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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: PACKARD ENGINE PHOTO'S
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Here is a look at my restored V-12 Packard Marine Engine. This is a 1500 H.P. engine. The cart that it sits on is an old vintage Bomb Cart from the Viet-Nam War, and was modified by my friend to except the engine. This photo was taken at a Military Show in 2006.

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/parkard-02.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/packard-01.jpg[/image]

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 3, 2007 - 8:32am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Lookin' good, Frank!

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Dec 3, 2007 - 3:21pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

That bomb dolly is perfect! It looks great. How do you roll it around to different shows? Trailer?

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT-209
RON 23 PT-243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

Posted By: newsnerd99 | Posted on: Dec 4, 2007 - 12:46am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Yes
My friends have car trailers with electric winch. We just back it up, hook up the winch, roll it on and take her where she needs to go. The tires are amazing, they hardley ever need air and roll nicely along. Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty heavy to try and push it by yourself ( you can't do it) but as you can see it looks nice as a display.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 4, 2007 - 1:19am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Beautiful, Frank.

You're doing (and have been doing) a great job of keeping the World War II PT Boats "alive" with all your efforts.

Well done, and thank you, sir!

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Dec 4, 2007 - 4:49pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am

We now have plans to get her up and running sometime in the Summer. That should make the neighbors jump a bit..............

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 8, 2007 - 7:53am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank......it's beautiful. Now you just need two more and an eighty foot wood boat.........why do we never hear of someone opening the doors to the barn on an old farm to find a familiar shape hidden by the dust and cobwebs?........lol.

Anyway, the local police station is likely to get calls if you start that thing up.......everything from lions roaring in their backyards to UFOs making a thunderous noise. But I'd love to be there when you do it...lol

I hope you live near an airport.....you're going to need to run a hose straight from the avgas filling station to your property.

Posted By: aronhk | Posted on: Dec 10, 2007 - 7:34pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Aron

You are correct in that the noise should wake up most folks in a 100 mile radious, lol, but it will be worth it to once again hear that wonderful growl from an Historic engine.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 10, 2007 - 10:38pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Hello everyone,

While we run the three V12 Packards on the PT658, we are burning about 65 gallons per hour per engine at cruising rpm's of 1500. The consumption rate increases a whole lot at top rpms (2800) up to about 170 gph per engine. We are able to run them on 91 octane gas but are limited to a lower manifold pressure of 35 inches compared to 50 inches when using 100 octane. Just FYI Jerry

Here is a photo from yesterday when we took the boat out of the water for some much needed underwater maintenance work.
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/pt658cradle2.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/pt658cradle1.jpg[/image]

Jerry Gilmartin

Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Dec 11, 2007 - 9:17am
Total Posts: 1473 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm

Jerry

Thanks for the awesome photographs of the boat. It sends shivers down my spine. The photo's could pass for some 60 years ago when the boats were taken out of the water and put back in. Is the cradle taken from the original design? What is next now that the boat has been removed.............

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 11, 2007 - 5:30pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Hi Frank!
The cradle is an original cradle that we obtained back in 1992 along with PT659 from Port Huyneme CA. As far as we can tell, it was built by Higgins in 1945. It matches all of the blueprints we have of the cradles in use at the time.

Plans for the boat while out of the water are:

1. Replace all six seawater intake/overboard discharge butterfly valves since the old ones dont seal properly making removal of the FW and Oil coolers impossible.

2. Replace or repair the Stbd main engine FW cooler (about 50% of the tubes are plugged) which causes Stbd engine to easily overheat.

3. Fix hull leaks ( one back by the rudder, one at the chine in aft crews qtrs)

4. Replace one or more of the screws ( Center shaft is dented/ highly eroded, other two are flexing a lot under high rpms and are robbing us of speed) We may either repair them or replace them with smaller diameter wheels.

5. Remove all of the (slimy black algae) marine growth from the hull (pressure wash) and then sand and repaint/epoxy the hull, to finish with new application of marine paint

6. Replace the old muffler zincs, propeller zincs and prop wash erosion plates.

7. Inspect and repair struts.

8. Replace fiberglass seam tape used on the transom and chine with metal (copper?) bar

There is probably more, but we will have to figure it out by a thorough inspection.

If you have any questions about getting your engine running, we have a few experts here with recent experience who may be able to help. Let me know! Take it easy. Jerry

Jerry Gilmartin

Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Dec 11, 2007 - 8:38pm
Total Posts: 1473 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm

Jerry
Folks just don't realize the massive amount of work when dealing with a wooden boat. No wonder the boats in the War Zone needed such constant care and maintainance. It must have been staggering when you think of all of the operating squadrons assembled. Can you imagime the man hours for just one boat.

You guys have your hands full and are blessed to have such a dedicated bunch of workers, who put in so much time. Your organization no doubt is number one when it comes to heart and desire. It shows in having the only true operating PT BOAT with PACKARD ENGINES in the WORLD. Thanks so much Jerry for the information on the Engine and thanks for always taking the time to get back with me on different issues. I only wish your boat was closer to me, like say right down the street. I would probably be divorced for spending most of my time there.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 11, 2007 - 11:11pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Beautiful Frank! It was allways my hope to do that to mine before I sold it. Hopefully the new owner will do it. Maybe I'll see it at a show sometime. Keep up the good work. Mike

Posted By: Mike Mosier | Posted on: Dec 14, 2007 - 7:08am
Total Posts: 12 | Joined: May 27, 2007 - 3:15pm

Thanks Mike

How did you obtain your Engine? Mine was a donation from KAMAN CORPORATION back in 1998. They had three of these packard engines which were used in the 1950's to power the Helicopter Spin Pit Test Sites. One of the Engines was still in the crate and had PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY on the side. I could not get that one, I tried. I am not sure what ever happened to the other two, but I was more then happy to obtain mine.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 14, 2007 - 11:10am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

I bought it at Yank's Boat Yard in Tuckahoe NJ in about 1975. It was the center engine in the " Flying Saucer " which was a 70' Vosper built at Annapolis. I paid $300 for it freshly overhauled.
I wanted to post a picture or two but didn't seem to find a way.

Posted By: Mike Mosier | Posted on: Dec 14, 2007 - 3:28pm
Total Posts: 12 | Joined: May 27, 2007 - 3:15pm

Hi Frank: After viewing the pictures of your Packard engine. I am reminded of the races we would have with other boats as we would return from patrol. As we would approach and coud see land - the boats would all pull in line - then open the throttles for the race to the entrance of the cove. We seldom lost a race because our Chief Motor Mac, Charles McIntosh, on P.T.242 had a secret which we never shared. He would remove the air mesh covers to the super chargers (the gold cover on your engine) which gave more air to the gasoline mixture. This would give a couple of more inches of manifold pressure and 3-5 more M.P.H. Only Elco boats could beat us, they were a little faster especially the 77 foot Elco's. Just reminiscing!!!

Have Joyous Holiday everyone.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Dec 18, 2007 - 10:50am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

C.J.

I can just imagine the wonderful noise of all those Packard Engines racing in for the Cove. What a Beautiful site that must have been. I only wish I could have seen it. I love when you share these stories, which I wish more of you PT BOATERS would do on this site. CJ, have a wonderful and joyous CHRISTMAS with your family. I wish one day we could meet at my Exhibit. Thanks again for everything and for sharing your stories with us.............

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Dec 18, 2007 - 11:01am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank: To gain a little more speed in these races we would lay all the guns down horizontal to cut the wind resistance. Then all the crew get on the bow of the boat which made the boat plane better. More reminicing! Ha.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Dec 18, 2007 - 12:57pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

Great stuff, C.J. THANKS! . . .and merry christmas.

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Dec 18, 2007 - 3:09pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

CJ - I enjoy all of your stories, but this one is great! I can only imagine the entire crew getting involved while you guys growled across the sea. Good stuff!

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

Posted By: newsnerd99 | Posted on: Dec 19, 2007 - 12:45am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

HI Guys

We decided at the last minute to take out the engine for an Engine Show. I pulled off the tarp, cleaned her up a bit, and she was wisked off to the Show. While in route to the Show, we were at the light, and a car was beeping at us to pull over. We pulled into the the safest place we could and lo and behold, out popped a gentlemen who said he almost had a heart atack when he saw the engine. I said why. He said because I worked at the Packard Plant making the darn things during the War!

It was nice to see this man's face light up as he told us about the engines and the a little about the asembly making them. We invited him to the Engine Show, but he never did show up. I gave him my card, so I hope to hear from him. By the way, the Packard Engine was a hit at the show. It seemed that anyone who was there was gathered around my engine. The day was a bit cool in the morning, but it warmed up in the afternoon. The biggest thing I heard all day was. "Boy these things were big", and holy cow, "three of them in one boat". I had some nice poster sized photos of PT Boats on the table, so it was great. I am glad my buddy talked me into going.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Mar 15, 2009 - 4:54am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Looks great! Those 1550HP Packards were a great upgrade. We got an extra 6-7 Knots at top peed. I had curves of speed vs. RPM that were supposedly generated by Elco, but we could not get curves for the new engines and were forced to draw our own. (The curves were absolutely necessary for dead reconing). The noise will be a problem. I suppose it would be impractical, but a second cart with mufflers and a tank of water would demonstrate the muffled cruising, butterflies, etc. and might make the operating display more acceptable. Anyway, I congratulate on the exhibit and your enthusiasm for accuracy.

Posted By: BobPic | Posted on: Mar 15, 2009 - 7:41am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

I posted a reply a while ago but although my post is listed as accepted, it doesn't show up in the messages. So I'll do it again. Congratulations Frank, the engine looks great! We appreciate your dedication to accuracy and devotion to the PT service. Those 1550HP packards gave us a big boost in top speed of 6-7 knots. We couldn't get a new RPM vs Speed curve from Elco (had a devil of a time getting the original curve from them because the top speed was a military secret). Since such curves are absolutely necessary for dead reconing, we made our own.
The noise will be a problem for sure. Maybe you will have to add a trailer with mufflers and a tank of water...or as someone suggests, an 80 foot wood boat,,,
Anyway, thanks. the photos are awsome.

Posted By: BobPic | Posted on: Mar 15, 2009 - 7:55am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered