1941 Packard electrical system question

[Pete Phillips]

Working on a 1941 Packard 160. This is a positive ground eletrical system. The coil has a large, metal, armored cable coming into the bottom. Can anyone tell me whether this armored wire is positive or negative? The shop manual electrical diagram is no help and there are no positive or negative markings on any of these coil wires.

Pete Phillips

Sherman, Texas

[HH56]

If the ground is still positive, that would be the negative terminal. It is fed directly from the ign switch which gets it's power via a tie point on ammeter but ultimately from the same terminal on starter solenoid the battery negative terminal goes to. Not sure which wiring diagram you have but the ones on the PAC site are better than the ones in the manual.

[Pete Phillips]

Thanks very much! Someone has installed an electronic ignition on this car, and gotten the wiring all fouled up. Battery connection is still a positive ground.

Pete

[HH56]

Not sure if you are planning on reusing the armored wire but there have been mentions on Packard forums from people who have said the old cloth and rubber insulation on the wire inside the armor deteriorated & had caused intermittent problems. Something to keep in mind.

[Guest olcrow]

what would be involved in removing the cloth cover wire, replacing with new wire? i have the same system, idle hands get me in trouble!

[HH56]

I don't think there is an easy fix to be done at home without a lot of care and maybe some luck as well.

If the units are all essentially the same as a 47 assy I have, the armored cable may have been crimped to the switch housing. I say "may have been" because this one has two slits opposite each other. They appear equal in length and are straight except for a small area at end of one. I can't tell if they are cracks in the pot metal which may have been caused by stressing the cable or were intentional by design and at one time had some kind of clamp to keep them closed. At any rate, these provided a bit of room so the armor jacket was loose enough to "unscrew" and could be slid off.

Removing this armor to see what is there, first problem I see is the armor has narrowed openings at each end just slightly larger than the wire -- & just small enough so shrink tubing able to slide over wire for protection or repair is a slight bit too large to go up into the jacket. There may be a different thinner material that would work but don't have anything else to play with at present--so that opening presents an issue. The other end of wire at the switch appears soldered to a terminal on the switch & is recessed inside a rather small opening. To change this wire would entail cutting it off as close as possible and then reattaching a new piece by soldering and heat shrinking the splice. Because of the narrowed opening, that may be a trick to get the splice past and also the soldering may loosen the connection at the switch terminal. If not hardened metal, it may be possible to enlarge that end opening slightly but the other end at the coil would be hard to do because of the way it is recessed in side of coil end housing.

The vendors do have some kind of exchange program so would presume they have figured out a way to do it but without more experimenting, not something I would recommend trying as a prevention unless the need is proven.

Edited July 14, 2011 by HH56 (see edit history)

[tbirdman]

I got a better security device if someone think they are going to drive it away. Only I know how to start it with the right sequence of choke and accelerator pumps:-)

[Dave Mitchell]

Replacing the wire is a good idea. To do it you have to take the back plate off of the ignition switch, which was never intended to come apart, and it is a little trickly, but it can be done. We do them in our shop regularly.