Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I recently acquired a 1932 Packard 901 Std. Eight. (320 cid). The previous owner advised that recently, the car would run hot in hot weather. My first ride was on a 91 degree humid day. I took a 10-12 mile ride at moderate cruising speed (35-45 mph). The temp gauge came up to approximately the ¾ level (near the top of the safe zone). It stayed there as long as the car was in motion. Upon stopping at a stop sign or slowing down and stopping pulling into the garage, the temp gauge rose rapidly into almost the overheat zone. I turned it right off and measured it with my laser thermometer. The hood handle was almost too hot to touch (130 degrees F). The hottest area was the front of the head at 215 degrees. The block was a bit cooler at 195-200, and the radiator and hoses were in the 190’s. My understanding is there is no thermostat in the engine only on the radiator to control the opening of the shutters. The shutters are now immobile or unhooked and are always in the full open position. What would be the normal operating temperature of this engine. Any ideas as to why it is running hot? Based on the fact it cools off some when in motion tells me the water pump is functioning to move the coolant through the radiator. Thinking maybe I need a chemical flush and then a backflush with fresh water. Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Could it be anything else other than a partial blockage in the engine or radiator? This is my first Packard of this (or any) vintage. Thank you!

You probably have a partly clogged radiator. Dirt, rust, scale, and greasy deposits from old coolant are commonly found in old cooling systems. You may be able to clean it enough to get by without removing it.
Other things to check are the water pump, which can leak water out or air in, or both. The fan belt needs to be clean and properly tightened, but not too tight. It's important for the air passages in the radiator to be free of dust, bugs, lint, etc. Improper engine timing can contribute to overheating.
Other than the tendency to run hot, how does the car perform?

Thanks for the input. Have not checked timing yet. Only had the car a few days. Was waiting for cooler weather to run it again. Runs OK but i suspect it needs tuning and perhaps a carb rebuild. Doesn't seem particularly responsive. Seems to backfire or burb when you let off the gas while cruising along.

My 901 runs at 165 degrees up to about 85 degrees outside temp. If I run it above 85 or so it may go to 180 but no higher. Shutters are blocked open as I live in SC. You might check timing first if you are not having smooth operation on acceleration. Also plugs or plug wires. You could file the points and the rotor face and clean the contacts inside the distributor cap. My car runs smooth on acceleration even in 4th gear at low speed. These engines have a lot of low end torque but not a lot of rpm's so quick acceleration is not something you will experience. Cleaning the cooling system is always a good idea and a thread on Evapo Rust is currently active here. I know these cars well so PM me if needed.

Gasoline that is not fresh can cause all sorts of problems with driveability.
It would be a good idea to see if someone in your area who is familiar with pre-WWII cars, and Packards like yours in particular, would be willing to look your car over, take a short ride in it with you, and discuss any issues you may be having.
*There is a lot of technical information for a wide range of Packard cars in this website's Information Archive.*

1. If you have an original or replacement honeycomb radiator performing a flush / reverse flush is a good start.

2. Pull off the side cover plate on the drivers side of the block. The back of the block and the areas on the other side of the outside of the cylinder walls accumulate rust and debris and need pressurized water to clean them out properly. Get some stiff wire and form it so you can snake it behind the cylinder walls to encourage the accumulated material to dislodge.

3. Check the block side plate cover you removed for blockage and rust thru holes in the distribution plate that is on the inside. You should have a plate on the inside of the side cover plate that has multiple holes in it, each about 5/8" dia. These holes supply water from the water pump and direct it to the spaces between the cylinder walls and thru to the valve area. If this distribution plate is missing or has rusted out, the block is not going to be cooled properly.

I've cleaned out significant amounts of "sludge" in the back of these blocks by removing the side plate cover, even after performing reverse flushing. Reverse flushing will not generate enough flow to properly clean out the insides of the block. Worse, just reverse flushing loosens up material that ends up, you guessed it, in the passages of that nice clean reverse flushed radiator you just finished.

4. The following links show similar type distribution plates, different make and years from your car, but it will give you an idea of what to expect.

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/336684-plating-a-water-jacket/?tab=comments#comment-1961112

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/362237-water-jacket-advice-and-block-opinions-sought-31-auburn/

5. I had an overheating issue on the same year /model as your car. Drove me crazy until I started looking closer at the Detroit Lubricator carburetor. My issue was running hot under intermediate to higher load. Under light load temp. would drop right down, speed didn't make much of a difference. The DL carburetors have a tendency to run lean if they are not set up properly or have worn parts. My issue was a lean mixture under intermediate to higher loads.

6. Other things to check, if the above doesn't help. Remove the water pump and use some clay to measure the gap between the pump impeller and the back of the block. To large of a gap and the water pump capacity will be reduced. Radiator hoses soft and collapsing, due to pump suction, and restricting flow. Check for correct ignition timing, retarded timing will cause overheating. Fan belt should be tight, loose belts will decrease pump flow.

Some other common cause of overheating:

https://www.rootesparts.com/id201.htm

7. A leaky water pump packing can sometimes allow air to get sucked in. I've had good results with graphite or teflon braided pump packing material, readily available from McMaster.

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/pump-packing/

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/pump-packing/oil-and-water-resistant-packing-seals/

8. A leaking head gasket or combustion gases leaking into the coolant can also cause overheating. Harbor Freight / Amazon / Auto Zone, etc. carry these. Easy to use and will detect a combustion leak.
https://www.harborfreight.com/combustion-leak-detector-64814.html

Good Morning...Just a thought to add to the list. Check to see if your engine has the correct spark plugs installed. Often I have found old machines with the wrong plugs for who knows what reason. The wrong plug can case a number of problems, including contributing to running hot...Ernie in Arizona