I put 2 gallons of gas in the empty gas tank and started the engine again.
It ran great until the carburetor started spewing gas! So I shut it off.
The carburetor is in a shop getting checked out. I had it rebuilt 3 years ago and I'm finally using it.
When I get the carburetor back, I'll reinstall it and run it. I have heard let it run at 2000 rpm for 2 hours to break in the cam and motor.
Thank for all your help getting this running. I'm excited!

I checked the compression with a manual gage, meaning I has to hold the gage and crank the engine over. All cylinders showed the same, about 60 lbs. I'm sure it is more but that's all I could hold!
I hooked up the distributor vacuum line. That is the only vacuum line on this carburetor. I moved the sparkplugs 1 spot. I retimed the distributor.
I shot starter fluid in it and cranked it over.
The engine started! I was surprised!

Thanks for the help.
Here's what I did:
The battery cables were new and ordered from Kanter so they are the right size.
I bought a new battery.
I scuffed up the engine for a better ground.
I had the smoking starter repaired.

I'm looking for a fuel tank for a 48, where do I look?

I currently have 2 running Packards here in Phoenix, Arizona, a 1955 Clipper Custom and a 1940 160 Sedan. I have mechanical fuel pumps on both cars. Near the gas tank, I have electrical fuel pumps. In the winter I drive without the electrical fuel pump on. In the summer, I only turn on the electric fuel pump when the car is bucking, like it's out of gas. I do drive in temperatures of over 100F. I know, no AC, and my wife won't be in the car. On the freeway is where I have most of the problem, until I turn on the electric fuel pump. This is my end all cure for vapor locking. I have over 70,000 miles on this set up so I know it works.
Good luck finding yours.

I have owned this 1948 Super 8 Limo for 3 years. The family I bought it from had removed the engine, had it rebuilt and he died before installing the engine. The engine rusted. I bought it, had the engine rebuilt. I installed the engine in January 2020. I am now trying to start the engine and that's where I need help.
I own 2 other running Packards, a 1955 Clipper Custom and a 1940 160 Touring Sedan. So I know a little about these cars.
I have a rebuilt carburetor, distributor, generator, water pump, oil pump and starter.
The engine turns over very slow. I have checked the spark and I do have spark. I sprayed starting fluid as I don't have gas in the tank yet. I put the engine at top dead center and where the distributor rotor pointed to I put the #1 spark plug wire there and CCW with the rest of the wires in the correct firing order.
Why is the engine turning so slow? I have new battery cables.
The wires to the carburetor for the start switch measure a short before I attach the switch, I leave them disconnected so I am using a remote switch that was bought at Sears many years ago.
Would the slowly turning engine hamper it starting?
What else do I need to do to get this running?

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I just had the same problem. My Gen Light was on. I checked the battery, it had 12.3V. I revved the engine and still had 12.3V. I replaced the voltage regulator that I got from NAPA and now when I rev the engine I get 14.3V.
I have a 1955 Clipper, positive ground but same results.
Don't forget to polarize your system, that is:
Before starting the car:
Obtain an 8 inch piece of 16 gauge or larger jumper wire.
Momentarily (no longer than 2 seconds) touch the jumper wire to both the armature (ARM) terminal and the battery (BAT) terminal. There may be a brief spark; this is normal.

I might just start now with working on my Packards and just staying with this blog.
This episode I drove my 1940 160 Touring Sedan to a Club party here in Arizona. The car ran great to the party. It started up fine for the trip home, then I turned on the headlights and they didn't come on. I got a tow home, because you need headlights to drive at night.
I checked out the dimmer switch and it works fine. I have voltage turning on and off at the terminal block on the fender, but no headlights.
I pulled off the headlight bucket to check the headlights and I can't remember how to pull the outer ring out. So that's where I'm going to restart this blog.
Yes, I will add stuff about the 55 Clipper, when it needs work. Right now it is running fine. I did sell the 2nd 55 Clipper, so I am down to 5 Packards, 2 running, 2 needing work, and 1 is still a parts car.
So with the 40 160, I have 3 pictures. 1 for the headlamp bucket. 1 for page 35 in the manual of Fig 23 removing the headlamp outer rim. and the last one for the instructions on how to remove the outer ring. I have forgotten how. Can you help? I thought I would stop there before I do any damage.

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A fellow club member had some antifreeze blow over his car and ruined the paint. He had a 1936 Super 8 sedan. He had insurance pay for a new paint job at $20,000 and this was about 15 years ago.
20 years ago I stripped my 1955 Clipper Custom 4 door down to bare metal and had some one paint it, for only $2500 and 3 months. I had quotes of $6,000 to $10,000 to paint my car, but that was before I had stripped all the paint off. I learned that I don't have that kind of patience, to do all the body work my car needed.

My wife names my cars:
1955 Clipper Custom (owned 21 years) Jezebel
1940 160 Touring Sedan (owned 14 years) Bathsheba

I guess you could say she's jealous of the time I spend with the cars.

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