Re: 1940 Packard 180

Posted by HH56 On 2021/12/17 10:21:45

In addition to the condenser, the coil could also be at fault. Sometimes a failing coil will work fine when cold but as it heats up and expands an internal connection can open up and cause problems.

If the distributor is the type with the internal fabric covered flexible wire connecting the points to the outside terminal, a chunk of fabric can fall off providing an intermittent short. If the wire runs under the advance plate sometimes this happens out of sight.

Ign switches have also been known to fail. The coil gets power from a separate contact in the ign switch and heat or wear could be affecting it as well. If it has the armored cable between the switch and coil, the old fabric covered wire inside the cable has also been known to intermittently short.

If the car has an overdrive, an intermittently shorted wire going down to the solenoid or a problem in the kickdown or ignition cutout circuit could also short the coil killing the spark.