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LEAK 1: VALVE COVER SCREW Because I hadn't done it since coming back from CA, I had the oil and filter changed. There were some drips from the oil pump. I tightened everything on the pump proper. Then I noticed that the screw holding the heat shield, that also retains the valve cover was not tight. We'd left the shield a little loose to position the fuel pump lines. I tightened that screw, but just enough so I didn't see threads.

QUESTION: I'm a little apprehensive about how much to tighten the valve cover screw where the heat shield mounts. What's the guide for doing this?

Thursday I drove to Seattle. I started to experience some slippage. A lot by the time I got home.

As you can see, the interior of the housing has a lot of oil. The little reservoirs in the top of the oil pump casting were pools of oil, obviously coming from above, the valve cover/heat shield screw. I wiped that all down and tightened the screw a bit more.

I pulled the carpet and checked for leaks from the tranny cover. All nice and dry. I added the dust cover to the breather screw, now in the correct right rear position.

REAR MAIN SEAL: I washed the clutch of oil figuring I could make it to someplace to replace the rear main seal during my trip to Monterey later this week. I ordered a pan gasket and rear main seal today (Thanks to Olson's calling me about my email) and it will arrive Tues or Wed, (a couple of Packardians recommended George Potter's son Vintage Underground in Eugene, Oregon. I haven't called him yet, because I may cancel my trip altogether. There is work to be done on the house that may need my supervision.

So oil is getting into the bell housing and on the flywheel and clutch. A lot. I still have that valve cover to deal with, but the rear main seal can be a problem and there's no way to check it without seeing it.

I took oil out of the filter canister so I can add Blue Devil sealer to the oil before I leave and see if that helps by the time I get to Eugene. I may add that tomorrow and do more driving to see if leaks persist, and especially if I can trace their origin, leaving only the main rear seal as the culprit.

This whole thing kills me, because the car ran so smoothly to and from Seattle at freeway speeds and has so much power.

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MASTERPIECE THEATER (FOR PACKARD PEEPS) My friend Vaughm gave me a film strip and strip projector in the '70s, which was stolen from my garage in 2000 while on vacation. Fortunately in the '80s, I copied the projected strip images to slide film, re-recorded the audio, and synched the show for 3 slide projectors. I still have all the equipment, but my son has the 4-track now, so yesterday I digitized the images (very fuzzy and soft) and reprogrammed it in Adobe Premiere this morning.

The quality isn't great, but the content is interesting, especially if you own a 1940 160 or 160.

Please let me know if you were able to view this web-resolution version at this link.

mktx.com/packard/1940PackardMasterpiece640x480.mp4

I cancelled my trip to Pebble. I'm selling my home of 17 years and it's too daunting a task to frolic around the maypole this summer.

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Link worked fine and I think the quality is every bit as good if not better than some of the DVDs offered in years past with similar filmstrip or movie content.

I still have a leak and if it's from the rear main oil seals, how big a job is that?

I'm considering replacing the clutch (again) because of the leak, and if the clutch has to come out to do the rear seals, that would clinch it.

QUESTION: What is involved in replacing the rear seals? Do you have to pull the clutch?

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LIGHTSWITCH CIRCUIT BREAKER

I installed halogen sealed beams in the Duchess and driving back from Seattle in ther evening, all my lights went out on a portion of the freeway near Portland that fortunately was well illuminated. That was scary. And then, poof, they came on again. Whew! Then they went off again. This continued until I rolled into the driveway.

I rarely drive at night long-distance, but last night I made a 10 mile trip and the lights did it again. On and off.

This photo of my old lightswitch shows what I think is the circuit breakeror thermostatic relay and its adjustment screw, so I'm hoping there's a way to increase the tolerance before this circuit breaker opens by turning the screw CW or CCW. I just don't understand how it works, though I know I could use trial and error. Also, is it safe to adjust it? (I'm thinking it must be within the length of the screw, or else it would be fixed, not adjustable.

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I installed a pair of halogen headlights in my 55 Clipper. I was concerned about the current draw. The parts store counterman checked the specs and the halogens were rated at a bit less current draw than the tungsten ones they replaced. Don't know if this is true for the 6-volt versions.

Thanks JW.
Dwight Heinmuller checked before he started selling them and the 6v halogen draw is the same as the regular sealed beam. But still, it's the lightswitch thermostatic relay that's creating the issue.

See manual below. It doesn't suggest adjusting it.

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I believe the main reason they didn't want mechanics messing with the adjustment is it needs some special conditions and equipment to measure the current allowed to pass. In just turning the screw without any idea of what is happening it would be so easy to get it way out of range.

I would need to look at the switch closely to see the entire strip but from the photo I think the adjustment screw would need to tighten to increase the current capacity. If it works like later switches the current is fed thru a strip that bends when heated by excess current flow. To increase capacity, tightening the screw would put more pressure against the strip so it would need more current to bend it enough away from the contact point so the connection could be broken.

I don't know how much it takes to change the action hence the need for equipment and a steady current flow while doing the adjustment but I suspect the screw tightening would not be more than a 1/16 to 1/8 turn without getting to the point it might be so far out of adjustment it would take an unsafe amount of overcurrent before anything happened.

Thanks, Howard. I'll try it without change, the car idling with lights on and time that. Then I'll carefully give it CW a 1/16 turn on the adjustment screw and time that.