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I just bought a 48 packard. Had to get get the carb rebuilt. no big deal. Went to pick it up. Got her up to around 40 mph. she needs work but she is smooth; nice to shift seems to have plenty of power. Then nothing the engine just stops and I'm coasting. She coasts nicely, but that's why i bought her.So I pull over wait a few minutes she starts right up two miles later same thing. I called the mechanic because I'm not one although I think it might be unavoidable. He's as confused as I am. So does anyone have any ideas on the subject ayher than I'm an idiot? thanks

Sounds more like a fuel supply issue so some things right off--make sure vent in gas cap for tank there and open so no vacuum condition. Could be rust or something in tank floating around and blocking inlet and also, there is a flex hose between metal gas line and fuel pump that could be either collapsing or the lining has cracked from age and suction of pump is enough to pull a bit of lining in to block passage. Been there, done that one.

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Congratulations on your recent Packard purchase. Sorry, can't help with the mechanical fix but once you get it sorted out you'll have plenty of enjoyable driving with it. And could you please add your '48 to the Owner Registry together with a pic, and any known history?
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I have had a coil that opened when it got hot and would be fine when it cooled. Probably worth a check anyway. In 1949 the design of the gas tank vent was redesigned which changed to a non vented cap.

Logjam,

I vote fuel system... Just as HH56 said, start at the gas cap and work your way to the engine.

Gotta check the cap, pickup, fuel line, fuel filter, fuel pump and lastly, the caurb.

I had a '67 442 Olds that did the same thing. After much consternation, I figured it out it was a little tiny chunk of crap that would randomly float over one of the jets... The car would stall, suction would stop and the chunk would float off to lurk nearby for the next cycle...

No easy way to do it, a lot of attention to detail but that's one of the things I (we) like about these old cars.

Good Luck!

Scott

I had a 47 Custom that had had the gas tank lined. The car would rum well for a short distance and then shut down. After much head scratching, I found that the tank lining had formed around the fuel pick up and the only fuel getting through was what little seeped through the lining. After sitting fuel would again seep through the lining and the car would start and run for a few minutes.

I know this is not a very likely cause in your case. However, if your tank has been relined, especially if done by an amateur, and all else fails, you might check it.

Good luck. Keep us informed.

I had a situation similar to 49Packard's with my 34 Eight. In this car the filler tube bolts via a very large flange and 6 bolts to the side of the tank and some buffoon had used silicone gasket compound, a portion of which oozed out into the tank when the flange was tightened. The car would run fine until by chance the string of silicone snot would find it's way to the uptake tube and block it. After sitting for a while the suction from the pump would subside and the snot would drop out and move along and then all was well until the next time.

After finding the problem I used a cork gasket and Permatex Aviation #2, nary a problem since and that was perhaps 10 years or more ago. Moral of the story is that silicone gasket compound has lot of uses, but keep it away from gas tanks and lines.

I would agree entirely with the comments above about fuel supply; check for fuel tank venting (remove cap and run engine), blocked pipes or collapsed hoses.

Then I would check the coil, as mentioned above. In fact, if it is very old consider changing it anyway, they tend to fail by going open circuit as they get warm and being ok again when cool. In any case, they do degrade over the years and a new one can really sharpen the performance of your engine. I have found this on several old vehicles. When changing the coil, also change the capacitor (condenser) in the distributor. Both items are really cheap and well worth replacing.

Not related to this problem, but check your HT leads too. These can break down under pressure (high engine loads), but this will show as a misfire when climbing a hill.

Adam..

I agree that you may have a fuel delivery problem. Don't overlook the possibility of a pin hole rusted in the gas line.My 49 sedan made me crazy until I replaced the gas line.

Relatively easy way to check a gas line for a pinhole if you have a small vacuum pump. Disconnect the line at both ends and block one end off with a rubber cork or better yet, a threaded fitting. Hook a vacuum pump with gauge to the other end of the line with a valve between the pump and the gauge. Pull a vacuum, close the valve, and come back in a few hours to see if it held vacuum. Often these pinholes can be small enough to not easily show any gas leaking, but sufficient to admit air and create fuel starvation. If you've got a leak or the line is visibly in poor condition, best to just replace it anyway.

Adam's advice on the coil is also excellent, classic symptoms of coil failure are OK at startup and failure as they get hot.