Guest Packardsforever Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 My 54 Pacific will not start. I just put in a brand new optima battery and she turns and turns but will not start. This car started and drove during the summer and then I let it sit about 2 1/2 months. It always kind of took a few minutes to start but it always eventually did. Carb is getting fuel, the 2 little sprayers are spraying away. I am obviously not a mechanic but would like to figure this out as I think it may be simple with some of you guys help. I am open to advice so fire away and thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBL Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 The best way to do it is check to see if you are getting a spark...Pull one of the wires and have someone crank it. If you are getting spark and fuel...then it could be that your timing is off. I messed with my 55 Packard for weeks before I found out that it wasn't starting because of 8 or so stuck valves and bent pushrods... make sure your valves are opening.TimMBL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrpushbutton Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 for your car to start,you need:cranking (which you HAVE)Compressionfuel (fuel-air mix down the throat of the carb)sparktiming (spark timed to the correct position of the cylinders)if you have all these things, she should start, as you seem to be getting fuel in the bowl and out the accelerator pumps.. Might not run well, but it'll start. clean and gap your points, check your dwell. that usually cures a sitmobile, but not always! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCraigH Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Recently, I had a similar problem with my 76 Firebird which had been sitting inside for months. Everything checked good (battery, gas, carb, ignition, timing, compression), but it wouldn't start. Finally, I changed to new spark plugs and it started right up and ran smoothly. Go figure. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />Also, you might try spraying some <span style="font-style: italic">Engine Starting Fluid</span> down the carb throat (air cleaner removed) while somebody else turns the engine over. WARNING: stand clear in case of backfire, i.e., don't be sticking your nose down the carb to see what's going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_Speedster Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 If it's not getting spark to plugs, then I would first check all electrical connections at coil, distributor, etc. then I would clean and check inside distributor: points, rotor, cap-terminals, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardguy Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Where could I get a good diagram of a 54 Packard 359 engine just to be safe rather than sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigKev Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 I have a full color one at home that I redrew in Illustrator, but this one should get you going.(See Attached) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigKev Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Here is another one that may easier be to read. This one is what I used as a based to draw my own. I have also fixed a couple of mistakes on this one via photoshop.If you are still stuck I will send you the full color one that is dead-on accurate when I get home.(See Attached) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JT Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 As Tim and others have said step 1 is to pull a plug wire and hold it close to the engine while turning it over and see if you have spark. If you do have spark take a look at the plugs. I don't see the need to check the wiring by the diagram unless you've taken something loose. If you have no spark it's more likely a problem with the points/condensor. Using the starter fluid is a good idea too, if you have a spark and as was said keep your face out of the carb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardsforever Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 can you send me the color one? The other one does not print very well, it is really big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Albert Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Frist thing, pull the coil wire from the coil to the distributer out at the distributer end. Turn the ignition on, and then jumper from the bat connection on the starter to the start terminal on the starter(make sure it in Park) While holding the exposed end of the coil wire close to the ignition coil bracket, you should see a bright flash between the two. If no flash check for battery voltage at wire to the coil (not the small wire going to the distributer the one oppisite) with the ignition on. You can also remove the distributer cap and manually open the points using something plastic to see if you have spark (you may have to turn the motor a little so the point are closed first). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardsforever Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 O.K. this is a lot of good advice but now I am trying to figure out which to do first. I think I will start with pulling one of the plug wires and holding it close to the engine while my wife turns the ignition to see if there is a spark, correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigKev Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Here is the diagram that should cover just about ever car in the '54 Packard line-up. I re-drew this entire diagram in Illustrator, fixed the mistakes, and saved it as a PDF. You can zoom in and out forever and it will always look good as its now vector based. The PDF is about 4 megs so here is the download link for it. If you have problems you may want to right-click on the link and do a Save Target As.This will also show you the location of all the splices, connectors, and junction blocks.I hope this is helpfull to other people. '54 Diagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardsforever Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 O.K. the color diagram is great and it printed perfect. And B.H. do I not hold the screwdriver metal shank against the engine block or just real close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCraigH Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">(snip) do I not hold the screwdriver metal shank against the engine block or just real close? </div></div>"real close", like 1/8-in or so. You should see the spark jump the gap between the screwdriver and the block and also hear a "snapping" sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardsforever Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Well, I have a good spark when I pulled one of the plug wires and put a phillips head screw driver in it and put it close to the block. My wife turned the ingnition over and it sparked almost immediately. I'll look back at all the post and determine what my next step is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBL Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Kool! OK...get those plugs outta there..first...Then try with a new set. You may also want to try some starter fluid. If the car was always hard starting...I'd think the timing is off a bit. Try retarding the timing a bit by turning the dist in the opposite direction of the vacuum advance. Then try again.TimMBL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardguy Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 you definetly think I should put new plugs in before messing with the timing a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Morbius Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I've got a '54 Pacific also and I think if you take your spark plugs out you may find them soaked with gas which is not good for starting, it means your engine is flooded . You have to take out all the plugs and air out your engine before puttind in NEW plugs and attempting to start it again. Good Luck!!!! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> ...................... Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardsforever Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 i am no plug expert for sure but I just pulled the to up front and they are black on the bottom and the little terminal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigKev Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 One of the things you can do is run a wire from the starter side terminal on the starter Solenoid with an inline diode directly to the coil. On start you get full voltage, and then it goes back to running through the resistor once you let off the starter. The diode keeps the voltage from back feeding to the starter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy Berger Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 If this is a six-volt system, there is no ballast resistor. Cleaning and drying the plugs should be the first thing you do. I wouldn't touch the timing till you rule out the other simpler possibilities. Continue to check all the other plug wires the same way you tested this one. If they all test ok (a nice fat spark), then try a little starter fluid and see how it behaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_Speedster Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Black plugs usually means 'Running too Rich' (too much gas in mixture), So maybe Steve is correct, maybe you have a flooding problem with the Carb. Instead of an ignition problem. If that's the problem then you can hold the Carb. valves open with a screwdriver to get more air thru carb, and don't press on gas-pedal to pump any gas, and see it it fires that way. Just don't be looking down in the carb. when you do that, or you can loose your eye-brows real quick, if it desides to Backfire. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JT Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 As others have said are the plugs black wet or black dry? At any rate I would try a new set. I would not mess with the timing at this point since you said the car ran ok last time you started it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardsforever Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 they are black dry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JT Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 Are you sure you're getting fuel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packardsforever Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 when I looked down in carb I could see the fuel spray out the 2 little sprayers very good and clear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now