Packard Forum Index » General

Steve, I feel your pain. My recent thread started with wanting to change my ignition cables.
packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... flat&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=0

I have no aptitude for mechanical stuff, none whatsoever, but I am learning to do things on my car, with a lot of help and patience from everyone here.

How dumb is it to replicate the manual diagram of the ignition system in connecting the ignition wires to the cap and not get the car to start because you didn't realize, until you noticed the fan moving CCW, that the firing order might be CCW, too, not CW as in the diagram? As soon as the order was reversed, it started right up.

How dumb is it that you could get no spark whatsoever after replacing coil wires and verifying that you had strong spark going TO the coil from the ignition switch, but nothing going to the distributor and you replace the coil and still no spark... until you learn that if you have overdrive, a second wire from the distributor low tension post (the same one as where the smaller black wire from the coil gores) to the overdrive relay can ground out the ignition completely, if the overdrive relay contact is stuck? Again, a flick of the contact on the relay, and, voila!, it starts.

How dumb is it if you buy new points and they come with a springy piece of metal that matches and looks like it goes OVER the copper piece of metal on the assembled points just like the old points you are removing have, only to find out it goes through the middle, between the hold-down and the arm, so that it doesn't short out the ignition on the cam?

I did remove my distributor and clean it. Removed the breaker plate. Checked my centrifugal advance. It was a mess. Reset my points with it out of the car...much, much easier. Also checking the wires were insulated inside there. It all works well now.

Believe me it's something simple. You had it running. Something changed. That's where I would focus. What is the same and what changed between when it ran and when it wouldn't.

Good point. The compression wouldn't be a factor if it ran before. Probably one of those items mentioned.

I have not read through all of the posts in this thread but is it possible the distributer was removed from the engine and then put back with the gear off a tooth one way or the other?

I have never had the distributor out of my Packard engine but I remember some car some time ago in my mispent youth, I pulled it out and then but it back out of phase and had a very difficult time getting it back in position.

Jim

nope haven't pulled it, or advanced it as it has temporarily outsmarted me...Compression test in the morning but I doubt that has changed overnight while parked...

The Packard distributor has a slot instead of a gear. Just mark where the rotor is pointing before you remove it, and don't turn the engine until after you re-install it.