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According to my chart, Junior cars used Delco and My 48 Custom used Autolite. My Echlin chart gives CS-17 as your points, AL-869 as your condenser, AL-66 as your cap and AL-65 as your rotor. I bought all my tune up parts at NAPA.

Just came from my local Napa - They do not stock any of these except the condenser -

Surprised the Napa store did not offer to order what they could or was the clerk some kid that couldn't be bothered. NapaOnline lists the cap and the rotor under the numbers GTO mentions but not the points. Searching for the CS-17 on Ebay there is a set under another number that the vendor says are for some years of Packards and also says the alternate number is CS-17.

Looking at the prices for all and then adding what Napa and ebay would charge for freight, a tune up kit from Dwight or from one of our other vendors might be the cheaper option.

Good afternoon all...Just a humble suggestion...but if we don't purchase from our trusted Packard Suppliers on the small things...they will not be there when we really need them. Also there have been stories on this site by folks who purchased from ebay and other odd sites and when the parts arrived...they were incorrect! My favorite has been Max Merritt...during the first few years we had Miss Prudence, they were patient, helpful, accurate and friendly...Ernie in Arizona

They can order the cap and rotor at Napa, but had no listing for CS-17 points , so talked to Dwight at Packard Parts - He said if I can tell him if I have Delco or Auto Lite distributor, he has them -

John;

I'm assuming you can't see the tag on the distributor, or the tag is gone.

The 'tell' on the distributor is the vacuum chamber. The AutoLite chamber rotates the entire distributor housing, while the Delco chamber rotates the breaker plate only. Pop the cap off and look to see if the vacuum chamber arm attaches to the breaker plate . . . if it does it's a Delco. Or pull a vacuum on the chamber and determine if the entire distributor housing rotates . . . if it does it's an AutoLite.

Also it's my understanding a car was produced with either all Delco equipment, or all AutoLite equipment. The senior members may confirm the all of one, or all of the other assumption. If that's true the AutoLite voltage regulator is mounted with screws above and below the regulator, while the Delco screws are to the left and right of the regulator cover. Easy to check, and will give you some insight on how the car was equipped 'as born'.

The only exception to the vacuum chamber 'rule' that I know of is the mid-fifties Chevy 'stovebolt' six. That was a Delco unit that the vacuum chamber rotated the entire housing.

dp

If you cannot see the tag on your distributer, look at your generator or starter. The cars are either auto-Lite or Delco. They were not mixed matched. The Packard autolite number for your points is 354262. If you have a Delco system then the Packard number is 439205. Any of the Packard vendors should have new original parts available.

John;
At least one vote has been cast that the cars left the factory all of one flavor, but in the intervening 70 + years just about anything could have been done to your car.

Back to the differences between the two distributors.

AutoLite:

Vacuum chamber linkage is external.

When vacuum is applied distributor rotates. Breaker plate does not rotate within housing.

Hand pressure should be able to rotate the distributor. Rotate in the direction that vacuum would pull the linkage.

Wire from coil attaches to a screw external to the distributor

Delco:

Vacuum chamber linkage is internal.

When vacuum is applied there is no external movement. The breaker plate rotates, not the housing.

Distributor is rigid, hand pressure will not rotate.

Wire from coil attaches to a binding post and is held with a nut. There is an insulator that supports the binding post as it passes through the casing.

I'm not completely sure about the differences between the breaker sets, but I believe they are:

AutoLite: The breaker set has a distinct 'boomerang' shape. The pivot point, hold down screw, and adjustment screw are not aligned.

Delco: The breaker set is much straighter. The pivot point, hold down screw, and adjustment screw are almost aligned.

Download the 46-48 Repair and Tune-up Manual on this site for details and artwork.

Please post a photo with the cap and rotor removed.

dp

Thanks to everyone for your comments - I contacted Dwight at Packard Parts He sent me a picture of the two rotors ( Auto Lite and Delco ) He says the Delco system has the small rotor and the Auto Lite has the large rotor . I popped the distributor cap and removed the rotor - Mine is like the small one - so, guess I have a Delco system I will also look for a tag on the starter and generator -- Thanks

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