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If I continue doing what I'm doing, I'll wreck my headlight rims.
I called Steele Rubber, where I bought the replacement gaskets, to find out if they could recommend a tool to open the edge of the lip that holds the rubber gasket in place around the inside of the headlight rim.
They suggested the all-purpose tool shown below.
I ordered one, but I wonder if anyone else has tackled this problem and what the solution is. What tools do you need? How you open it without wrecking it.

There's just no end to the knowledge you need to restore a Packard. Well, there is an end, but I'd like to restore the Duchess before I see it.

Joe

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I am very interested also. Will have to perform the same task at some point. Perhaps West has tackled this particular job.

Quote:Joe,

Faced the same problem with my '41 120 Club Coupe during it's rebuild. Very difficult to remove the old perished rubber from the rolled over edge of the rim without doing damage. In the end just cleaned out all the old rubber I could by scraping or using a pick like the one illustrated then media blasting just the inside of the rim. Rather than say I gave up, I'd prefer to think I worked around the problem.
And was able to use the new gaskets from Steele. See my Project Blog, Mal's '41 120 Coupe, pages 41 to 44. Good luck.

Soak them in gasoline or coal oil for a couple of weeks. Maybe engine oil. anything that will dissolve the rubber.

Thanks much for the advice. I will soak until the UPS guy shows up with my backordered tool, before I set to pickin.

Or spray them with PB Blaster?

(o{I}o)

I haven't tackled that job, yet. My originals, though not perfect, appear to be okay.

The cost of that "all purpose" tool seems to be a bit steep, in my opinion. I would think Sears would have it for about $3-$5.