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

Another newbie question:

Should the engine respond rather promptly to your foot when you press on the accelerator pedal? It it seems like mine has to be almost all the way to the floor before it really gets enough fuel to get going. Is this a linkage or adjustment issue? This is a freshly rebuilt Carter WDO carburetor that, otherwise, seems to work fine. Fuel pump is also freshly rebuilt.

Year and model of your car would be helpful. The engine should respond promptly to pressing the accelerator. Your linkage may need adjustment. With the engine off and the pedal held to the floor, the carburetor should be wide open. The throttle lever on the carburetor base that the linkage attaches to rests against the idle speed adjustment screw when in the closed position. There is a projection on the carburetor base that stops the lever's movement at full throttle. With the pedal down, the carburetor throttle lever should be against the stop.

Thanks. I added the year and model to the subject line.

I will check the adjustments, per your instructions.

Thanks again.

Everything TxGoat said, plus make sure the linkage affects the throttle arm of the carburetor as soon as the pedal is pressed. Too much lag on the start of the acceleration deprives the linkage of full throttle when the pedal is fully depressed. There should be some kind of adjustment screw/turnbuckle to adjust for this. It could also be that the linkage got bent or damaged over the years and is causing the travel to be out of alignment somehow.
Fun to stare and puzzle out the entire link of rods and pivots, I am sure you will spot more than one issue to be tuned up. Do not overlook a possible worn pivot or loose bracket that moves before the action can be sent on down the line. I cannot imagine how many times this linkage has been cycled over the years, the fact these old girls work at all is a huge compliment to the engineers who laid them out all those decades ago
Have fun!
B