Try once more while you are at it. You want the pump set so the rotor is at 7 o'clock when the engine is at the 7 degree timing mark--this will leave the dist in a more advantageous and also standard position.

Here is the procedure I use with good success:

1)Get your oil pump set as noted above.

2) Remove the #1 sparkplug and lay a penny over the hole. Bump the engine over till the penny starts to float up and then continue on to to the 7 degree mark.

3) make certain the rotor is pointed at 7 o'clock and not 1 o'clock. It will go either way so just pull the dizzy out and change it if need be. Vac chamber should be pointing straight forward. Leave the adjustment loose.

4)Push the vac chamber down somewhat and grab your multimeter. Set that to beep mode for checking continuity. You should have continuity (ie points closed) between the terminal on the side of the dist and ground.

5) With the meter still attached, now rotate the dist slowly CW JUST until the beeping stops. The points have just opened and this is the firing point. Tighten down the dist adjustment.

6) Note the position of the rotor again, install your cap and place wire #1 over the rotor. Proceed 1-6-2-5-8-3-7-4 CCW around the cap as that is the direction the rotor turns on these engines.

7) install your coil wire and vac line. If everything has been brought to standard condition the vac chamber will point just about straight forward.

8) Fire her up and recheck the timing. If you are careful with step 5 you will not have to readjust the timing.

The secondary butterfly shaft is basically stuck in the bore wont turn. It needs to come out doesn't it?
John

Since you haven't gotten any hits with '55 owners.. I've trailered everything I have (plus some). The attachment points are more trailer specific than car specific. You don't mention if it's a full flatbed or two-wheels down (I've never done the later and wouldn't recommend it personally). The majority of trailers I've used are U-haul units. Based on the weight of your vehicle you may have a hard time renting one (especially if it's complete as yours probably is). The straps on those units go over your front tires and ratchet strapped down, with the addition of back-up chains on the front frame and back frame. The chains don't need to be tight but I wrap a rag around or through the chain where it rests on the frame (only if your frame is detailed). However, I highly recommend you either look up online the manufacturers instructions for using their trailer. If you've never towed a vehicle before, it's not "Miller Time", may want to hire it out. If you get someone reputable to do it they know best but I'd recommend being involved. You have I'm sure many fixed attachment points, but I would be concerned with avoiding torsion level components etc., I always chose points that won't flex, tear etc. Good luck..

I think this might pertain to the original question, but I have gotten lost.

Here is an easy method for a check on your vac advance. Hook up your timing light and start the engine. As you give gas to oh, 2000 rpm or so you will see the timing marks march past the pointer. Now snap the throttle shut. If the vac advance is working, you will immediately lose more than half the advance as the carb shuts off the supply of vacuum. As the revs drop the other half will fall away as the centrifugal advance retracts to its beginning position.

Oh, and to clear a point, the vac advance retards the timing as the engine is placed under load. At 50 mph on a flat road you will have full vac and centrifugal advance. Encounter a steep hill while maintaining 50 and the engine vac will drop as you open the throttle; the vac advance will relax its position and let the timing retard a bit to prevent pinging.

As often before, Tito and his cars. Visible in the last pic below is a mounted rod antenna for his radiotelephone.


Click to enlarge!

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What, and wear a helmet too to prevent head injuries when falling into the engine
bay? B.

Chris, it was in my 1939 Six when I bought it in or abound 1966 but the engine was a 1940 110. As best I can tell, the Autolite number is GW4143 with a few more digits spaced out after that.

Don, the two Auto-lite distributors that I can find referenced for the '39 Six are the IGS-4013 and the IGS-4201. Both have vacuum pots. They use different points and when I got my car the ident plate was missing from the distributor. I was able to narrow it down by identifying the points and confirm it was a 4201. That is the unit you had as NOS, and which I purchased from you a couple of years back (actually it was February of 2017!!) Chris.

Lincoln limped along in '55 with same windshield they had been offering. 1956 saw an all-new body with wrapped windshield and stand-out styling, turned Lincoln's fortunes around and beat Cadillac and Imperial redesigns by one year. This was Packard's timing opportunity too.


"...suggest the trailing edge of the front doors be extended to eliminate the double gap..."

I left the body insert between front and rear doors alone, assumption being that it would have been too expensive to redesign. Might have been doable but would have involved tear-up to many parts. Most cost-effective approach arguably would have been to save the money for the next full redesign, 1956 the suggested year. That theoretical car, btw, would have probably included several design cues that we see on the '55 Seniors including cathedral taillights and hooded headlights. The cars would have been longer, lower and wider, and probably with straight-through sides.

This would have been the year to cut a deal with AMC: they make the Clipper based on Rambler, Packard makes the Hornet and Ambassador based on new Packard. Love without marriage, all ships rise with the improved economies of scale and all kings remain ruler of their kingdom.

I may have shown this before but here is example of '56 Clipper sourced from AMC. Has 9 inch longer axle-dash per '58 Ambassador. Would run with AMC's biggest OHV Six and possibly Packard's smallest V8 as option. Roll down rear backlight per Rambler prototype except with a slightly wider C-pillar to package it so that heads would not hit it in a rear-ender. Clipper boomerang rear fenders and side trim. Packard's dealers would have needed such a volume car, assuming it sold well. '58 Ambassador was middling in sales but it only came with a V8. I suspect that the compact market, even for near luxury appointments, was after a reasonable level of economy.

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I always thought the wrap around windshield was okay. But it was only used from 53 to the early 60's or so then never used again on cars.
I think the 55 Lincoln didn't use a wrap around windshield on their cars, not sure about 56.