Packard Forum Index » General

Whatever timing marks are present, for example ignition timing, are on the flywheel, nothing on the vibration damper until a few years later, as Fred said. I don't recall if there are any valve timing marks there, but you don't need them anyway, I already gave them to you.

I almost hate to say this, but if the valve timing is off that much, are you sure you're rotating the engine in the correct direction?

Valve timing of 1924 "Packard Eight":
Intake valve opens 10 degrees AFTER dead center.
Intake valve closes 45 degrees AFTER dead center.
Ex opens 50 degrees BEFORE dead center.
Ex closes 5 degrees after DEAD CENTER.

fIRING ORDER 1-3-2-5-8-6-7-4

pERSONAL COMMENT: Thst is a very poorly contrived firing order to have used.

Edit: i have triple checked the above specs. They are correct with no typos.

Edit#2: The above specs assume that IN FACT your engine IS a 1924 (nineteen twenty four) engine.

Edit#3: Note that the intake valve timing is very short!! I've double checked a 4 th time from the Dykes manual copyrite 1926 and that's what it says.

Based on the following quote from the a few posta back by the owner:

"I removed the generator and had it rebuilt and unknown to me the idler gear had rolled down the chain. "

I have a little problem with this. IF the the IDLER just rolled down the chain then the chain must have stayed on the gears. No? All u need to do is reposition the idler. Why did the chain ever leave the gears???? It was only an idler that left the gears.

Is the distributor driven from the back of the generator??? If so, then maybe the reason the car won't start is due to incorrect installation of distributor due to generator removal.

Is the distributor driven from the back of the generator???

No. It's driven by the oil pump which is geared to the chamshaft at it's center. The long drive shaft for the distributor ends at the oil pump in a perfect square and thus can be installed in 4 different position. But the drive head at the top can only mate to the distributor in 1 position (if it's same as the 4th series). So ignition timing may be the problem, but as I read the posts, he said the valve timing was off - maybe meaning he hadn't even gotten to ignition timing yet, or even tried to start the engine.

Timing order was changed with the 3rd Series. The 1st and 2nd can be viewed as two 4-cylinder engines back-to-back. Beginning with the 3rd series it was 2-4-2, arrived at by essentially splitting one 4-cylinder block in half and putting on half at each end. Simplistic view I know. That then remained the standard configuration for Packards (and most (all?) everyone elses) in-line 8s for the future.

I'm still thinking the guy might be rotating the engine in the wrong direction as he checks his valve timing. Not much else makes sense. Easy to verify, just look at the hand-crank lug on the front of the vibration damper.

Assuming your Dykes' and my Chilton's data are correct, interesting to see the huge difference in valve timing between the 1st/2nd series and the 7th series engines. From 20 degrees before TC to 10 degrees after? Hmmm...

Of course we're dealing with a rather early engine of 1924. But to the best of my knowledge all US built engines thru out history turn clockwise taken from the front of the engine. Looking at the hand crank is a good idea to verify. Also look at the degree marks for the ignition timing and the advance and or points position of the distributor.

"interesting to see the huge difference in valve timing between the 1st/2nd series and the 7th series engines. From 20 degrees before TC to 10 degrees after? Hmmm..."

What is the YEAR range of 1st/2nd series and i'll look that up in the Dykes for comparison.

Well, they are SERIES so not directly aligned with years. But the 1st Series Eight was introduced 6-14-23 and ran thru 2-2-25. 2nd Series Eight was 2-2-25 thru 8-2-26. At least these are the commonly accepted dates of production.

The Dykes has a seperate chart for 1920 and 1921. A seperate chart for 1924 only. And yet another seperate chart for 1923 only. That's all. Odd that no chart for 1922 is pubished.

THe 1923 chart lists specs for "Single Six" and "Twin Six" but no mention of Eight or 8 or anything to do with 8 cylinder Packard.

Dykes also indicates:
" The following is an average setting of 114 cars as given by Motor Age. THe INTAKE opens 9.5 degrees late and closes 37 degrees late. THe exhaust opens 50 degrees before bottom and closes 9 degrees late."

THat is a double checked quote and word-for word quote EXCEPT that i wrote out the word "degrees" insteas of using the little circular symbol.