Packard Forum Index » General

Hi everyone! Today, I became the proud owner of a 53 4 door. I have a small problem with it though. When I try to start her up, the starter motor spins (I can hear it clearly), however, the bendix doesn't engage with the flywheel and start the engine. I have a service manual with the car, but the solenoid in the manual (it does show an adjustment procedure) doesn't look like the one on the car. The actual one doesn't have an external actuator to adjust. The engine is a thunderbolt straight eight. Any ideas? Thanks

Ok, I feel stupid now. The fellow I purchased the car from said he wasn't much of a mechanic. The bendix gear is ground almost entirely off, so now I need to find a replacement. Any leads?

The Bendix unit readily available, frequently on EBay and also from various vendors if you feel like doing the job yourself. But any good auto-electric shop that deals in starters, alternators and generators should have the parts and be able to do the job. Consider having the armature and fields checked at the same time, and perhaps bearings and bushings replaced, new brushes, and armature turned if needed. Probably $100 or thereabouts. Check your local yellow pages if you can't get a recommendation of a local shop from other old car guys in your circle.

Quote:
G'day Scott.
Know it's on the late side, but to PackardInfo and for including your '53 in the Owner Registry.

As was suggested just recently with another Packard with starter Bendix problems - check the teeth on the flywheel. Bad flywheel ring gear teeth may have caused the Bendix to fail or the bad Bendix may have harmed the flywheel teeth. Hopefully it is just the Bendix that has gone bad.

Hi all. I discovered the problem through reading others similar to mine listed here on this site. The ball valve? on the carburator got clogged up, so consequently every time that you pushed the gas pedal down far enough, it engaged the starter, which of course ground off the bendix gear slow but sure. All I did to solve the problem was to install a switch up underneath the dash. I flip it on when I want to start the car and then shut it off after she's running. Presto!! No more starter grind.

By the way, thanks to Ozstatman for the welcome!!!!

Scott

Quote:


You know I should probably just shut up here but I can't stand it. Here goes,


I can not understand why when something that worked for over 50 years brakes or goes inoperative people don't just fix it. Why must it always be redesigned. Doesn't originality mean anything anymore?

My answer, as stupid as it may sound to some, is why not just UNCLOG it?

Does anyone agree with me???

OK have at me guys.

Hi Bob. Its ok, I can tell that there really is no offense meant, and there is none taken here. My answer to your question is really very simple. I don't want to take the chance and mess this car up any more than it already has. It was a simple fix, and unless you know where to look, nobody notices the switch is even there.

Quote:

Thank you for not taking offense to what I said. Nothing personal was meant.

In response to the above quote: This type of start switch was used on other cars besides Packard and worked well. It's like everything else. You won't have a problem if things are kept in good working order. You wouldn't fill your tires with cement just because you had a flat tire. You would just fix it. Granted you would never have to worry about a flat tire again but why redesign the whole thing?

I feel that the differences between our old cars and new ones are what makes them interesting. For instance old tube type car radios are a blast and do just what they were designed to do.


Oh well, I'm getting tired of trying to convince people to appreciate what is and stop trying to make it into something that never was.