Thanks for that pictorial answer John! Beautiful cars! I bet you were sorry to see them go, even if it was 'time'. Chris.

John, the short answer is 'no' it is not. I DID go through that suggested long and convoluted thread on the subject and it sounds like the problem is both common and has myriad root causes. It is not something that happens with huge frequency on my car, but is very annoying and usually most inopportune when it does. I do find that if I don't PUSH the lever when going from 1st to 2nd, then it is less likely to freeze up. I also noticed that 'Ross' seemed to be the 'house expert' on the subject and I was going to ask him for some adjustment tutorage. He says in a post to someone else with the same problem: 'lengthen the turnbuckle on the 1-R link between the column and the idler on the side of the engine slightly. This will insure the transmission and the column reach their crossover at the same time.' I am not sure I fully understand this and I don't want to open a can of worms and maybe even make things worse!! So, to answer your question, I am just 'managing' the problem and trying to 'avoid' it.

Bkazmer:Quote:
First off, nitrile and neoprene ARE rubber, and as far as it 'not making sense', I beg to differ.... the method of manufacturing polymers with fabrics is age-old and maybe it would be an expensive option by today's standards, but in Packard's day, especially when plastics and vinyls were in their infancy, cloth inserted rubber was very common. I spent my working life in rubber manufacturing and cloth inserted rubber is still readily available both in bulk sheet and in many products on the market today. Chris

Thank you John!! I did not know you were 'Packardless' these days.... when did you sell your car??? Chris

Based on the packaging, it is almost certainly authentic 'Packard'. Re it's composition, hard to tell, but it almost looks like cloth or canvass inserted neoprene or nitrile. Although, given it's age, were it rubber, it'd be getting pretty brittle by now, I guess. I HAVE seen some pretty old rubber that is still in excellent shape though....

Very nice, John! Can I ask what you used there?? If it isn't something specially machined, I would try and duplicate that. (if okay with you!?!?) Also, for jt34, your manual is probably even available on this site, I know mine is. (38/39) Click on Packard literature & manuals in the main menu to the left of the screen and go from there. Good luck. Chris

Thanks for posting that pic, Dave. That slot-head screw is a bastard to try and tighten UNDER the distributor. On my car, you need a stubby screwdriver and it is clumsy at best to address. Even one of the bolts is a little tough to get a wrench on, but if 'just loose', I can swivel the distributor body and re-tighten them and get a good 'time'. Your picture sure shows it better for jt34 though.... Chris

Wow, you went to a lot of work on that, digitizing, editing and syncing the audio, etc., Joe! Thanks for posting. I always find it interesting how Packard's artist's rendering of their cars is somehow, slightly out of proportion. Hard to put a finger on it - just a little disproportionate. Very cool little film vignette though. Chris.

Hi Gar,

On your wheels... I agree with you that powder coating is an expensive option. I DO think however, that a lot would be gained by getting your rims sandblasted. Carefully applied rattle can paint can look pretty darn good when it is properly sprayed, but there is no metal surface on this planet that takes paint better than fresh sandblasted steel. I'd get them sandblasted, get at least one (preferably two) coats of a good primer on them, with a light sand in between coats and then go for your enamel colour. By the time you install trim rings and hubcaps, no-one will know they didn't come straight from the powder- coater!! LOL Chris

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Hi JT34, No, bending the tubing is NOT how the timing is adjusted. When you say 'The only bolts on it are what goes into the engine', that is normally what secures the distributor. I have a '39 so not sure if yours would be EXACTLY the same, and my car is equipped with Autolite ignition components (Delco is usually the other choice) so you would have to identify what distributor you have. If Autolite, there are usually 2 bolts holding it in the block and then a clamping mechanism on the bottom. On mine, the clamp has a slot screw, that I find difficult to properly tighten, so I usually back off the 2 block bolts just enough that the distributor can turn (but leaving it tight enough so that when the timing is adjusted, it will stay put while you tighten it) and then with a timing light, check the advance/retard of the engine. This with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged and the idle at normal RPM. Your manual will tell you the range of degrees your engine should run at, for example, my manual says '6 - 7 1/2 degrees advance'. Yours may be slightly different. Hope this helps - good luck. Chris.