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1950 Standard Eight 288 Delco Remy system. Car stalls after short time, after waiting 10-20 minutes restarts. Last time it stalled the voltage began rising to 9 v before it cut off so there is apparently too much current going to the points/condenser. Have replaced coil, all ignition wiring, rebuilt distributor (including new points and condenser) and starter. I know there is no ballast resistor on the 6 v car. I have never know a voltage regulator to cause problems that will overload the points but I guess there may be a first time. It is probably not vapor lock, electric pump identically wired as my 1951 with same engine. Not aware of an ignition coil resistor anywhere on this car. If there is one let me know. Any experience with this issue? I was told I can't get just any 6V coil, it has to be one compatible with a Delco system. True? I have been working on cars over fifty years and I know this is probably something very simple but for the life of me I can't dial it in.

No resistor but new condensers being bad out of the box or failing after a short time is being reported more and more. As to coils, most of us are using the universal IC-7 coils from Napa successfully so I don't think they are specific any more. The 12v cars with resistors have different ballasts for Delco vs Autolite though.

It has not been as big an issue on cars without the armored cable to the coil but since the switch itself is almost identical to those it is possible the ign sw contact to the coil is heating up and opening after some use. Symptoms would be the same and after it cools down all works again.

Does the car just quit abruptly and it is definitely ign related or does it stumble like it is running out of gas. If it sounds more like fuel, many have had fuel issues ranging from pinholes in the pickup tube inside tank to unvented gas caps to crud floating around and blocking the pickup opening. After the engine quits, after a few minutes the vent and crud issues go away until the next time. Pinholes usually become an issue if the tank is a little less than 1/2 full but would not go away unless more fuel was added.

Good Evening...Just because you have not mentioned them, I would check the condition of the battery and the cables as well as the cable between the coil and the distributor. Also I would look for loose connections or dirty connections. You might also take the gas cap off after she sits a bit and see if she will run without the cap...It might be clogged...Maybe a little Holly Water on the dashboard! Ernie

Thanks for the reply. I have completely gone over the fuel system and am really confident it's not the fuel. It doesn't sputter. When the car dies it is like someone turned the key off. I even thought it could have been a bad ignition. If I don't push in the clutch I can't get to the side of the road if I'm on the highway. I used an Autozone condenser because I work at one part time (I'm the token old car guy) but will try the NAPA one. I have always liked NAPA and they have the most comprehensive assortment of brass fittings of any auto parts store. Came in handy when I rebuilt my '53 Cipper brake system a while ago.

Thanks Ernie. Good suggestions. I actually replaced the ground cable with a metal braided one after I put the rebuilt starter on and used a thicker cable on the other terminal. I ordered a 1950 Packard specific battery from Interstate which has worked well. It also fits in the battery holder perfectly so it looks good when displayed at shows. Interstate can get you any battery for almost any vehicle and it was only $149 from my supplier. They even had one for my '49 Crosley 6 volt car. My uncle is a Jesuit priest so perhaps I can get some Holy water.

I know you ruled out fuel but two other places notorious for intermittents is the flex hose between the pump and the fuel line hard connection below the radiator and the fuel pump. The inner lining in the hose can crack and pump suction causes a section to pull away and act like a flapper valve stopping flow. There is also a screen in the bottom of the fuel pump. If the gas tank is or was rusty, the bowls are known to catch a lot of rust and suction pulls enough up to clog the screen. When engine dies the suction stops so rust settles down after a few minutes or the flap in the lining relaxes and all works until the cycle repeats.

I agree, very common problems. I have by-passed the manual fuel pump and use a 6 volt electric pump. Prior to installation I cleaned the tank and lines. I have a 1951 with the same engine and have used the same electric fuel pump set-up without issues for two years. My '53 clipper with the 357 has also been using the electric pump. Very insightful suggestions and I appreciate them. If you know of any problems related to electric fuel pumps in Packards please enlighten me, I may hook the lines back up to the manual pump and use the electric for starting/priming or a backup.

Nice...Ernie

You mentioned working in the dist. If it is the one where vac advance moves the entire dist then not the issue but on those where vac advance rotates the inner plate some of them have a fabric covered wire under the plate connecting the points to the outside terminal. The old fabric insulation rots and can fall off when disturbed. Several have been caught when the plate rotates and shorts the bared wire. The short may or may not resolve itself but wouldn't take 20 minutes to clear. Maybe worth a look anyway.

No matter how long I work on these things I keep learning new things. Thanks