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No real secret to the cleaning.. I just carefully cleaned with Simple Green and a Q-tip. Then, just lubricate lightly with a light weight oil (I used 3-n-1) all pivot points. They are easy to see.

For calibration….the first thing to note is that you cannot change the range of the gauge,,,ie minimum to maximum distance the needle travels is fixed. But, you can change the center point. In my case, the needle was hard-pegged to minimum and then only could reach about 75%. After adjustment, the needle didn’t quite peg at minimum, ,but also doesn’t quite peg at maximum.

For my meter, the maximum on the scale is 212 and the center point is 180 degrees. Given the range is fixed, I focused on getting it centered when at 180 degrees.

This picture shows where the adjustment is made. The adjustment is made by gently bending this point toward the center of the gauge or out from the gauge.




It’s a bit of trial and error with very small adjustments each time. I managed to get to the point in the following picture and decided I was pretty good and it was time to stop while I was ahead.

Awesome, thanks! Maybe I'll see if I can do it while in the car so I won't have to pull all the tubing back through firewall. I know it's off as I can hit the back side of the sender with a laser thermo when the engine is warmed up and it reads about 170, While the gauge only gets to the first quarter position line.

I think you can do it in the car, but I would really recommend pulling the tube from the head so that you can easily heat some water to a known temperature to adjust to. Also, that will let you cool it back down easily (and more quickly) before making the next adjustment. Part of the adjustment is balancing the max, mid, and min points.


Also, you'll need to drop the gauge inside the cabin to below the dash where you can get to it easily. At that point it may become a two-person job since you'll be working in the engine compartment and the cabin.

Looking at the photo it appears that the needle had gotten twisted at some point which may have been why it was off so far. Where the needle comes up out of the hole and the needle itself begins should be straight to one another and it usually aligns more or less in the same direction as the swing arm underneath but, unless it's just a trick of the photo, yours appears to be at an angle. Since it is calibrated now, obviously leave it alone but I would have probably started by physically aligning things, then calibrating it.

No, it’s not twisted at all, I think what you may be seeing is just shadows and an odd angle in the photo. Here’s a better photo.

I thought it might have been a shadow but even enlarged, it appeared to be at an angle! Thank you for the clarification.

Today was a really good day. My Dad has very limited mobility and uses a walker. A 5-in step is about all he can manage. I built a series of platforms that let him get into (and out of) the car.

This picture was the last time he was in the car back in 2004.




This was today…My Dad in front with me and my Mom and Kathy being chauffeured in the back.

That's awesome! So glad that he got to take a ride again. I'm sure that was a great feeling for everyone involved.

[quote]
Don B wrote:.......My Dad has very limited mobility and uses a walker. A 5-in step is about all he can manage. I built a series of platforms that let him get into (and out of) the car.

[quote]
Great that you're looking after your Dad like that. I know first hand what "limited mobility" is like, Parkinsons has done that to me. A computer screen is as close to a Packard as I can get nowadays

That is what keeping these cars going is all about! Fantastic! There is no better result than that, well done!
The steps are perfect. I will have to lift my Mom in mine when the weather is warmer, of all the cars I have done it is this one that has really captured her fancy. It'll be top down to set her in so she will have to hold on to her wig!
Wonderful post, I am so glad you shared it with us.
Bob J.