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Thank you, Howard. The siren definitely does not have the high load of a starter motor (as I recall, the wire is 10awg) and I’m also not planning on attending any accidents where it needs to be used on the road to get there! Anyway, I’lll check it out tomorrow with an ohm meter.

Continuous vs intermittent is not so much load but rather it means the length of time the coil can stay energized before the solenoid overheats. Most coils are wound on a plastic core these days and if it gets too hot the plastic deforms and the plunger can no longer move in the core. The coils can also burn out if kept on too long. Even back in that era whatever the coils were wound on was susceptible to heat. I have an Autolite solenoid for the big starters with just that condition. It got too hot and the plunger was stuck inside the bore.

I understand that but this won't be used at all other than an occasional wail! I'm nearly deaf as it is and it's too loud for me.

I’ve not worked much on this project while pondering what to do about the engine and decided that the best thing is to pull it out where it can be properly repaired where the studs have bad holes. Of course, it will be magni-fluxed, tanked and get new cam bearings but I am not expecting an actual rebuild. Once I determine which oversized is needed for the rod and main bearings, those will be replaced along with the rings.

In order to pull the engine, it must come down off of the lift so today I began adjusting the brakes so that they can be filled and bled in case I need to stop it in a hurry as it seems to want to speed away if left to its own. The rear passenger side seemed to adjust easily but the rear driver side has not yet made contact in spite turning and turning the adjuster! I don’t really want to remove the drum to see what’s going on but it might be necessary although I believe there is an inspection window on the tire side. I had to come in early for a Zoom meeting but depending how long it lasts, I may go back out. Lots of snow between here and there but none came down this afternoon so that’s good.

I would like to flush and bleed the brakes today but am unsure of the pressure to use. Looking online recommends nothing over 20 lbs but I think that's with modern plastic reservoirs in mind so that they're not damaged with the pressure. Any thoughts on the pressure for the Packard? My pressure bleeder is steel so can handle quite a bit.

After adding more pressure to the bleeder and taking it over to the car for the bleeding, I discovered that the Packard bleeder adapter I have is far too small for the Henney! I knew that the master was larger but I didn't realize that its cap was too. The Packard cap fits loosely inside the Henney one. Fortunately I have a spare cap from the aftermarket master that the Henney had when I bought it so it will be modified for the purpose although I’ll have to figure out how to deal with the vent hole.

Tap it for a machine screw and thread in a pan head with a copper washer or the like 🤔

The vent hole is tiny and is right where the square and flange meet but it feeds into a counterbore on the back side. I think better yet would be to just tap it larger and let the fitting cover it which I thought of after I posted. 1/8 NTP wouldn’t do it (unless it’s done off-center) but I think 1/4 NPT or larger would.

Quote:

The pressure is to push the fluid out the open bleeder. You need enough to get a good stream out of the bleeder. You don't want to sit there all day watching it drip out and you don't want to drain the bleeder tank every few seconds.

And too much pressure could blow the drain hose off the bleeder screw or, depending on the catch container, cause fluid to slosh over the sides. Either will make a big mess.