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I thought I would venture into the land of the mechanical by changing a headlight. Simple, right?

So I got the chrome thing with three screws off and put to one side. Then, studying the manual carefully, pulled three screws and got the thin chrome ring off. The headlight separated from the connector fine, tho stiffly. Wires look good. Put cord on new headlight. Right size (no thanks to the adolescent manager at the parts store--didn't come up for a Packard on his computer...).

So far so good.

Then I went to aim it by turning the aiming screws. They turn fairly willingly (and the threads are fine)....but they don't move the headlight up/down or l/r. They just seem like odd randomly placed screws. Are they supposed to catch the metal around the light in some way? How should they work and if I'm missing washers or something, what is the answer?

The manual isn't clear on this. Probably because it's so completely basic.

I'd really appreciate if you explained this about the way you would for an eight year old: step by step with all the basics.

Thanks for your patience!

The chrome ring attaches the light to a moveable bucket. That is essentially a mount piece with one semi fixed point held by springs opposite the two screws which then forms a trianglular 3 point mount. There are 2 slots which can be either on the bucket or the chrome ring which slide into a groove located just behind the large head of each adjustment screw. When screw is moved in or out, the slots ride the groove and move in or out to tip the headlight up/down or R/L as referenced to the fixed point and other screw.

It may seem the adjusting screws don't move the bucket very much because they don't. But if you had the headlights on at night you would see the beam moving 100 feet ahead of you. A tiny movement of the screw = a substantial movement 100 feet away due to the law of leverage.

Pat -

Howard's explanation of the theory of operation behind headlight adjustment is spot-on, but perhaps a picture from the parts book will help:




(Just click on the image for a larger view.)

The movable bucket (4.13026) has a pair of slotted tabs, each of which engages an adjusting screw (4.13002) - one at the top (for up/down) and one and the side (for left/right). If those screws aren't properly positioned in the corresponding slots, then you'll get no movement of the headlamp by turning the screws.

Also, I believe that those screws are threaded into the bottom of the larger bucket (4.1301), which is held in a fixed position, relative to the sheet metal of the front fender. Make sure the threads on those screws or in that fixed bucket haven't stripped out.

Then, if you look closely at the illustration of that fixed bucket, you should see a hooked, coiled spring, which is secured to the fixed bucket by a rivet at one end. The other end hooks onto a notch on the rim of the movable bucket. If this spring is not secured at each end, then turning the adjusting screws won't do anything, either.

Many thanks! Amazing how a picture makes it all fall into place!

Didn't know the parts book had pictures like this; thought it was just listings. Hmnnnn.....

Edit: just found the plates section of the parts book. Amazing stuff that really clarifies so much of this mechanical stuff.

That brings me to a new question. had taller links installed and the car sits down at the rear a bit. In the parts plates (32, 32A, 32B) where is the turnbuckle that needs to be loosened to relevel the car. Don't panic; I won't be doing it....just want to know.....

Thanks again.

The turnbuckle is approximately in line with the rear edge of the front door. Look underneath at that point at the main torsion bar and you can see the linkage with the turnbuckle attached.

Hi Brian Is there, somewhere in the forums, an illustration of the 22nd Series headlamp similar to this one ?

My topic is in Post War Cars under "Headlamp Adjusters"

Illustration would help no end maybe you could post it into my Topic ?

Best regards Michael