Hi John:

Okay, let's get down to some garage mechanics to sort out your problem.

The only way for the ammeter to peg positive is if either the generator is full fielding, or the gauge is hooked up backwards and you have a short circuit.

I will rule out the later because you said the thing was fine and the went haywire.

So go to your generator and you should have three wires:

a) a large red one on the heavy post - armature
b) a small tan one on the small post - field
c) a small black wire screwed to the generator - ground

Disconnect the tan wire. If the problem goes away you have a short circuit between the generator and the regulator in the tan wire.

If the problem persists then you probably have a shorted field winding in the generator and the unit will need to be repaired.

I wont concern myself with the other phenomenon because it is too wierd. I assume you are using a 6-volt battery.

Of course they think they are sitting on a gold mine.

Those are scrap vehicles and if the dweliing is loaded with termites (very common in old New England) then, it doesn't matter if Washington's Mistress lived there, it will be razed.

The city need only condemn the property for the whole lot to be towed away and the building bulldozed.

Dear Sanford:

The original method was to use two bars and a hammer. One had a groove in it to catch the cut out and then push against the rim so that the second bar could be used to work the snap ring off of the rim. The same way as a tire machine using the hammer to move the ring along.

You will need to make these. The work off bar will work best if polished. Extra bars will come in handy as well.

Now care needs to be exercised because aggressive use of those bars can crack the rim lip. Use of tire assembly lubricant will also help.

Finally, when you put wheels together do not inflate them facing the snap ring because it can fly off and kill you. George Jepson owned a Shell station and saw an arm blown off. I adjusted the air in a set of snap ring tires and used safety straps to prevent my being blown up. Five mintues after I took the straps off a snap ring flew across the building and smashed a parked car. (The lock bolt broke).

Inflate the wheels with the snap ring facing the wall or floor using a rubber valve stem extension. (available from NAPA). Inflate the wheels in steps of 15-20psi, deflating the tires at least once to seat the tube. Now let the tire sit for an hour or two before removing the extension. Next lay out a blanket and let each wheel fall on the snap ring side. Then let them sit for at least a day.

Hope this helps and remember: another term for snap rings and lock bolts is - widow makers.

Hey Joe:

Here is a little tip for dealing with the worn motor mount:

Unbolt the front motor supports at the frame (two bolts).

Next jack the motor up using a piece of plywood under the oil pan.

Put two one in thick drilled pieces of wood under the support using the bolts as locator pins.

Set the motor down.

Hi Folks:

The Stromberg is not as modern as the WDO. Add a computer control for the economizer and the WDO will pass emission standards for 1984 California.

The big problem with getting the Stromberg sorted out is that the main jet air bleeds clog and have to be removed using a special jet wrench and a hammer. This requires experienced personnel. As with all carburetors the idle air bleeds erode over time as well.

None of these cars run as well as new due to erosion of pot metal carburetors, so for a road car if a better mixture is obtained using a newer model then so be it. The original merchandise can always be kept on the shelf and sold with the car.

Hope this helps.

Looks to me like a 16th series (1938) six. Brake drums, steering box, and transmission parts perhaps, but the rest is likely scrap.

Hi Joe:

I knew an old timer (Charlie Clancy) who owned a '32 Caddy V-12 and he was putting detergent oil in it for years and it didn't hurt anything.

What happens is that the detergency is used up very fast because it disolves accumulated sludge. After dozens of oil changes the motor is cleaned out. The reason for detergency is that oil company research concluded that "varnishes" and acids were harmful to motors. Detergency keeps this stuff in suspension for removal via oil changes. Obviously running the motor with filthy oil is not good, thus, the oil pan and flush before switching.

Now how to determine what oil a motor has in it. One method is the sludge inspection. Another method is to pour a small glass of water into the crankcase while it is running. After ten minutes or so, park it for a week, and then drain the oil. If first thing that comes out is water then the motor probably has non-detergent oil it in. If the water is absorbed (emulsified) then it is detergent. Still another method is to look at the dipstick after the car has been sitting. If the oil looks cleaner than when parked then in is probably non-detergent.

Dear Joey:

When your car was built the only oils offered were SAE motor oils. Later, three grades ML, MM, and MS (light duty, moderate, and Heavy duty) were introduced with MS being a detergent oil. MM and MS were authorized for Packard. The multi-grade detergent system followed in the mid-1950's.

If you use a non-detergent motor oil then Valvoline 30w (NAPA Part# VV265) or Kendall 30w are both very good oils. The recommended 20w is not readily available.

If you want to use a detergent oil but don't know what is in the car the the oil pan should be removed, cleaned, and heavy sludges removed from inside the motor prior to using detergent oil. 10w-30 most closely follows what Packard recommended. Heavier oils were recommended to reduce oil burning.

You can also remove the oil fill tube and shine a light into the motor. If has substanital sludges then it probably is not using detergent oil.

Another word of caution - switching to detergent may result in a rear main oil seal leak.

There is a lot of talk about ZDDP and such being absent from the current multi grade oils. You can buy this stuff directly from well known Packard suppliers or you can use a quart of Rislone. Exxon-Mobil guarantees their products are suitable for older motors, but Packard specifically advised against Zinc-Phophorous for the senior motors (especially the V-12) because they were in love with bronze bearings. Your car, however, is more modern and doesn't have a lot of bronze in it.

Hope this helps,

Actually Packard used a band clamp on the senior cars that looked very similar to the micro-gear clamp. So deducting for them on Senior Packards is not the best idea. Later they went to the constant tension type with the 10-32 round head screw.

Original type clamps worked when the cars were new, but are problematic after eveything becomes pitted. Thus, sealers are required and the rubber and clamps have to be lubricated for proper function.

In the assembly line photo above the exhaust system is visible as shiny black. Other pictures I have show the same. However, that paint burned off on the first trip around the block.

You can get high temperature black paint at NAPA if you just want to cover a rusty pipe, but it will peridocally need to be recovered.

Some of the Eastwood manifold paints have impressed me as very good.