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Regarding changes in timing, though not the preferred way it is possible to change timing by rotating the distributor independently of the clamp with the index marks. Take a look at how the hold-down clamp attaches to the distributor body and you'll see how this can be done. I'm not saying this happened or didn't, just that it's possible.

Personally, I'd tune-up to OEM specs and not to emissions data.

Thanks, Howard. I will go back to an earlier post when I was working on the starter to see how it is non-standard for 1940, but I did use a new 1940 harness. John did a super job when he rebuilt the engine and all connections are tight, but I'll double check them. Sometimes the wire comes a little loose from the connector proper. Everything looks secure at the post, until you wiggle the wire.

A replacement button arrived from the flackmaster, which I put in the gove box. I have had no problem starting the car since the incident last Friday.

Now I have this timing issue. After my chores, I'll warm her up and do a video. But I'd never seen a discussion of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide levels discussed here.

Mystery (to me and pro shop) solved. That pesky hexhead screw under the grease cup on the rear side of the distributor was missed, so they couldn't really set the timing. They did the best they could not knowing it existed.

As soon as they told me they couldn't rotate the distributor, I knew the answer. The illusive hexhead screw.

They applied their electronic gear to it, an adjustable 6v timing light and some other meter for setting the dwell. And now the car is ready for California next week.

Of course I had to drive home in a thunderstorm.

The brakes are phenomenal.

Idle is at 390.

mktx.com/packard/Idle6719.MP4

HARNESS CONNECTORS I drove the Duchess to Santa Clara CA for my granddaughter's graduation, about 650 miles. Midway down I couldn't restart after stopping for gas. I was carrying a new starter button from the flackmaster, but first I checked the wire in the starter circuit. The connector was tight to the starter terminal, but the wire itself slipped loose of the connector and the break was hidden by the rubber sheath over the end of the wire. I stripped a bit of wire and wrapped it around the post. When I got to San Francisco I bought some connectors and reattached the wire securely.

I had an appointment with Pumphrey & Co in Campbell CA, a 60-mile drive. Everything was fine until the stoplight at the bottom of the off ramp 3 block's from the shop. I had no electricity at all. The double wire connector to the starter had let the wires slip out. I called AAA to tow me to the shop, but Oregon-AAA had to patch to CA-AAA who didn't even answer their road service phone for a full half-hour. Then they wanted another hour and a half to arrive. Juan, a fellow with the crew that maintain the off-ramps, helped me make a jumper wire so I could drive the car to the shop where Matt Pumphrey made new connections (the 3rd wire connection pulled loose when he bumped it fixing the double wire connection).
This is a replacement harness. Matt said it may have been caused by sustained vibration.

HALOGEN They replaced my regular sealed beams with halogen ones from Dwight Heinmuller.

ACCELERATOR LINKAGE They worked on my accelerator linkage and increased the reach a lot, but now I need a new bracket for the passing gear switch so it matches up. I have a huge amount of increased power. I really didn't need a passing gear going home.

BRAKE FLUID About 150 from home, the brakes felt softer than usual. I had lost a fair amount of brake fluid. I refilled it. It was still full this morning and with my daughter's help found that the master cylinder wasn't leaking. On the garage floor, it appeared the leak was coming from the front passenger side. I got under looking from the source in a brakeline or front wheel. It was messy under there.

BROKEN FLUEL PUMP In wiping off the fuel pump, I discovered that the top chamber was broken off. Just floppy. So I stopped there until son John and I can replace it and track the brake leak. QUESTION: What would cause the top half to shear off like that?

SLIPPING CLUTCH My clutch started slipping toward the end of the trip. It was either from the brake fluid leak (I'm using DOT 5 silicone) or from the fuel pump which was oily or from the crank case ventilator that comes down right infront of the clutch. Then we can spray the clutch with brake cleaner, but this time I'll wear an industrial paint mask so I don't asphyxiate myself.

The local concours is about 3 weeks away, so action is required.

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Joe, having all those problems is too much like adventure! I don't know about you but at my age I would opt for less adventure than you seem to have on your long trips.

The wiring harness as far as I am concerned is inexcusable. I am a firm believer in solder connections and to have only crimps makes me wonder if you are not going to find other issues. As I see it whoever made the harness did not use a quality crimp tool or didn't use quality terminals. Either way there could be other loose connectors waiting for an inconvenient time to act up. Maybe you or your son could give a quick tug on some of the wires going into other connectors and see if any wires want to pull out before the next trip.

Unless there was a crack in the pump housing that went unnoticed and finally broke about the only thing I can think of is something made the rod travel too far and the housing couldn't handle the extra. Assuming the pump has the proper arm and throw for the car perhaps something came loose internally and the upper rod jumped out of its proper location.

This little trip put 1,749 miles on the odometer, so now total miles are 431,400.
Nothing major happened, really, but it pays to monitor everything. I think it seems more obsessive to do it at each stop because no one opens the hood when they refuel anymore.

About midway home I stopped at a Valvoline. They checked and added a little gear oil to the transmission/overdrive and didn't charge me. The pit guy was very conscientious and took a photo of the manual page before doing anything and then checked with me as he did it. There was peace of mind on that issue anyway the rest of the trip.

I didn't check the water the entire trip, despite many hours on the road in the 90s and low 100s. That was dumb.

One can never assume...it's like a new car. It's not.

What an exciting trip. Remind me to pack my cellphone and a cooler of drinks before riding with you.

Can send a fuel pump core down to Feltz on Monday if you need...he'll have it next day. ?

Same for Clutch... I'm pretty sure I have a pair of cores if you want them sent anywhere so you can R&R.

DAF

I appreciate that, David. I gave your name to a retired aircraft mechanic I met on the Oregon Coast coming home who is buying a 1941 160 sedan next week which is missing its speedometer.

I still need a distributor with good bushings to replace my wobbly one.

BTW My clutch is fairly new, so we'll wash it once the source of brake fluid or oil is nailed shut.

I have a very clean double-action fuel pump that makes sucking sounds, so we'll try that and toss the other one. Never heard of the top section breaking off.

A real puddle on the garage floor under the passenger side this morning had no smell. The DOT 5 brake fluid has no smell. But the doggone master cylinder was full (after 200 miles driving twisty coastal 101. But there is a lot of oil on the bottom of everything in that same area...some from the ventilator pipe and some from the fuel pump. (I didn't need wipers on this trip or might have known when the fuel pump broke. None now.)

I'll work on it tomorrow, at least remove the fuel pump.

FUEL PUMP: Sheared fuel pump removed. Next step, install spare pump.

Besides the pump breaking in half, a copper line was sheared, too, probably from the top vibrating. Not sure how many 100 miles I drove in this condition. Never needed wipers in CA. Lucky I made it home.

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A curious pump failure, I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. Diaphragm assembled incorrectly?