I mentioned are the cause of the problem, it certainly won't be particularly pleasurable to drive. And a small amount of use isn't likely to cause further damage though one always wants to avoid dr...

Carburetor accelerator pump failure, or leaking vacuum advance on distributor are two likely culprits. Both very easy to check. For the carburetor accelerator pump, remove the air filter, hold the choke valve open, and while peering down the carburetor throat, stroke the throttle linkage; the pump i...

It could have been specified when the car was ordered from the factory, or a dealer could order the part and install either before or after the sale. Or, years after the sale anyone could order the head from Packard and install it or have it installed. Without original build slip information, you re...

For a start you might contact Joel Ray at Patrician Industries in Michigan, they have an extensive inventory of such items. Go back , to the main web page, you should find their contact info in the Yellow Pages.

Hi Bill, and welcome. You might consider having your current head pressure-tested to confirm there are no concealed cracks. Proper quality headgaskets are readily available from many sources, among them Kanter Auto Parts who sponsors this forum for the Packard Club, and Max Merritt. Also gasket spec...

Yes, in a sense. In traditional chromium plating nickel is the plated layer immediately beneath the final outer chrome plated layer (first copper, then nickel, and then chrome). And Packard continued to use nickel plating on underhood engine hardware of senior engines thru 1939.

Maybe go to the local hardware store and see if you can find an oil-resistant rubber O-ring of suitable size. Or just wrap a rag around it while you clean the motor.

Not a gasket but rather a cork ring that fits into the recess in the block. But it's probably missing in half the cars on the road and except for an occasional drip of oil, no real consequences if its missing.

Thanks for the pix.

Eight (8) cylinder, not 6.