Re: hard to start 34 1103

Posted by shinyhubcap On 2016/10/12 11:38:18

Please be assured I know how Packards are supposed to start when properly maintained! I happen to have owned an 1103 (1934 Super Eight Sedan) for many years !

Hopefully, you have friends, or can by yourself, eliminate the obvious - good spark plugs, good coil, properly working fuel pump.

Your complaint has become more and more common as gasoline "Reid vapor pressures" have risen. Especially now, when the first loads of "winter gas" are coming out of the refiners.

Elsewhere I discussed the phenomena of how gasoline's ability to "boil over" and "vapor lock" has increased down thru the years. As I noted, this is not a new problem; a review of the Packard service letters from as far back as the early 30's shows it was becoming an increasing problem even then.

Now, with sealed high pressure fuel delivery systems (todays fuel injected cars have a high pressure pump INSIDE the gas tank - pressurizes the entire fuel lines, so that with that high pressure, "vapor lock" is impossible - with the end result refiners are now free to provide gasoline that, absent pressurization, will boil away/vapor lock at the drop of a hat !

So - this suggests your problem may well be your car is out of gas ! Meaning, the gasoline in the carb. bowl has boiled away - takes a bit of cranking to bring up the gasoline level in the carb. for the thing to run!

This is why those few of us who still drive our pre-war Packards on a regular basis have electric fuel pumps, mounted as low as possible, as close to the gas tank as possible.

Remember - Packard got its fantastic reputation by delivering a superior product. Hot or cold, a properly maintained Packard of any year, will start RIGHT NOW, and give superior service.

So - bottom line - give your Packard a chance to deliver the kind of service you are entitled to, by recognizing the limits of modern gasoline !