Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

I'll be there with Packard in tow (1930). Would love to see your car there.

Will check it out definitely.

EXCESSIVE CHARGING What a simple solution to the charging issue!
I called Brillman customer service to see if there is a warranty on my voltage regulator. Just so happens I'm a month or two under the warranty period, so I'd be covered if the VR were at fault.
But it turns out it isn't.

It's the grounding screw that helps mount the VR to the cowl. The mounting screw serves as a ground. The VR demands a good, solid ground to do its job correctly. The hole in the cowl for the metal screw is just at that size where if you tighten it too much, the screw will turn. It was loose and that was fouling the system. What a relief. The batteries are still good. The generator good and the VR, too. I used that jumper wire I made to test the unit by grounding out the FIELD terminal on the VR and attached it instead to the GRD terminal and the the stud (which I tested for continuity with the block).

So's all good and I registered to attend the AACA meet in Gettysburg Nov 6-7.

ANY IDEAS ON OD CABLE CREEP?
When I'm out of overdrive, the cable creeps toward engagement.

My OD cable is somewhat stiff to move even though well lubed so there might be enough friction to prevent drift. Obviously can't say how it compares to yours but does yours have a tube on the trans end where the threaded rod the clevis attaches slides into? That is a question because a prewar cable I have does not have a tube for the rod -- although I think it it should have one to prevent bending the wire and this cable has it missing.

If your cable is constructed somewhat similar to this 47 cable could you maybe add some kind of clamp on collar holding a flat spring or something similar on the end of the tube that would extend out and ride against to increase friction with the rod?

I can't remember if the lever is removable but if adding friction to the rod is not feasible, could the lever be removed and maybe a fiber or felt washer or something similar be added between the lever and the casting to increase friction slightly?

Attach file:

---

  (112.34 KB)

JoeS, regarding OD cable creep: first, could you clarify the situation? You stated when 'out of overdrive the cable creeps toward engagement.' Does this mean that when you have the dash knob pulled out (OD Locked out), the knob begins to move back toward the fully in position (OD allowed/enabled)?

If this is indeed the scenario, then HH is correct, the cable could provide some some resistance. However, if the cable is disconnected at the lock out arm on the OD, it should remain in locked out position and likewise remain in the enabled position when the knob is pushed in.

Inside the OD, the lock out arm moves a cam that pushes the lockout ring into place when you pull the cable. When the cable knob is pushed in, springs internal to the OD push the lock ring back to the 'OD allowed' position. So although, yes there is a spring that pushes in this direction, the flat area of the lock out arm cam should hold it when you want to lock out.

My suggestion is two fold; If you can get under car and disconnect the cable from lock out arm:

1: Check to see how readily the arm pops out of Lock Out position.
2: Check to see whether the adjustment of the cable is correct to achieve full arm travel. If you are not fully moving the lock out arm to a hard stop, the internal cam may be not fully rotated in which case vibration could work it back to the unlocked out (allowed) position.

Hope this helps,
Pat

Sorry for the delay, Howard and Pat,
I now have 4 problems to deal with.

1. CREEPING OVERDRIVE CABLE
Thanks for your help with this. I changed the distance. I thought I pulled the farther toward the front (for No OD). I couldn't get it forward any farther because it is hitting against the OD solenoid. In the photo, it looks like I made the cable at the clevis longer, not shorter, which doesn't make sense to me. I'll test drive it when other problems are solved, but thanks for pointing me to where I can fix the problem with an adjustment. The pin was a little loose, so I added a washer on the outside. Not enough patience or skill to get a washer on the inside of the clevis.

2. HARD TO TURN STEERING TO THE LEFT
On my test drive this morning regarding problem 3, coming up, I found it very hard to turn left. Right is ok. It felt like a tire was flat, yes that hard. Both radial tires are at 55#. I looked underneath and the steering arm has a ribbed area exposed. Should it be pushed/pounded up higher and the nut tightened? Or is it correct as it is and it's some other problem causing the hard steering?

3. FLOODING AT IDLE
This started happening on Monday after I filled up at a Shell station and drove home from Baltimore, about an hour. The Duchess died at an intersection before I got on the freeway. It drove on the freeway just fine, but when I was near home. at an intersection it quit again. I was able to restart and made it home.

I removed the burned voltage regulator and installed a VR25 from NAPA because there was a delay on getting my VR back from Brillman.

On my test run yesterday, gas seemed to be coming out of the top of the Stromberg carburetor.

I was also having problems with the car roaring on startup so I adjusted the automatic choke to spec, aligning the V with the ridge on the housing.
It started and ran so smooth, so I took it for another test drive this morning. All went well for the first half.

At the intersection coming home, it loaded up and quit. I restarted and made it home. When I got home I inspected carburetor and it was all wet.

I think I saw a recommendation to set the air mixture leaner by setting the V choke marking 2 notches to the right (leaner) of the housing ridge.'T WORK

4. KICK DOWN SWITCH DOESNT WORK

All wires on OD Relay are tight and same with Solenoid. All junction wires under the car are connected. Instructions are to set the OD Relay points so there is a fraction of a second delay for the bottom contacts to release after pressing and releasing the top contacts. Please look at the movie.
mktx.com/packard/KickDownDelay.MOV

Is that enough delay? (It doesn't work at this setting) Or too much?

When it rains, it pours.

Attach file:

---

  (282.81 KB)


  (307.00 KB)


  (326.02 KB)

#2, if you meant that you have 55lbs of air in the tires, that sounds excessive to me. If you based that pressure on what is printed on the sidewall, that is just a rated maximum but even with radials you should use Packard's tire pressure recommendation. That's only an observation and nothing to do with the steering issue.

#3 sounds like a float or needle value issue inside the carburetor. While waiting for the experts to respond, that's where I would look first.

Thanks for the quick response, Don.
Yes, I thought 26-28lbs is spec from the owner's manual but these are DiamondBack Radials and it looks like the max is 80 lbs. I bought them through Les Schwab and they set the pressure at 55, telling me they should be 50-60.
Maybe someone who has DiamondBacks will chime in.

Attach file:

---

  (156.90 KB)

Quote:Joe,

Re 1) The OD Cable in my '41 120 Coupe kept creeping, and this was after I had a new cable made. I did a "work around" by pulling out the knob, measuring the distance between the OD knob and the dash bezel, then cutting a piece of small diameter PVC pipe to that length. Then cut a narrow slot along the length of the pipe. Enabled me to slip the length of PVC pipe between the knob and the bezel when the OD knob was pulled out and kept it out!

Re 2) My '41 120 Coupe also had Diamondback Radials on it, a different size than yours but otherwise similar I'd expect. Ran them at 35 -> 42 PSI depending on whether I was touring or just around town. They rode pretty hard because the cases were 8 ply Toyo(memory?) light truck tyre cases with the WWW's and period looking tread features.

Quote:

Tire stores tend to routinely overinflate. Nearly every time I've had my truck in to mount and balance tires they come back at about 50 PSI. Running a chalk test puts the front at 38 PSI and the back at 33. Way better ride on the road.