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Hello, I have a friend's 1928 in my barn and I am trying to get it running for him. I'm a rookie at this so I could sure use some help. It hasn't run in about 20 years. When I crank it over it doesn't want to fire at all and has power to the distributor but I can't seem to see any spark when I lay a spark plug on the head. Also it isn't drawing any fuel from the tank so I have been putting fuel directly into the carb with a plastic line and squirt bottle just to see if it will fire? It seems as though the vaccum canister isn't working??
Any suggestions on how I should proceed??? Thanks?

Well, with no spark at the plugs it's not going to start regardless of what you do with fuel. You need a running engine to provide the vacuum for the S-W tank to refill. The gas that was in it evaporated years ago but you can manually refill the tank to provide a gasoline supply. But you'll need to solve your ignition problem first - I'd start with new (or at least burnished and cleaned) points, new condenser, and do a temporary connection with a known-good ignition coil and power the coil directly to the battery rather than going thru the ignition switch just to eliminate that as a possible issue.

Thanks, I'm not at the car now but as I think about it I don't remember seeing a coil??? Where is the coil on that engine?

Where is the coil on that engine?

The coil location may no longer be in the original location, just follow the center high tension wire in the distributor cap back to the coil.

I believe it's supposed to be right behind the ignition switch... actually attached to the ignition switch.

Thanks Again! No wonder I didn't remember seeing it? I had the whole ignition switch out of it because my friend lost the key. So you are saying the coil is likely under the dash inside the car? near the ignition switch? Sorry for my lack of knowledge, like I said I'm a rookie! :)

In an attempt to make it difficult to "hot wire" a car, many makes either directly connected the coil to the ignition switch, or connected them with a wire inside a tamper-proof steel shield; this was typical construction thru the just postwar era. Coils do fail and that's why I suggested temporarily installing a universal 6-volt coil and hot wiring it, just to eliminate the old coil and/or switch as a source of possible problem.

When I was under the dash removing the ignition switch and reinstalling it I didn't notice anything that resembled a coil? When I get home from work tonight I will do more checking and see what i can come up with! Thanks Again! I 'll let you know tomorrow what I come up with? Hopefully some spark!

G'day stockguy8,
to PackardInfo.

What are the chances of your friend permitting inclusion of his '28 6 cylinder Packard in the Packard Owner's Registry?

When I was under the dash removing the ignition switch and reinstalling it I didn't notice anything that resembled a coil?

That's exactly why I suggested following the center wire on the distributor cap to find the coil. The coil/switch assemblies are not easy to service or find replacements for and hence many "repairs" relocated the coils elsewhere to save the cost of doing it correctly.