I bought my '39 Six in March of 2016 and one of the first problems I encountered with it was stalling for no apparent reason. The car would start, idle and rev fine, but as soon as it was driven anywhere, the first stop sign encountered, it would just 'coast to a halt'. If one turned the key off and sat for a minute or so, then floored the car and turned it over, it would 'catch', sounding like a flooded engine; then one could put it in gear and drive some more... until the next stop sign!??!?! I posted numerous queries on what this strange phenomenon could be and received different answers. I proceeded to go over everything and have done the following:
Rebuilt carb, (Carter WA-1) no change; new electric fuel pump with pressure regulator, new plugs, wires, points, condenser, NOS distributor, new coil, new voltage regulator, checked compression (100-105#'s in all 6 cyl's, wet & dry) timed engine to 6 degrees, vacuum advance disconnected and plugged) and have idle at around 700 RPM. The car came with a new stainless gas tank and I have had it off to check for crap in tank (none) and replaced all the fuel lines as well as installed an inline fuel filter. Thinking maybe the problem was heat related, I just performed a major cooling system overhaul with re-cored rad, new (not rebuilt) water pump, new T-stat and a complete engine flush. Took the car out for a drive today and before it even got up to temp, I stopped at an intersection and the thing quit. Same old story: shut off the key, wait a minute or two, put the gas pedal to the floor and hit the start button. It fired right up again and I drove it to the next place I had to stop and as soon as I put the clutch in, it died.
To say I am frustrated with this is the understatement of the year for me! I don't know what else I can do. Can anybody give me any advice??? I really thought the carb upgrade would make a big difference. The carb on it when I got the car was from a '56 Bel Air and I ordered the Carter WA-1 from the 'Carburetor Exchange' in Del Monte CA. They told me that their rebuilts were bench tested 3 different ways before being shipped out and that they should need very little adjustment. This made absolutely zero difference to the way the car ran. Could I have something like a cracked head or block or something internal in the engine?? I just can't get over how good it starts cold, runs beautifully and smoothly (no black or blue smoke) and has great oil pressure and passes the compression test, yet it stalls???!!?!?!?

I'm out of ideas and options.

Hi James, Thanks for the reply and I will order a set tomorrow. You made MY day!!!!

Does anybody know where I can purchase a new set of sockets for my '39 Six headlights? Mine are sketchy at best and one has a missing locking pin. I have tried to make a replacement by modifying a pop rivet, with only qualified success. Sure would appreciate finding a new set. Chris

Hi Tommy,

Curious to see what your problem turns out to be. My '39 Six was doing the exact same thing. I too, have replaced 'everything' and have not yet had it out on the road to see if the problem is fixed. It SEEMS to be running better, but the proof will be driving it and arriving at a stop sigh and not have it just 'coast to a halt'. Same as yours, if I sit there for a bit, it will restart, but mine almost seems like it is flooded when it does restart, as I have to hold the gas pedal to the floor and crank it until it starts and then it 'sounds' flooded. I replaced carb, fuel pump, distributor (along with new points and condenser) plugs, wires, coil, even a new voltage regulator. Recently I have had the front end clip off to do a major cooling system overhaul and whilst I could get better access to the motor, I timed it and found it to be out a bit (too far advanced 2-4 degrees) so I have rectified that, re-cored the rad, installed a new water pump, T-stat and antifreeze; flushed the block and head and it now runs significantly cooler. The rad shop that did my rad said the old core was pretty plugged up. I hope to be on the road in a few more days and will see if it is 'problem solved' or still some mysterious malady that I have yet to figure out. Please post YOUR findings. Chris.

You went to a lot of trouble Don, thanks a lot!! That 3rd picture shows it really well with the little piece of plate steel going under the slot in the cowl and the curved springs providing the holding pressure above. There was nothing on mine - like I said, just a little compressed coil spring, hooked through the cotter pin hole and stretching down and hooking to the arms of the shutter control mechanism. No wonder it was loose!!
My fix renders the spring moment on the bottom side of the slot in the cowl instead of the top, but it sure seems to work well!! Thanks again for the help, Don.

Just wanted to update the progress on reattaching my hood ornament... a friend with some machining smarts helped me and we took a piece of 1/2" steel rod stock and made a fork in the end of it that fit over the tab on the bottom of the ornament's base plate. We riveted that on, through the hole in the tab and then slid a fender washer over it, then what would best be described as a brake spring over the bar stock, then another fender washer, and then fully compressed the spring and put a cotter pin through the rod stock to retain it. We put a slight roll in the forward face of the first washer (like a ski tip) so it would feed properly when pushed into the slot on the car cowling, and pushed it on. The spring load on the fender washer is significant and the size of it gives a lot of area for it to grab, and the Goddess of Speed is now firmly and securely back on the car. Not sure what the original method of attachment looked like, but this is sure a good alternate fix.

Hey Russell,

Welcome to the 'Wide World of Packard'! I have a '39 Six, so I mostly 'traffic' in info related to that year, but one option that isn't seen that often is a tach where the clock goes. I forget who I was communicating with that had one; they said it was 'quite rare'.

Thanks Don for the reply!!! After reading it a couple of times, I think I see my problem... The forward base does not have the 'stack of flat curved springs with the cotter pin to keep them in place'. Could you elaborate on that a bit?? All that was attached to mine was a single coil spring hooked through what I think you're describing as the cotter pin hole and going down into the grill cavity. I had to pull the ornament back as you describe and then lift it up and unhook the spring from the base with a pair of needlenose and then it was free. The spring immediately fell out and down onto the floor, so I couldn't see where it was anchored, but I now suspect it was incorrectly hooked to the shutter arm mechanism. I think, from what you detail, it shouldn't be attached to anything, just held in place with spring tension and locked from sliding back by the hood chrome strip. Obviously the guy before me did a major jury rig. Are the springs something I can find, or can I adapt some 'other purpose' springs??

I am in the middle of a major cooling system overhaul on my '39 Six, and while I had the front-end clip off and the rad out, I thought I would try and do something with the 'Angel & the doughnut' hood ornament as it was somewhat loose. In getting it apart, I figured out that it slid back and up, with the back tail of the base having one attachment screw and washer and the front with a 'tab' under the base to which a spring was attached. I got the spring unhooked from the base and the ornament free. Turns out the base and the Goddess were loose and a large screw underneath tightened that up just fine, but my problem now is I can't, for the life of me figure out where the other end of the spring anchors to hold the unit down and forward while it is in place. Right below the hole are the moving arms for the shutter mechanism and I can't see it attaching to them?? Can anybody offer an assist?? Not sure if the spring business is the correct original attachment method or if somebody has just jury rigged it that way as a stop gap fix, but sure could use some help. I did go from one end of my shop manual to the other and could not find any guidance or illustrations. Thanks to anyone who responds!!!

Not sure if he mentioned to you as well, Joe, but for some reason he has a manufacturing capacity of one per month and says he currently has 2 on hand. Maybe he is making these as a 'filler' in between stages of some other manufacturing item or process. He didn't answer my question re baffles, but Owen_Dyneto got me up to speed on the Packard tanks of that day and it sounds like they made 3 or 4 different sizes circa '39 - '42, starting at 18 gallon and topping out at 30 gallon. Dave said the only one Packard baffled was the 30, so this 20 gallon repro likely is 'unbaffled' yet still an accurate reproduction. Dave also said Packard tanks were made of terne plate steel back in the day, which I understand to be old fashioned galvanizing, so this repro tank in cold rolled 18GA would be more prone to corrosion but if the outside was painted or even powder coated, the inside would likely 'stay shiny' for a long time, especially if it was kept relatively full of fuel.