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Ok, another nubie question and thanks for everyone's patience and help so far. I have so much to learn!

I have a Delco-Remy distributor on my 1954 Packard Clipper Super L8 327CI 165HP.

Does some kind soul know how I can access the grease cup to lubricate my distributor shaft and bushings? I can't quite figure it out. Do I have to remove the breaker plate to access the grease cup? If so, how do I get the breaker plate out of the distributor...does it simply 'twist' out.

PS, using a mirror to view the under side of the distributor housing, there appears to be a small steel sleeve with a knurled knob on the end...does that knob advance/retard the distributor or might it be the access to the grease cup?

Thanks again!

If not mistaken the knurled knob you are referring to is the grease cup.
Does it look like this picture?
Clean and refill the grease cup and give a turn in every couple of hundred miles but only so that it pushs a small amount of grease onto the shaft each time. Also add a few drops of engine oil to the wick just under the rotor but don't saturate it so that or it may get spread around and onto the points.

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Clipper 47

Thank you so much! That is exactly what my distributor looks like and I will act accordingly.

PS, I didn't see a wick under the rotor. Should I fabricate one out of a piece of felt or other absorbent material and just insert it into the shaft below the rotor cap? Do you know what the original wicks were made from?

I really appreciate your time and efforts. A huge help!

On the breaker plate, there with be one or two small holes. A couple of drops of oil there is all it takes.

I suppose if it doesn't have one you should fabricate something. The original ones were about 3/8" thick so if you can find some felt like material and cut it to fit within the shaft it will probably work OK. Personally I have no idea what to use but maybe someone else will chime in.

I do not have a service manual handy, but trhere is nothing on a Packard that needs attention every few hundred miles except the gas tank. I seem to recall that the grease cup gets a partial twist (1/4- 1/2??) each time the oil is changed and the car is greased. Too much grease might work its way up and gum up the works. The owner was not expected to do such maintenance, after all Packard owners wore white gloves. Leave it to the grease monkeys.

I forgot to mention that the "Camshaft" which opens and closes the points also needs lubrication. There is still a special grease available for this. A small tube should last a lifetime. A small dab on the leading edge of the fibre part of the point set that contacts the cam is all that is needed. Oil change interval on my '47 Super Clipper according to the manual is every 1000 miles so that would be about the right time to give the grease cup a small turn. As Fred mentioned in other words too much grease or oil can be harmful so remember that "A little dab'll do ya".

Thanks to all for the info on the grease cup and under-rotor lube pad! You are all a huge help. I have acted according to your advice and should be good to go for a while.

Steve - you might want to read this article for a bit more on distributor maintenance.

http://www.packardclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=861&sid=a15ab038df2d09a7da81259fa8804551

Dave

Owen,

Great stuff on distributor maintenance. Thanks for sending. I will give it a try when I get some more time off.

Steve828