Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Hello. I had my 1937 120C running fairly well and even had it able to start under 6 volts. I was running it at length because when I obtained the car, the engine was so tight, I had to kick it off using 12 volts. One day, I had it running and then it just shut down. I have not been able to get it to fire off since, except once, right after the carburetor was rebuilt, then it ran for about 15 seconds and shut down again. I have tried adjusting the timing, getting rid of the gas I was using because it might have been old, cleaning the spark plugs and checking for good spark, which it seems to have and nothing seems to work. Does anyone remember anything like this happening and if so, what was the cause to your issue and also your solution? Thanks.
Roger Howe

Did u check for spark?.

Coil could break down or. Condenser..maybe points..

Check all that..

I had a similar issue in my 1940. The problem was gunk in my final gas filter on my carb. The filter was only about 50% blocked but the area around the filter also had gunk on it. (essentially reducing gas flow by over 50%).

Best of luck

-I also changed and re-gapped all of my plugs and ensured the coil wires we snug-

I remember my 1939 when I first bought it in the '60s and was trying to drive it to the ferry home, it ran fine at first then stalled frequently. It turned out to be a five-minute fix on the carburetor's inlet screen which I didn't know it had and once cleaned, no more problem. Of course, check first for spark, then to see if it's getting fuel.

Thanks, Riki. I shall go back through and definitely check that. It appears to have good spark, but, appearances can be deceiving. and to Just Popping and Home Away, thank you for that information I shall definitely check on those items also and let you know.

Replace the condenser and carry a spare. My 39 120 has AGAIN the same symptoms and last time it was the condenser . Anyone have any ideas on why a car would be using up condensers ?

A condenser is the same thing as a capacitor.
The condenser charges and discharges and works with the coil to create a spark plug spark. The discharge of the condenser protects the points and eliminates an arc across the points. -If your car runs real rough or if you have severe pitting and burning of your points, a condenser could be causing this issue-

Condensers/capacitors are rated in micro-farads.
Most condensers should fall between 0.18 to 0.25 micro-farads.

If the size of the condenser is wrong, or if the voltage to the condenser is too high or too low, this can cause premature failure of the condenser. Moisture can also cause premature failure,as well as poor manufacturing processes (ok...cheap Chinese).

Again, I thank you all for your most excellent information. I did locate a cross-over condenser, replaced the old one and now it runs like a top. Apparently the devise my friend used to determine the spark, although showing spark, did not show that it was insufficient. I am keeping these replies in my notes for future reference, and again I do thank you.

I use NAPA's Echlin AL-869 condenser as an almost universal unit, used it on Packards 1954 and back into the 1920s regardless of whether Northeast, Autolite or Delco, and regardless of the # of cylinders. I've been using it for decades, never any issues.