Progress on the'41 has pretty much stalled until I can get workshop space to enable me room to work on the car. My tandem garage is filled with the 2 Packards with virtually no room to move. And bringing the '41 out into the driveway is not an option as removing wheels, brakes and other suspension and steering components will disable it and prevent access to/from the garage.

Anyway, until workshop space becomes available I am presently gathering some ?bits and pieces? from eBay and elsewhere in anticipation. And turning over the '41 every 2 to 3 weeks until the workshop becomes available. Until, earlier this week when on going to start the '41 it wouldn't. What followed was an email exchange with my brother who is currently overseas and the mechanic in the family.

Fred,

Yesterday I was going to start up and run the '41. However - there was nothing when I tried to start it. So I took out the battery and re-charged it for about 6 hours, still nothing. When I say nothing - nothing, including no lights at all and manually trying to engage starter, nothing - no clicks and no other sounds. This is with the big battery that came in the '38, it recharged OK when I took it up to Newcastle and it started and ran then and also after the '41 arrived here. Anyway, last night got the battery that came with the car and recharged it, still nothing at all this morning.

What say yea?

Mal

Hi Mal,
Is there a fuse problem or a master switch to isolate the battery, also check that the earth strap is secure, or it could be a case of 2 totally dead batteries.

Cheers from London,

On this advice, checked for an isolating switch and couldn't find one and also ensured the earth strap was secure. With my limited knowledge fuses were ignored. Then my answer to my brother.

Fred,

The answer was 2 totally dead batteries, I took the battery out of the '38 which definitely works as I did about 10 miles in the car this morning and as soon as I connected it up to the earth strap in the '41, this was after the battery cable to the negative terminal was connected, there was a "click" from one of the boxes on the fire wall. So after putting 10 litres of gas in the '41 and priming it with a dash of gas down the carb it started straight away. I then drove it out into the driveway and ran it for 10 minutes, but had to stay in the car with one foot on the brake as the handbrake is useless. Oil pressure went up to just over 40 and stayed there. Temp went to just over 1/2 and stayed there. Ammeter @ idle showed a discharge but with revs went well into charge. And fuel gauge showed about 1/8. As the speedo worked when I was in the US, all seems pretty good in the instrument department.

When I put the battery back in the '38, I noticed that the cable to the negative battery terminal in the '38 had been rubbing and had worn through the insulation. After I taped it up with electrical tape I checked and found it had been rubbing on the tailshaft! So, to ensure this did not recur, on re-installing that cable it was positioned so it did not loop anywhere near the tailshaft.

Another little matter also reared it's ugly head, this time concerning the garage. This was, that on backing the '41 in, the exhaust build-up set off the smoke alarm for the room at the back of the garage. Very annoying to hear a constant "beep" "beep" "beep" until it cleared.

So, another item for the '41 - a battery. May get a gel battery if I can. And although it isn't kosher will probably mount it where "Doc" presently has the battery mounted, on the frame near the starter motor. I will make up a better support and retainer for it, then what can be presently described as a gravity system.

So I'm relieved it was that simple. But when the time comes, I will have Ken Gilbert (Ken restored a '37 120 Sedan) of Tibby Rose Auto Electric at Ryde check out the electrical system prior to the '41 going back on the road.

Mal

So ? will further update when workshop space comes available, and until then will continue to start the '41 up every 2 to 3 weeks, this time with a good battery!

Good doctor,

Thanks for that, it's pleasing to see other Packards around the world. Looks like there is a fair amount of work for this restoration, but at least they can walk around the car in the garage not like mine where space is at a premium.

BigKev,

A big vote of thanks for the new chat room. Reach around and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Now to get the laptop to work with the chat room, the wifes PC is fine!

Again, thanks for ALL you do for us with this site.

Quote:

Owen_Dyneto, An interesting tid-bit.

Currently on eBay - Photo 5 & Article in magazine



http://cgi.ebay.com/This-Old-Truck-Vol-4-1939-Packard-Pickup-Brinks-Crosley_W0QQitemZ290181836590QQihZ019QQcategoryZ377QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Nice to hear it's going to a good home Kev.

BigKev,

I see you have posted on AACA also re the puller you wish to dispose of.

BigKev,

A big vote of thanks for all you've done. Again sorry for putting you through it.

As for the sticky wicket - I'm amazed! An apt description and from the land of baseball no less! I'll try to play a straight bat from now on.

Kev,

I now think the problems I've been having are related to the laptop I have. I've only had it for about a week and so this morning I jumped on my wife's PC and everything has worked like a charm. So this will mean some more work for my tech support, #1 Son, to help sort it out for me.

Sorry to have put you to so much trouble when the fault lies at my end of the world.

Kev,

Help.

I did some "testing" with Flashchat and packardinfo.com and I recorded it in Flashchat. Can you retrieve what was posted there? Because when I close and then re-open flashchat, unlike the previous chatroom, there are no current chats displayed.

Anyway the basis of my findings is that if Flashchat is closed packardinfo.com appears unaffected. While if you leave Flashchat open the problems mentioned in my previous post to this thread are apparent.

And another thing - When I last tried to close Flashchat everything froze on my laptop. This also happened just after you left the chatroom earlier. So I suspect this is a problem too. Anyone else have this happen to them?

I think thats enough for now because it looks like Kev will be very busy again

Thanks in anticipation

"The Luddite"