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Quiet, not quite! Anyway, yes, they were very smooth and quiet. Even my 1940 110 was running so well that when I was once pulled over for no brake lights (burned fuse), the officer had one foot on the running board and a hand on the open front door and asked how well it ran. I said, “It’s running now!”

NICE!

i went to the gas station today filled up the car drove it 55 mph for about 15 miles. I was noticing a slight bit of missing at high speeds and if i go up a very long hill. The fuel pump was rebuilt but when I got home the fuel filter seemed to hardly have any fuel in it. Tomorrow im going to check fuel pump pressure again. Also when i shut the engine off It pushed out about 2 quarts of water. I quickly grabbed my temp gun and checked the engine temp it was 202 f. I have the right inner front fender out but maybe it would cool better with it in. Also the fuel tank was cleaned and coated by a guy i used may times. and the fuel line was replaced front to back but the fuel filter is getting slightly discolored hopefully that will go away after a while. Dose anyone have any other suggestions.

A couple of things:

1) You don't actually fill the radiator to the top. You fill it so the water (cold) is just covering the radiator core. The expansion volume is actually the top of the radiator volume. So it's not uncommon, the first time you drive it for a while after you fill up the radiator, for it to "spit out" some.

2) I might re-check your timing and check your spark plugs and spark plug wires, both at the spark plug and at the coil. I remember the first time I went for a long drive one of my spark plug wires wasn't attached, though it looked like it. The connector needed to be crimped a little so it would hold on better.

Now that the radiator has expelled the excess fluid, it will likely drop little to none next time you drive. I made the same mistake when I had my radiator repaired. I refilled everything and it left coolant all over the ground when I got back from a drive. Never had a problem since.

-Kevin

A miss at higher speeds and loads could indicate an ignition problem or a fuel problem. Driving some distance in warm weather can make minor fuel delivery issues worsen. Some Packards had a fuel pump shield and special insulating sleeves to help keep engine heat away from the fuel pump. These are often missing. Stale fuel can cause issues.
Any tiny air leak anywhere on the suction side of the fuel system can cause issues, and warm weather and higher engine heat can make them worse. Fuel filter bowl gaskets can cause air leaks, as can any fitting in the system, or a pinhole leak somewhere in the fuel line. A clogged or restricted gas cap vent can cause issues. An accessory fuel filter on the suction side of the fuel pump can be expected to cause problems. The stock filter arrangement is usually best, as long as it is kept clean and completely air tight. Ignition problems, such as oxidized points, a weak or dirty coil, dirty spark plug insulators, etc can cause missing under load or at higher speeds. Late intitial timing can make an engine run hotter and lose power, and so can problems with the automatic advance equipment on the distributor.

I spent about 8 hours working on the car Checked the antifreeze level with a mirror and a flash light it was just above the core. checked the spark plug wires could not find anything wrong. Checked the fuel pump pressure the old pump read 2.5 psi rebuilt pump read 2.75 psi. Changed fuel filter before the pump checked pressure again it was the same. checked the pressure with a different gauge it was the same. So the only thing I could think of is that the cam lobe is wore.I installed a new electric pump. Got it running checked the timing it was perfect. I installed the inner fender and went for a ride. After about 5 miles my daughter said she thought she smelled something. I checked the fuel lines they looked good. I saw a few drips of anti freeze hanging off the front frame under the radiator. I had my temp gun with me so I checked temp. it was 200F. I started to head home about 2 miles later the car overheated, and I had to be towed home. The only thing I can think of is that the radiator is clogged and at higher speeds antifreeze will not flow through it fast enough. I checked the thermostat that seems ok.

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If you have an added fuel filter between your fuel pump and the gas tank, it will cause you trouble. There should not be any debris in your refurbished tank and new fuel line. The original equipment fuel filter is adequate. You should not need an electric fuel pump. Overheating is NOT normal.

The car may be overheating due to a clogged radiator, or it may be some other issue or combination of issues.

Old radiator hoses can look good outside and be rotten and shedding debris on the inside, which can quickly clog a clean radiator. Loose rust flakes in the engine block can quickly clog a clean radiator.

A water pump can leak air into the system at higher engine speeds, and that will cause trouble.

A water pump can be leak tight and still not perform as it should.

No thermostat or a malfunctioning thermostat can cause overheating.

A slipping fan belt can cause overheating. A fan mounted backward can cause overheating.

A corroded, missing, or loose water distribution tube can cause overheating.

A distributor that is not working correctly can cause overheating, even if intitial timing is set correctly.

In some cases, connecting a length of heater hose to bypass a missing or inoperative car heater can cause the engine to overheat by allowing too much water to bypass the radiator.

Dragging brakes can cause overheating.

A leaking head gasket can cause missing and overheating.

If you are not exposed to freezing weather, I suggest draining the antifreeze and replacing it with plain water until your cooling problems are sorted out.


Does your temperature gauge work? You need a working gauge to observe how the cooling system is behaving, and so you can slow down or stop before the engine actually overheats.

If you take the car out for a run test, carry extra water with you, and if it begins to show signs of overheating, stop, shut off the engine, and let it cool off for ten minutes or more.

Then add water, if needed, and head for home, keeping an eye on the temperature gauge.

I hope that you have a route nearby with light traffic or no traffic and plenty of safe places to pull over and stop.

Concerning hard starting when hot:

1. The coil polarity can be wrong. It will work either way, but it will work better when polarity is correct. Most coils have the terminals marked + and -.

If your car is negative ground, the - terminal on the coil goes to the distributor. If your car is positive ground, the + terminal goes to the distributor.

You need huge battery and starter cables with high quality terminals. Keep them as short as is practical. The 6 volt starter draws a lot of current, and a big battery and thick cables are a must.

Be sure that both the battery and the engine are fully grounded. It's a good idea to have a body ground cable, too.

6 volt systems work great, but they have to have heavy gauge wiring and quality connections.

Some old engines that have sat for years can benefit from adding a quart or more of Marvel Mystery Oil to the crankcase. Adding a quart and a half to the crankcase on a Packard 8 would be about right. Adding 4 oz to each 10 gallons of gasoline can be helpful. MMO in the oil helps de-gum old engines. Rislone is another good product for old engines that may have sticky rings and gummy lifters. Do not overfill the crankcase. Drain off oil if necessary.

I don't think 30 PSI oil pressure would cause any lifter issues, since normal hot oil pressure in a new engine would probably be lower than that at idle.