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

We are off to get a new battery tomorrow. Just removing the surface charge from battery to load test and battery died just turning lights on. I think there might be something else going on but as per the previous post I think we need a battery with more gusto anyway. What's another 100 bucks right? 😉

Hi everyone! As a refresher, I'm the wife of someone trying to start a 53 Packard Clipper. We have tried new battery, starter, head gaskets, fluids, plugs, air filter. It turns slowly but will not start. We can turn engine by hand but it is tough. We have run out of ideas. It seems to get fuel but maybe not enough. I think hubby said fuel should squirt more from carb? Sorry if that doesn't make sense. I don't know much about cars but I hate to see the old gal go for scrap and hubby is so disappointed.

I know the cable from the battery needs to be 0 or 00 gauge. Hubby says it's okay and lots of voltage? I'm attaching pics of the cables to the battery and to the starter and overall. Could this be stuck valves? Hubby took off tires and we looked but not sure what that achieved lol.

Should we try the mystery oil? Give up? We are not up to a ground up restoration. Just a fun hopefully) first project.

Attach file:

---

  (283.12 KB)


  (338.14 KB)


  (313.92 KB)

I am jumping in at the end of this thread so I apologize if this has been covered already. Does the ground strap get hot
when the engine is cranking over, albeit slowly? I once had a brand new ground strap, that looked completely normal, have some internal flaw that caused cranking issues. During the troubleshooting of the slow cranking issue I leaned on it and it was hot. I replaced the ground strap and the car immediately turned over at regular speed and started. From the pictures, your ground strap could be suspect. I spent hours trying to figure out the problem which turned out to be cheap and easy to solve. I still have that ground strap which I have used at tech sessions to show that new parts are not always good parts.

Let's go back to first principles and break the problem down to its simplest form.

For an engine to run it needs 3 things

1)Compression

2)Spark

3)Fuel

If it has those three things it has to run, it has no choice.

You say the engine turns slowly. Any six volt starter will turn slowly compared to a modern 12v car. But if it turns too slowly it will not start especially if compression, spark and gas are not exactly right. But if it turns over briskly it will start easier. Could you take a video of the engine turning over?

It is also possible to start and run a 6V car on a 12V battery for short periods (up to 15 minutes or half an hour). Do not grind and grind the starter too long or it can overheat.

If an engine has not run for a long time and the rings are dry a shot of oil in each cylinder will make them seal.

As you had the head off would you say the valves and pistons are all good and sealing correctly? Could you do a compression test?

2) Spark. You have gone over this, have you checked each spark plug individually and are they all giving a good spark? Are you sure the timing is right, the rotor is timed to the #1 plug and all wires are in the right ordoer?

3) Gas. Let's not get into the carburetor at this time.

First address the compression and spark. If they are right, or nearly right, it is possible to start an engine by pouring a little gas down the carburetor.

The first thing is to get it turning over.At this point we only know it is 'slow'. How slow? They always turned slow compared to a new car.

Check out this video of starting a 54 Packard for the first time in 15 years. This is how it goes if you are lucky lol.

youtube.com/watch?v=42yaF9IKTLc

Rusty has given the best advise and I second the compression check. Also check the voltage at the coil terminal coming from ign switch while cranking. It should stay above 5v and more is better. If the load due to whatever -- small wire, heavy draw on starter, poor connection, etc -- allows the voltage to drop much below 5v the spark will be marginal at best and perhaps not strong enough to spark the plug under dense compression.

Another thing to check if there has been a lot of cranking and no action is the condition of spark plugs. The gasoline or any oil vapor could have deposited and fouled even new plugs. That just makes a marginal spark worse to the point there is no spark because it is shunting to ground via a moist layer.

The old inline 8s are notorious for having sticking valves if they have been sitting a while. If you cannot do the compression test, next best would be to remove the L R front tire and the fender access panel so you can get good direct visual access to the engine and area above the lifters. Remove one or both of the valve covers and watch while it is cranking to see if the valves are moving the full distance along with the lifters. IIRC, there was a poster in just the last few days who found 6 of the 8 exhaust valves stuck open on his long dormant engine.

RIGHT front tire removed to get easier access to the valve covers but you knew that.

Thanks for catching the boo boo. I never could tell right from left -- or sometimes right from wrong for that matter.

Thank you for your suggestions

Our car turns slower than the one in the video.

Compression is 75-85 psi for all which we think is low.

We have tried jumping with a 12 volt which turned the engine faster but it would not start.

We have checked each spark plug

We added oil to the cylinders. Cylinder walls are quite smooth which we understand is bad.

We poured a little gas in the carb and some ether.

Valves look okay. We had the tire and valve covers off and valves seem to be moving freely.

I hope this information is useful? We are thinking of checking transmission fluid as well. Thanks!

Remove all of the plugs and crank it over, it should turn over faster and you can check to see if all of the plugs are firing. As Rusty you need Spark, Fuel and Compression. 75 to 80 should be good enough, now check for Spark.
Wes

Good afternoon all...One more point to check. Are all of the spark plug wires plugged into the distributor cap in the correct order? One time, we struggled with an engine and my mentor walked into the garage, looked at the engine and reversed two plug wires and the old girl fired up! Ernie