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

The distributor is missing one of the bolts which secure it to the block ,the forward one ,does any one know what size these bolts are? I didnt want to take off the rear one and chance messing up the timing I didnt want to get a bolt that was to long , it looks smaller than a 1/2 " ,7/16?

,when I was working there on the left side of the 327 straight 8 , I replaced my plug and coil wires this afternoon, I noted a mysterious cylindrical plug like thingamajiggie that was a mechanical feature of the distributor ! It looked like a cap of some sort on the firewall side of the metallic part of distributer. its got a knurled edge ,about 1/2" diameter and screws closed,I was trying to fathom what this could be ,a lube port ? an adjustment spot of some sort?
It was loose so I tightened it ,have I messed up?

Quote:

It's a grease cup which is filled with grease and turned to lubricate the distributor shaft.
The service manual recommends 1/2 turn every 1000 miles.

WoW!
Thank you Sherlock Holmes,it was probably empty ,I'll grease it up , turn it every 1000 mi,and have a happy distributor

Depending on model of distributor, there are perhaps 4 or 5 other points that require occasional lubrication and are usually ignored. Probably the next most important is a couple of drops of motor oil on the felt wick beneath the rotor.

For more information, you might visit:

http://www.packardclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=861&sid=48aac3757df834ac2927af6bca1ba166

great artical on maintaining the distributer !,what is the size of the hold down bolt at the base of the distributer?Im missing one .my new spark plug wires have made a huge difference in general engine performance of the 327 inline 8 ,it was an overlooked problem

My 1948 2262 with 288 engine has 5/16 - 18 threaded bolt holes for the distributor clamp front nad rear.

However, if the hole has been open for a long time it mite be full of dirt and threads need to be chased.

THe ONE bolt alone should hold it just fine.

Distributer all bolted down correctly and is lubricated per the artical supplied ;excellent !In the aRTICAL THE FELLOW SAYS ONE CAN TEST THE VACUMB ADVANCE by using man made suction to the line going to the advance ,I tried this trick using mouth suction on the vacumb advance line to make sure it was working ,i undid the vacumb line at the base of the carb and attached some rubber vacumb line long enough so i could get over to the left side of the engine ,I took off the cap and looked; ,when vacumb applied (by me ) there was a tiny little movement of the arm comming from the vacumb advance apparatus ,not a lot ,there was no vacumb leak ,is that a good result ??
,should the arm move more dramatically?

Dear Steve:

What is important for your test is whether the unit is holding vacuum. It should feel like you are sucking on a closed bottle.

Movement should be visible and easy to obtain otherwise you have a problem.

Unfortunately, the vacuum advance is not very durable and subject to chemical damage, and usually a triple digit item.

Its main benefit is advanced timing under moderate throttle acceleration through middle rpms and thus is not critical for motor operation. It makes the car feel peppier.

On most Packards the thing is shot.

Suck on the hose real strong and then stick toungue over hose to seal it off. It should hold vacuum for about 15 seconds at least.

I can usualy move them fully advanced but it takes alot of effort. USe a vaccum pump or pull another car up next to it and use the idling engine of the other car to test.

Can a leaking vac adv cause idle problems-using Carter 2 barrel carb-have problems with idle when coming to a stop

David