Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I feel for you...that sucks.

Pull the carb check everything over real well put it back on...maybe a gasket problem...maybe bring the carb in and have an old mechanic look it over...

Your battery is positive ground correct?

How about a bunch of photographs, to help us diagnose. There's some sharp eyes in this bunch and they may see something.

And maybe a list of things you've tried since it ran last.

Did you try holding a spark plug like David recommended?

Did you try a different battery?

Are you getting spark?

checked the battery with a voltmeter and it was down to about three amps recharged it and tried again to start it. Still won't fire. Rechecked the points. Still won't run.

Since you used a voltmeter, I guess you mean it was down to 3 volts, not amps. Best way to check a lead/acid battery is with a battery hydrometer, specific gravity should be about 1.285 fully charged. If your battery really only reads 3 volts, forget it, it's junk and no amount of charging is going to change that. And 3 volts isn't enough to trigger the ignition system, or even enough to give a little glow to a bulb for that matter. I'd suggest getting a new battery and starting from there.

Plus if you have a marginal battery your going to end up reducing the life of the generator as it's going to be constantly trying to charge a battery that wont take a full charge.

Most auto-parts store will test your battery for you for free. It may be worth a check.

If a new battery does not work, you may have a timing chain that has jumped one or more teeth on the gears. In this situation everything appears to function normally, but the valve timing is off just enough to prevent the engine from starting. A timing chain will jump after performing correctly the last time the car was running. They usually jump when trying to restart the engine. I hope it is a discharged battery and not a jumped timing chain. Good luck.

(o{I}o)

If it was running before you worked on the carb and now it isn't then check the carb again. When you put your hand over the carb when it is turning over do you get vacuum? Maybe in all your trying to start it you washed all the oil away in the cylinders and don't have any compression?

I've had this happen to me. I checked everything a number of times. Just a few drops of oil in each cyl bought my compression back.

G'day Jeff aka PAC052,
A formal to PackardInfo and for including your '52 : 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan in the Packard Owner's Registry.

Thanks for the good ideas. Asked an old mechanic to come take a look and he figured it out after twenty minutes. The spark plugs were autolite and instead of sparking across the electrode it was firing between the porcelain and the case of the plug. Put champion j8 plugs in and fired on the first try. Still having problems getting it to idle smoothly. I have checked the timing with a timing light and it needs to be slowed down but cant get the distributor to turn that far. I know that all I have to do is twist it and get the next tooth. I just don't know if i should since at one point the car ran smooth. What do you guys think? Since the car has ran smooth i have rebuilt the carburetor and the fuel pump. I don't know if that will have anything to do with it not idling correctly.

That HAD to feel good when it started!