My next project? 1921 Packard Coupe.

[Ozstatman]

...David McC or Ozstatesman

Perhaps you know some one in the PACA NSW who could help Donald with a switch...

Bernie,

Looks like I've been given an upgrade to Ozstatesman no less! Actually I'm quite happy with Ozstatman and will stick with that.

See David has already responded and sorry I can't offer anything more.

And the result on your convertible victoria is outstanding. Do you think you'll still have the car in March? Reason being, I won't be in Melbourne till then when we attend the Packard National Rally at Phillip Island.

[oldcar]

Sorry about that Mal

I have always looked upon you as the "Elder Statesman" for Packards in Australia.

It would be nice to think that I could still have it in March but my Bank manager may not agree.

Who knows we may all fall over the financial cliff before then. I for one certainly hope not.

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj.

[oldcar]

Drill small hole in the part opp the crank handle,,in the sleeve,,,,to accept a 1/4"--20tpi

thumb screw,,or small bolt,,,,,Drill deep enough so that screw will go in shallow hole,,so that if its

loose it will still not come off,,,

Will give a great feeling of security,,,,Pass the word/idea,,,its cheep,,

Cheers,,Ben

Hi Ben

Thank you for reminding me the "Grubb" screw appears on Davids drawing but I omitted to put it in as there was no corresponding hole in the shaft. I did not realise that it was a do-it yourself later modification but as you so rightly say it could avoid some serious harm either to car or self.

Cheers

Bernie j,

[Guest cben09]

Hi Bernie,,,,,Just another ?? If you need to start it on the crank,,,

Pull the choke out,,push in 3-4 clicks,

Retard spark,,

Pull float pin,,//flood carb,,

Turn on IGN

Now pull up on crank, should start on 3-5 pulls,,,It should be a very dependable starter,,

Trying to start on choke alone is short of useless,,haha

Aditional note,,,On a SG Rolls,,there was a serious dent in the right hand lamp rim,,at an odd spot,

I discoverd it fit my chin perfectly if I didn't retard the spark,,I always wonderd whose chin it was,,

I just had to warn you on the crank,,,You wont believe how fast it can spin around when it comes off,,

Merry Christmas to you all,,Ben

[DavidMc]

That starting procedure is about the way I start my 126 but always on the starter, when the car has been standing for a while I also prime it with the priming cups. I have nothing but admiration for anyone who can start it on the crankhandle. Its in such an awkward postion with the chassis cross member and the lights I have never been game to try it. David

[oldcar]

Thank you Ben & David

So far I have only used the crank to bring the motor around to TDC on number one cylinder to check the ignition timing and to set the points gap. When the time comes, probably early in the New Year, I hope it will start on the starter motor. The procedure you recommend sounds fairly much like my standard start up drill for a vintage engine. Even with the Lagonda if it has been standing for any time likes the carbs partially flooded to start from cold. Once it has started and is warmed up it is"on the button"as I anticipate the Packard will be. I learnt a long time ago about trying to start an engine with the spark advanced. A lesson once learnt never forgotten!

Unfortunately our social calendar is a little crowded for the next few days to allow very much Packard time and I need to check out the circuit breaker on the back of the main switch before I go too far. I suspect that it has a malfunction or possibly a large spider/beetle inside it, there are no openings big enough to permit a mouse access.

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj

Edited December 25, 2012 by oldcar (see edit history)

[oldcar]

With Melbourne Australia some 18 hours ahead of New York time we have just finished breakfast on Boxing Day while you are about to start your recovery from over eating your Christmas Turkey or what ever you had too much of. Helen's home made traditional Plum Pudding is always the highlight of our Festive Lunch. With just four of us this year we barely managed to make a small dint in it even after second helpings all around.

Cheers!

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

I am pleased to report that following a lunchtime gathering of friends the pudding is now all gone. One of the great joys of Christmas is sharing with loved ones and like minded people.

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj

Edited December 27, 2012 by oldcar (see edit history)

[oldcar]

I need to check out the circuit breaker on the back of the main switch before I go too far. I suspect that it has a malfunction or possibly a large spider/beetle inside it, there are no openings big enough to permit a mouse access.

Bj

Having got so far the problem was that the Amp-meter had a nasty tendency to swing to maximum discharge when the ignition was turned on. Having traced back the various wires everything pointed to a major short within the main switch box/circuit breaker. For those unfamiliar with the early (First series) Single Six, Packard opted for the then far more sophisticated and as we would say today "State of the Art" circuit breaker. On further checking the one on my car had neither a mouse or a spider internally but the 90 year old insulation had cracked and was breaking down. Now having had the thing apart I can say that it is really simple with a minimum of moving parts. Having cleaned everything including the one pair of basic "points"and with the insulation refreshed/replaced it appears to be working just fine. That is on the bench and only time will tell but first I have to re-assemble the switch box and replace it all back into the dashboard. Given the time of the year, family activities do take precedent and it is unlikely that very much more will happen before the middle of next week or thereabouts.

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj

Edited December 28, 2012 by oldcar (see edit history)

[whtbaron]

Would the original insulation have been bakelite? Just curious as to what you replaced it with?

[oldcar]

Hi

THe original insulation was red fibre, I replaced it with plastic. the short was where the copper strip for the contact points and the bent strip going to the main switch are held by two screws. The same screws also hold the flat spring strip that works against the magnet to keep the flap at the top up.

Not a very clear explanation but I hope that you can understand. If not I can do a thumbnail drawing but not right now.

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj.

[Larry Schramm]

Bernie,

You continue to amaze me at your talents. The car is looking unbelieveably fantastic.

Larry

[oldcar]

Happy New Year to all my friends around the World may all our projects continue to give you as much pleasure as mine give me.

Cheers!

Bernie J.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Happy New Year to you too, Bernie! Keep up the good work you are doing; I wish you all the best for this year, first of all a good health.

[oldcar]

Thank You Roger

We have just returned from four or five relaxing days with my sister & her extended family on the coast at Point Lonsdale. A great time eating, sleeping, reading and enjoying the odd glass or two of good Australian wines, unfortunately it was too cool for swimming. Of course today we had high 30.s C for our drive home and tomorrow is scheduled to be in the mid 40.s C. None the less once I have caught up with some chores I will be able to set about re-installing the light/ignition switch. More later.....

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj.

[oldcar]

As predicted we had our +40 degree C. day It was a really unpleasant day and not all that conducive to working under the dash with a lead light to add to the heat. I am much more used to Lucas wiring and have discovered that there are couple of basic differences with the Atwater Kent system. I mentioned earlier the complexity of the ignition/lighting switch, attached below is a diagram of the internal arrangement. Today after a very hot and partially sleepless night it is much cooler and I am about to go out and attempt to finish installing that switch. That done the next task will be wiring in the extra stop/tail lamps.

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj.

[oldcar]

While some people are still un-winding from their Christmas/New Year celebrations others have important work to do.

One problem that had reared its ugly head was an apparent short circuit still lurking "somewhere" in the electrical system. Every time I switched on the ignition, the amp meter had this nasty tendency to zoom right across to maximum discharge. After a morning spent tracing the individual wires and checking their continuity from both ends, it finally showed up a short within the "fully restored and ready to fit" horn I had bought at a swap meet about two years ago. (You have to buy these things when you see them rather than waiting until you need them.) On taking it apart it became apparent that 90 year old insulation where the supply wires were connected was at fault. Sure It had a passable coat of paint but very little work had been done internally. Two red fibre washers and a little crushable black plastic tube and the job was done. After testing it could be re-installed on its original (correct) Packard mounting bracket, part of the oil filler spout on the side of the crankcase and all the wires behind the dash tidied up. No more short circuit and it only took about four hours lying on my back with my head up under the dash and my feet hanging out the right hand door. And the car is one tiny step closer....

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj

Edited January 5, 2013 by oldcar (see edit history)

[Guest oldcar_jr]

and it only took about four hours lying on my back with my head up under the dash and my feet hanging out the right hand door.

I suspect there is nothing you like more. At least it keeps you off the streets and out of the pub!

Keep up the good work

AJ

[oldcar]

At least it keeps you off the streets and out of the pub!

AJ

Thank you AJ. Next you will be wanting me to keep to my NY's resolution, only to drink ten year old 'reds' and wanting to know when you can drive the Packard although I suspect that it will be too slow for you.

"Keep on keeping on"

Bj.

[Guest oldcar_jr]

I go a lot slower these days than I used to. It's been sometime since I was allowed behind the wheel of a "proper" car but would be honoured to and relish the opportunity to drive the Packard. I'm loving to read all about your latest feats. Keep up the good work.

Cheers AJ

Edited January 5, 2013 by oldcar_jr (see edit history)

[oldcar]

"Keeping on keeping on"

Bj.

[oldcar]

Hi All

I am sorry for the lack of communication but our spell of hot weather has tended to slow me down, fortunately we are well away from the horrific bush fires that have been raging in Tasmania, New South Wales and parts of Victoria. Added to this I have been spending too much time tracking down and solving a series of electrical faults that ultimately proved to be a misplaced brass contact strip inside the main switch. Such a simple thing but one that has consumed hours & hours. The only thing now remaining is to connect the tail lights. The original one is up and running and now there are just two wire that connect the number plate board to a junction box linking it to the main loom. and most importantly the courtesy light in the luggage trunk still needs a new globe. That done I an ready to rush out and fill a 10 litre can with some fresh petrol, then stand back. Oh yes! there is one other thing. To fit the gear-lever knob that my son Steve is making for me, like the Body ID plate (above) an work of Art.

Keep on keeping on.

Bj.

Bj

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Bernie, I can hardly wait! Wish I could be there.

Ben

[oldcar]

Hi Ben

The good news is that you do not have to wait any longer! This morning I bit the bullet and filled the vacuum tank with some fresh petrol, filled each of the priming taps in turn, flooded the carb and retarded the ignition. As expected, it fired up straight away but is reluctant to speed up. I get the impression that it requires more advance than is available through the normal distributor links and may require the distributor drive shaft being moved by a tooth where it is driven by the camshaft. In addition the starter seems reluctant to release so I need to look at the Bendix spring.

So it is good news with a couple of reservations. Comments are welcome from any other Single Six owners especially re obtaining additional advance on the distributor. Oh yes, the oil pressure is excellent the needle on the gauge going all the way.

Keep on keeping on.

Bj.

Edited January 10, 2013 by oldcar (see edit history)

[unimogjohn]

Bernie, congratulations on your first start. You must have had a great smile on your face for sure. What did she sound like? I am sure that with your tinkering and adjustments she will run just fine. Looking forward to pics seeing you heading down the lane.

[oldcar]

Hi John

Thank you for your confidence in my ability. I still have to sort out the ignition timing/mixture before I go venturing down the "lane". The problem being that we live at the top of the hill. The attached photograph should have appeared with an earlier post. It shows the tail lamps illuminated proving the the electrical circuit is intact. Working on my own makes it very difficult to check if the stop lamps are also working however by observing the amp meter it is possible to see the change in the current consumed when the brake pedal is depressed indicating that in all likely-hood the lights are indeed coming on. I had hoped to include another photograph of the approved Ben Benson modification to the crank-handle but with the number of stray reflections the photograph was hopeless. I will try again later.

Keep on keeping on

Bj

[oldcar]

Having had a long talk with David McC earlier and read up on the ignition timing in the 1922 Single Six Information Book. I am sure that given a couple of hours over the weekend I should have ironed out the bugs. Tomorrow we have a VSCC BBQ in the evening so will need to give the Lagonda a quick clean and check over.

Keep on keeping on,

Bj.

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Bernie,

i would have been surprised if it had not started with the amount of work you put into your cars.

although I did hear a bang from my house and I was hoping it wasn't you !

well done

ian

[dalef62]

A great day in Packard history as you fire up the Packard for the first time. I have been silently following your thread and loving evey minute of it. Great job!

[oldcar]

Hi Dale

Welcome to my thread.

My lack of activity here does not automatically signal a total lack of activity. Today has been spent sorting out several small things. Having among other things adjusted (advanced) the ignition timing and the timing chain the car is now starting "on the button" and running very nicely and quietly. Just as you would expect from a Packard. One priming cup had a tendency to leak (compression) and will have to be lapped in with some fine grinding paste (toothpaste perhaps) other wise the day has been well spent. I still have a couple of little nagging things to fix but hope to venture out on to the road some time soon. I probably need to re-tension the cylinder head nuts again after a few more hours of running.

Keep on keeping on

Bj.

[Ozstatman]

My congratulations too Bernie. Another significant milestone!

[oldcar]

Thank you Mal

Just a cautionary tail for all those who would have me driving the Packard off into the sunset as soon as It had proved to be a runner.

Rather than going for a quick run around the block I like to be sure that all systems are in order and that there are no surprises lurking in the wings.

After some prolonged running (About 15-20 minutes) while I checked for leaks in the cooling system etc. I noticed that the engine had started to idle slightly roughly and it sounded as though the mixture had become rich. Opening the carburettor side hood I was alarmed to see a jet of petrol about six inches high coming from the top of the float bowl and petrol running out of the splash tray all over the exhaust pipe and forming quite a pond under the car. What had happened was that the float had sunk permitting a steady flow of fuel into the carb and out the top. I could quickly turn off the tap at the base of the Vacuum tank and switch off the ignition. One can only imagine what could have happened if I had been bowling along the road possibly completely unaware of the problem until the flames started to emerge from the louvers on the side of the hood. It just ain't worth thinking about! As it is after "boiling" the float in a pan of water to evaporate the petrol trapped inside it, I will be able to carefully solder up the two or three minute leaks around the centre seam and all should be well.

Keep on keeping on

Bj

[Guest oldcar_jr]

I, for one, am pleased that you didn't go charging off down the road, only to explode into a ball of flames. I would have been very sad if that had happened. It seems your many years of experience with getting old cars going have taught you well. How many times did you drive off in a car with a newly rebuilt engine, only to have tow it home again?

If you need something that will give a gentle polish without being too abrasive I would suggest "Gumption" although a "baking soda" toothpaste many work too.

Cheers AJ

[36 D2 Coupe]

Your approach of "make no assumptions and question everything" has provided us all with a vital lesson in the diligence necessary to get an old car running again. As much as it runs against the excitement of that moment when we are finally ready to go, according to my grandmother's wisdom, we need to learn to make haste slowly.

Once again, a lesson in patience from the master.

[oldcar]

Hi All

Having "boiled off" the petrol from inside the float and throughly cleaned it I could check for leaks it by immersing it in hot water. By doing this I have been able to locate not one but four microscopic cracks around the soldered joint. It should be just a few minutes work to repair these by carefully running some solder into them.

Keep on keeping on

Bj.

Jobs done! it took a total of 15 minutes.....

Edited January 14, 2013 by oldcar (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

Bernie,

I always learn something when I read your restoration posts. It's also exciting to mail a post to, or read a post from halfway around the world.

Regarding the petrol leak from the carburetor, it sounds like there's a little bit of pilot in you: always do a pre-flight.

I read about a 1926 Peerless in Australia about 6 years ago, and heard that it still exists. Probably not too common a car in your country and well-outnumbered by Packards.

Jeff

Somewhere west of Laramie

Edited January 18, 2013 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[oldcar]

Hi Jeff

Good to hear from you. Another small step I have now reversed the Packard out of the carport and driven it in again under its own power all I need to do now is to save up enough $$s to fill the petrol tank and apply for a temporary permit so I can drive it legally on the road. Once it is completely sorted out I can take it for its roadworthy test and register it.

Keep on keeping on

Bj.

[oldcar]

Some of my older friends will tell you that I am a bit "kinky" about the tool bags for my cars. I have just bought at great expense this lovely hand made genuine Buffalo hide "Cellini" bag for the Packard. Its beautifully patinated dark tan leather makes it perfect to match the cars colour scheme. It is basically 12 inches X 8 inches X 2 3/4 inches across the base. It has a number of individual pockets to isolate the spanners from the screwdrivers etc and smaller zipp closed compartments for those important little things, things like feeler gauges, a points file and similar essentials. It fits snuggly into the storage locker under the drivers seat. It will never rattle or scratch the paint or upholstery, you will almost certainly never see another like it! By an extremely talented Italian fashion designer it comes from a very exclusive store or would have originally...... Each of my cars have one, no two are the same. I bought this one for the princely sum of $2.00 from my local Charity Shop.

Keep on keeping on

Bj.

Edited January 14, 2013 by oldcar (see edit history)

[oldcar]

There are details and then there are small details, all are equally important in the over-all scheme of things. In the words of the old song "little things mean a lot!"

The holiday season starting to wind down I could collect the breeching staples from the plater where they had been receiving a shiny coat of nickel, while my good friend Tony the trimmer was converting a couple of off cuts of the upholstery hide into door check straps. With everything collected into the one place it was the work of minutes to screw them on. Another job done and now there is no chance of straining the door hinges by opening the doors too wide.

Keep on keeping on

Bj.

Edited January 16, 2013 by oldcar (see edit history)

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Nice detail Bernie, I'm very impressed.