Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Deluxe de-bugging has started. The 4th post under the thread "Wiring Identification" clearly shows plug wire 5 and 6 to be either side of the distributor cap clip that faces front... however mine has 3 and 6 on either side of that clip and it's not running on 3 cyls right now (1,2 and 8) so is it possible they could all be off by 1? I wouldn't think it'd run at all. The contacts in the cap are pretty corroded so it also could be that, I'm getting a new cap/rotor/wires tomorrow.

Also my FSM shows Clipper to have Autolite dist., but mine is a Delco...???

Specs do call for Autolite but since they are mechanically interchangeable, hard to say what might have happened over the years and also, if late production maybe they were using what was available. Are the rest of electrics as per spec?

According to the illustration in manual, #1 plug wire location is slightly different on the two brands but in same general area. As we all know, one or two teeth off when reinserting will change things considerably. As long as #1 location is found again and firing order is maintained, everything will work just fine no matter where #1 is. If you want to redo things per manual, that will be easy enough to do. I would replace all the usual components and then see how it runs. Also, as PackardV8 pointed out on the wiring identification thread, some plug wires in close proximity can cause issues.

Everything seems to be original, the whole car is amazingly so... it's late production, I think the last month or so, they probably threw on whatever they had. What page of the manual are the illustrations you refer to - thanks.

Electrical section, page 18.

Also be advised that the Packard V8 distributor turns OPPOSITE clockwise.

Thanks all... I see the manual refers to 30 degrees rearward from a transverse line through the distributor for accurately establishing the rotor position for Plug wire #1, it appears that line bisects the left mounting screw of the vac advance unit?

Do what I did when I helped Packards1 last weekend: start from square one, remove spark plug #1, put your finger over the hole and bump the starter until you feel/hear compressed air coming out. When you feel that check the timing mark and bring that to 0 degrees, TDC.
Open the distributor and see where the rotor is pointing, that needs to be where #1 wire is located. After assuring that, turn the distributor body in the opposite direction of the rotor travel just enough to break the points, lock it back down. Knowing now where #1 goes, follow the firing order cast into the intake manfold in the direction the rotor turns.

If everything else is running OK (fuel, compression) the engine should start just fine, then do a final timing with a timing light.