Packard Forum Index » General

Hey guys!

Two questions for the group.

1) Is the build sheet glued or in some other way attached to the top of the glove box? I feel a paper on top of the glove box, but I don't want to just pull it not knowing if I'll tear it or not.

2) How do you oil the generator and distributor? I read somewhere that should be done, but I have never even heard of such a thing!

Thanks in advance!

The generator, depending a bit on year and make, may have two hinged-lid oilers, one at each end. Open the lid, put in a few drops of light oil every so often, perhaps annually if the mileage doesn't accumulate too much. Don't overoil, especially at the commutator end - you don't want any oil getting on the brushes or commutator.

Distributer needs also vary quite a bit. Of course there is a grease cup or oiler (depends on year and make) for the shaft bearings. Either a couple of drops of oil or a turn of the grease cup. But distributors have other, usually neglected, lubrication points. Pull the rotor off and you should see a felt - a couple of drops of oil there lubricates the slip joint between the lower drive shaft from the pump and the cam. Also most breaker plates need lubrication for the rotation they do when the vacuum advance functions. Some (AutoLite generally) use a packed radial ball bearing which should be cleaned and repacked perhaps once a decade or two. Many Delco's have a small oil in the upper plate, usually marked with "oil". And lastly perhaps again once a decade or so, the breaker plate should be removed the the centrifugal advance weights should be cleaned and lubricated.

Browse this for more info on distributor lubrication.

packardclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14 ... id=edf16693915eb8b5dd802ce82df5bd76

Be VERY gentle with the build slip, it's probably VERY fragile by now and likely to crumble to dust if mishandled.

Thanks so much! I will spend a little time on the car tomorrow. I do know that the distributor, etc. is Autolite.

Do you know if the sheet is adhered or just lying on the top of the box? I may just leave it alone until I know that I won't harm it. When I get it out, I plan on laminating it to preserve it.

Again THANKS!

Not exactly sure about your particular unit, but the Auto-Lite distributors are really very finely-made precision units, a bit more elegant than the Delcos in their usual use of a ball bearing rather than just a slider joint for the vacuum advance motion. If yours has that when you take the breaker plate out of the distributor body, just a bit of screwdriver pressure at a few points around the perimeter will separate the two plates. Then clean the bearing and repack. Seen lots of them with ancient, dried up grease and dirt, but rarely seen one that required replacement unless it had long contact with moisture.

No first-hand knowledge on whether the sheet was glued to the top of the box, though I don't recall anyone else saying that it was.

PS - if your distributor or generator and starter are missing their little hinged-cap oilers, they are readily available from any good machine supplier like MSC, and probably McMaster. A couple of sizes and styles but it should be easy for you to determine which ones you need. You can also still buy the grease cups if that's what you have an need a new one. Very inexpensive to buy new.

Don't believe it is pasted but seem to recall some said it was held by some kind of tape in a place or two. Here is what it looks like (in last photo of post 82). Another members is shown in the link on the post following that one.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... ic.php?post_id=35808#forumpost35808

Mine was taped on the top of the glove box with two pieces of tape along the tractor edges of the teletype print-out. Be careful, the paper is brittle. The scan of my build sheet here shows the tape.

For generators and distributors I like to use synthetic oil. 1 or 2 drops at every oil change. For distributors there is a special grease. Use a dab the size of a match head at tune up time.

I'm sure that works well, Rusty. I use a white grease like LubriPlate on the AutoLite ball bearings and advance weight sliding surfaces, Dow-Corning Dielectric silicone grease on the cam, and light motor oil elsewhere except in the case of a grease cup where I still use conventional old cup grease though I understand that's getting hard to find. No doubt simple chassis grease would work as well.

As for maintaining your starter/generator/distributor, this is definitely a topic that will be covered at one of the Tech Sessions at Salado. Sometimes it helps to have a little show and tell...

I am planning to be at Salado, but only on Saturday and just for gawking. Seems like I need to start planning to go for a longer visit.