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

When we rebuild a distributor we always remove the grease cup. Under the wide part it is hex shaped. With the distrib stil in the car it is easy to remove the cup with a small wrench. Sometimes the grease is hardened, poke hole clear with a stiff wire, soak cup to dissolve grease. Repack and get the air out so it starts to grease right away.

Fred,

One more quick question on the grease cup. I cleaned out the orifice on the distributor and cleaned the cup and repacked it with grease. Screwed the cup on about half way. Noticed the distributor appears to be making a whirring/low whine now..at least I think it's coming from the distributor. Might this be an indication of underlubrication or overlubrication? Appreciate your thoughts again.

Thank You

Factory service manual gives only one possible expalanation. The high voltage is interfering with your hearing aid. I will however make an exception and override their idea. Nothing I can think of would give this result from the grease cup. NOises under the hood can be elusive, there's lots of stuff rotation, whirring , moving etc.

If it's outside the engine block (manifold gskt, fan belt, etc), take a piece of wiper vacuum hose put one end to your ear adn fish around with the other. If inside the block or inside generator a wooden "listening stick" can be used. Wooden handle snow brush, short broom handle etc.

Put one end pressed to yoyur ear, other end on suspected area, move it around and yiou can find it.

Whirring sound, most likely generator, real close to distributor

Fred,

Thanks for that reply. It never occurred to me to have my hearing aid adjusted to compensate for the ambient voltage near the distributor. I will make sure to adjust that puppy before I do any more distributor work. HAAAAAAAAAAA you are quite the comic and I appreciate your sense of humor.

Thanks for all your help with everything....it is sincerely appreciated.

Warren Stevens

I am not sure if this is relevant to post-war cars, but I found a spring-loaded carbon (?) brush thing in my 32 light eight distributor (pictured below). I don't know it's purpose, and I am not certain it is made of carbon. However, it if its present in older distributors I can see it making a low whine if the carbon(?) bit was worn to a nub.

If this is an obvious bit that a little research would illuminate, I apologize in advance. There is certainly nothing in the parts manual to indicate what this bit is or does.

Tom

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I believe this is the center contact on the inside of the distributor cap. I transfers the coil spark to the center of the rotor which in turn "distributes" it to each cylinder contact whiloe whirling around.

Or it may Warren's old fashioned hand cranked hearing aid.

Fred,

The spring doo-hickey (aka framistam) is located within the body of the distributor under the grease cup, and rubs against the distributor shaft.

I have attached a 1000 words below showing where the framistam was found.


Tom

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Tom, I have never seen one of these spring loaded carbon rods behind the grease cups in any Junior distributor. Some Auto Lite distributors have a spring loaded carbon rod in the center terminal of the distributor cap. All the Junior distributors I have seen just have the grease cup. It must be a Senior thing. What does you parts manual show? Stay cool.

(o{I}o)

I've taken apart a lot of grease cups for cleaning, both juniors and seniors, never seen anything like that nor do I understand what function it would serve. Similar grease cups are still readily available new and have no such arrangement. I've see "wicks" in shaft and generator oilers, but grease cups just have an open passage to the bushing.

Most interesting, certainly nothing original Packard about it. Carbon(graphite) is a lubricant and perhaps someone had an idea to put this framitam in to eliminate the need for grease. I would't rely on it as the lubricant has to flow to the bushing surfaces. The graphite will lubricare just a point where it rubs if it contacts the rotation shaft at all.

I'll stick with the hearing aid theory.

My father always told me that if I can't be right at least be funny