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I was reading the 1948 Fact Book (very interesting read) and in the ignition system write up it says "...all Packard engines are equipped with a manually adjusted fuel compensator. This feature makes it easy to suit the spark to the octane rating of the fuel being used..."

Are they talking about the timing adjustment (standard blade screw under the distributor body that one uses to set the ignition advance?

THANKS!!!

If it's anything like my 38, the compensator is the plate that is bolted to the block and has the blade screw clamp for the dist. if you look carefully at the forward end of the plate you should find some degree markings. With your timing set you can loosen the bolts and either advance or retard the dist a few degrees as marked in the compensator plate.

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Yes. Basic initial timing procedure was to set the scale portion in the center or 0 degrees. You would then loosen the nut under the dist and rotate the dist in the clamp to get the initial timing correct. Once that was done and clamp nut tightened then it was a simple task in the future to loosen the visible screw and rotate the few degrees +/- the slot would allow to fine tune things for different gasoline.

>Yes. Basic initial timing procedure was to set the scale portion in the center or 0 degrees. You would then loosen the nut under the dist and rotate the dist in the clamp to get the initial timing correct. Once that was done and clamp nut tightened then it was a simple task in the future to loosen the visible screw and rotate the few degrees +/- the slot would allow to fine tune things for different gasoline.

THANKS...When I had the distributor out I could clearly see the standard blade screw and the pointer/scale.

I did not see the nut under the distributor you mentioned and Ass-U-Me-d that the screw and scale was the only means of adjusting the dist a slight amount of +/-. So there is a nut under the dist that will allow it to be rotated larger amounts than just the scale?

I may have mis spoke when I inferred all the brackets have an adjustment. Probably can't speak for all dists but on mine there is a bracket with a clamp. Looking at the parts books there seems to be several variations of brackets. Perhaps yours does not have the second clamp.

I would think there must be some way to rotate the dist in the bracket because the slots are not very large so really can't provide much adjustment. Some brackets look like there might be a screw in a slot which threads into the base of dist. Loosening might allow the dist to rotate a bit.

The photo shows what I have. The small squarish tab on the left has the degree markings for the fuel compensator and those match up to a stamped line on the block.

Maybe Ross or someone with his experience can elaborate on other types.

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Here is the link to a similar discussion on the Pre-War section pertaining to a 37 Six.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... topic_id=16906&forum=1#threadbottom

(o{}o)

Thanks Howard for the picture!!!

Going by memory, my dads car does not have that contraption. It does have a metal scale and a pointer thing.

The fuel compensator is simply a way to advance or retard the spark a known number of degrees without having to resort to a timing light.