Packard V8's questions are below, in boldface:

How old is the battery (with details)????

Battery is brand new--less than 1 month old.

Has a diagnostics test been run on the generator (as per service manual).

No, I haven't done a diagnostics test

Check BODY to frame/engine ground strap.

This is a good suggestion.

Usualy after about 35 or 30 years in normal daily service nearly any vehicle will need to have ALL terminal connexions cleaned to shiny metal (no tarnish allowed).

I had the car completely rewired 3 years ago. I believe all terminals were made shiny at that time.

BTW. Check the blower motor. The shaft should turn freely and not feel sticky (other than perhaps some intermittent magnetic attraction). IF the bushings in the motor get dry or binding then the blower motor will draw excessive amperage to over come the resitence of the bad/dry bushings. And therefore diminish battery charge quickly especialy at low speeds. Therfore causing dim lites etc.

This is another excellent suggestion. I say this because when the blower motor first fires up it lets out a god-awful howl for about a minute or so. Then it settles down to a grumbling rumble. I had the original motor replaced about 4 years ago. Truth to tell right out of the box the new motor sounded as grouchy as the old one. My mechanic reported he had a hard time getting the replacement motor into the housing. He said he had to work to keep from ripping the wires loose. With this in mind I've been reluctant to check the motor and open a Pandora's Box.

Is there a quick and easy way to lubricate the motor's bushings?

Thanks,

Mark

Hi, Howard,

My amp meter shows a reasonably good charge when I pull away from the stop. The generator may not produce electrical power like it did when it was brand new, but it seems to me it cranks out enough juice to get the job done.

Do you have any thoughts in reference to my question about installing a more powerful device in place of my existing generator? I'm wondering if putting in an alternator that can produce up to 75 amps might fry some parts of my 61-year-old electrical system.

Thanks and all the best,

Mark

Hi, all,

I'm curious if any forum members have actually installed a Gener-nator OR a Powermaster Powergen unit in their Packards. I ask because it's now winter, with its long, cold nights. These days I often drive my 1950 Standard Eight with the lights, blower and radio on. The radio actually loses volume when the brake lights come on or when I use a turn signal when the car is stopped. I'm also getting tired of watching the lights dim (and dim and dim) when I'm stopped at an intersection. I'm not sure I'm up for the hassle of wrestling a standard 6-volt alternator into my car, so it seems an alternator inside a generator housing might be a good solution--IF it works as advertised.

The Gener-nator website is here:

www.gener-nator.com/

Powergen is here:

http://www.powermastermotorsports.com/powergen.html

Gener-nator's Don Allen just emailed me a quote of $895 for rebuild on the existing Delco in my Packard. Allen offers a 3-year warranty. I believe the Delco in my car cranks out 40 amps. Allen says his unit will produce 50.

Powergen's website says their units produce 75 amps or 60 amps at idle. I believe the Powergen units cost roughly half as much as the Gener-nator.

I'm showing my ignorance here...but will 50-75 amps fry my system?

So is anyone reading this using a Gener-nator or Powergen? Have any of you used one in the past? I've read posts in the V-8 forum that appear to quote the received wisdom of third parties, but I'm looking for some first hand knowledge.

Thanks in advance for your reports.

Mark

I'm happy to be of assistance.

Mark

I had a similar problem recently with my 1950 Standard Eight. I believe I solved it somewhat by accident.

My generator seemed quite weak and was making a slight rattling sound, so I sprayed some LPS lubricant on the front end. In so doing I sprayed grime off an oil port. This port has a spring-loaded cap on the generator's forward left side. I checked the manual and saw you're supposed to put 20-weight oil in there. I'd never noticed the port before and have no idea how long it's been since anyone's oiled it.

So I squirted in some 20-wt the and the result was immediate. The generator started cranking out more power and provided the power more uniformly--i.e. with less flickering.

My mechanic, Jerry, thinks I'm full of baloney. He thinks that what really happened was that the lubricant spray cleaned up the commutator. He may be right, but I do know the car is running a lot better now!

That's a good question, Howard. Truth to tell I have no idea whether I have the newer or older Bendix in my starter--to the best of my knowledge it's never been removed since I've owned the car.

If the 'false start' problem returns I'll invest in an anti-kickout Bendix. I see Max Merritt has them available:

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~dyndetail~Z5Z5Z50000022d~Z5Z5Z5AABOJ~P125.00~~~~S3BG0XVUH063226215830b~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000022D

Thanks for your learned response and all the best,

Mark

John,

I can't answer your question about switching from bias ply to radial tires. When I bought the car in 2004 it had radials on it. Unbeknownst to me the tires were the wrong size: too small. The tires seemed to perform well enough, but the car rode lower to the ground than it should have. I also believe the too-small tires affected my odometer readings. The odometer showed 1.25 miles for every actual mile traveled. This changed after I switched to the 225/75/15 tires from Diamondback.

Diamondback basically buys off-the-shelf radials from a number of manufacturers. I believe my tires were made by Hankook. Diamondback then scrubs away the identifying marks on the 'outside' wall of the tire, making a smooth surface (you can look at the 'inside' wall to see who made your tire). Diamondback affixes the whitewall material to that scrubbed surface in a way that seems superior to its competitors. After more than six years and 30,000+ miles on the road, my Diamondback whitewalls are still well-attached and reasonably white. The treads are also still in reasonable shape--I hope to get another 10-20,000 miles from the tires.

If you do opt for Diamondback wide whites I suggest you pay extra for the 'beauty ring.' This is an added ring of whitewall material that's affixed to the widest part of the tire. It's basically a sacrificial chafing ring that will absorb the brunt of any rubbing against curbs, etc. Rather than rub away your primary whitewall material, the beauty ring takes the hit.

Whatever whitewall tires you buy, I suggest you also invest in a pair of curb feelers. I have these installed on my front and rear bumpers, on the passenger side. They extend sideways and outward at about a 45 degree angle. I can usually hear the feelers scraping against any curbs I'm getting close to when parallel parking--the feelers start to rub when I'm about six inches away from the curb. The scraping sound tells me not to get any closer; if I do, I'll probably rub my wide whites against the curb. This will mean yet another application of solvent, scouring pads, and elbow grease!

All the best and good luck,

Mark

I have Diamondback 225/75/15 wide whites installed on my 1950 Standard Eight and have never had any difficulties changing the rear tires if I do two things:

1. Remove the fender skirt

2. Jack up the car anyplace but on the axle. I use a scissors jack that I place under the frame just forward of the rear wheel. This lifts the entire car up, allowing the rear wheel to drop far enough past the body that removing it becomes a piece of cake.

I also have NAPA 94080 shocks installed.

All the best,

Mark

Starting about a year ago, I noticed the process of starting the engine was becoming slightly difficult. When I hit the starter button on my 1950 Standard Eight the Delco starter would engage the flywheel for less than a second. Then it would disengage and I'd just hear the starter whirring. I'd let up on the starter button, wait for the whirring to stop, and then repeat. After 2-3 tries the engine would fire up and I'd drive away.

I began to wonder how much time I had before the 'repeat process' would fail. So about four months ago I decided to take pre-emptive action.

I assumed the problem was the starter relay (AKA solenoid, which it really isn't), so I ordered a replacement from Rock Auto:

http://info.rockauto.com/SMP/SMPDetail3.html?SS544A.html

When I installed the replacement I made sure to clean every contact as thoroughly as possible. I got them all shiny and bright. But despite the new component, and the cleaning, the problem persisted. Fortunately it never got any worse--but it never got any better.

Never, that is, until I installed the new battery. Since then the 'disengage and whirr" problem has disappeared.

So it's now my belief that the problem was really related to a battery that was in the process of failing.

Has anyone else experienced this situation? Could the 'disengage and whirr" problem be a sign it's time to start thinking about battery replacement?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

All the best,

Mark

From the looks of the photo released by the Associated Press, appears the P51 Mustang that crashed at the Reno Air show on Sept. 16 was powered by a Packard engine. This is a sad day for the families of the dead and injured and for all fans of vintage means of transportation.

I have attached a photo of the pilot standing next to his plane.

All the best,

Mark

Attach file:

---

  (23.11 KB)