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

I’m still fighting the overheating.
When setting the timing mark, after removing the vacuum advance line, where should the timing mark be relative to the pointer?
Should it be after the mark by 2-4 degrees? When I rotate the distributed past the pointer a little, the engine idle does slow a bit and sounds better.

The pointer should point to 6 to 8 degrees before top dead center on the balancer.

Try installing a shutoff valve on the heater hose return line that goes the water pump. This line has hot coolant that bypasses the radiator.

Attach file:

---

  thumbnail (4).jpg (25.66 KB)

On my 49 Standard Eight, with a 288, I have been fighting an overheat issue as well. Thus far I have replaced the radiator, upper and lower hoses, fan belt, head gasket, installed a 12vdc pusher fan powered by a separate battery, installed a heater hose shutoff valve and an aftermarket temperature gauge. The shutoff valve has made the most improvement in the stop and go traffic temperature readings.