That's AWESOME BigKev!! Someday I will make the great pilgrimage to the Packard plant.

Xavier -

The carb could have some varnish in it, but if it runs good warm, I wouldn't worry about that until after you have check the other cold functions.

With the carb in good working condition and properly adjusted, you should only have to press the gas pedal down to the floor and release it just once. This sets the choke valve closed and dispenses a small squirt of gas down the throat of the carb. All other things being equal, the car should then crank and start with relative ease.

Of course, nothing is 100% failure proof. If the cold engine stalls, you may need to give the pedal another shot before cranking. Just be careful that you don't pump the pedal too many times or you could end up with a flooded engine - flooded with so much fuel that it can't start. You see, gasoline needs to be in the form of a vapor to burn.

In case of a flooded engine, you should press the gas pedal to the floor and hold it there. Then, crank the engine and release the pedal only as the engine catches and begins to run.

I think you'll get a feel for this quickly.

Unfortunately, I see far too many old cars in poor repair, and the driver tap-dancing on the gas pedal to get it started and keep it running cold. It's sad because these carburetors are not that difficult to rebuild - unless they are terribly worn.

I also shake my head at hot-rodders who have the choke valve tied fully open with wire (or worse). I suspect that is some attempt to get maximum air flow through the carburetor, but I think they would be better off converting to a manual choke, which would let them set the valve closed for cold starts, then open it manually (and gradually) as the engine warms up, and but pull it wide open when fully warm - all from the driver's seat. The manual choke conversion kits are widely available for a little over $10 US, as I recall.

Hello,


Thanks for the advice!

I will check it out. The period the engine was unused is 1 week. It is indeed possible that the carburator is loosing some fuel, I will make both controls.

@ Brian: What procedure do you use for starting a cold engine? How many times do you have to push down the pedal before cranking?

I drove the car for approx 25 miles to my house, there wasn't any lack of power after we cleaned the fuelfilter. Is it possible in this case that the carb should be dirty?


Thx,

Xavier

Here is my visit to "Packard-Mecca" picture. Hard to see it this picture, but I am wearing my PackardInfo.com t-shirt! The plant is in pretty sad condition, and this was really the best photo spot for the entire place. They have most of the main building boarded up, and since it was after 5pm, I didn't want to wander around too long in the neighborhood. My co-workers were already given me that "Where the Hell are you taking us look".

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WD:

There was a rebuilt 356 for sale on Ebay recently with no takers at $1700. Maybe it will work for you. Here is the link to the expired listing:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=016&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=260257801113&rd=1

It says it is for a 1940-1950, but you'll have to check to see if would be a match for your vehicle.

You should check the parts book to see if you should have an insulator/spacer. If so, it's important for two reasons, thermal insulation (reason for the sleeves on the studs) and because it sets the correct distance between the pump arm pivot and the cam lobe. Incorrect spacing can result either in stress to the pivot, arm and cam lobe, or insufficient gas volume delivery. If you should have the spacer/insulator and don't have it, it's easy enough to make from any number of materials once you have the thickness dimension.

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John,

There wasn't an insulator between the pump and the block just the gasket. And there is copper tubing and not fibre bushings where the bolts pass through the pump flanges. The rest of the hardware is as you described "fiber washer next to pump, then a steel washer, then a steel lock washer next to the cap screw head" with the cap screw heads drilled for wiring. Thanks for your insights.

Quote:

Chris,

Welcome to Packardinfo. If you haven't already done so could you please include your newly acquired Packard in the Owner Registry with a pic and known history?

Again,

As the engine is turning over freely, you may have an easy time of it. I'd pull the valve tappet covers and make sure none of the valves are stuck; if so a bit of PB Blaster may free them up. Then I'd drop the oil pan and clean it thoroughly, replace and install clean oil. Chances are the fuel pump, lines or tank need service so you might want to rig a gravity gas can overhead to feel the carburetor and either give the ignition a tune or, postponing that till later, make sure you have spark. Just before I tried to start it for the first time, I'd put a tbs of motor oil in each spark plug hole and turn it over on the starter motor for a few minutes to distribute some oil and to make sure you have oil pressure. Optionally, you may want to remove the carburetor top and make sure the needle and seat and float are functional. If the car is stick shift, make sure the clutch hasn't frozen in place, or to be extra safe, jack the rear wheels off the ground.

So now I can answer my own question and thanks to those who offered advice. Left the front clip intact. Removed the hood, removed the fan and waterpump which permitted removal of the radiator. Removed flywheel and disconnected bell housing from block, removed front motor mount, and just lifted it out - cleared by an inch or better at both ends.