I don't think they will harm anything by themselves but if the TL is forcing the rear end down, there will be lots of strain applied to something to try and overcome it. You said no power so assume you have checked both fuses--the 20 amp one in the red individual feed wire to solenoids coming from starter solenoid and the body feed fuse on the fuse block which feeds the control box via brake switch and the switch under dash. If you have and both fuses OK, then a failed brake switch itself is a good prospect.

If the motor runs at all, you should be able to level the car by removing both wires from motor studs (labeled A & F). CAREFULLY using a jumper cable from the hot battery terminal briefly touch one or the other terminal to run the motor in the direction needed. I say carefully because without limit switches you must be sure the transverse bars are not at one extreme end of travel when doing this and inadvertently run motor the wrong way and do damage by driving the bars past center on the compensator..

Wonder if that is the AMC vehicle he is using in some of the footage in the DVD sold by Motor City Packards. For anyone interested in first hand knowledge, do recommend picking that particular interview and the accompanying movies up before it too disappears.

There is another thread somewhere mentioning several design improvements and simplifications envisioned for the 57 TL. I believe there might be even prototype drawings or pictures either here or perhaps it was in a PAC magazine article in the last year or so.

Good to know about the Hudson use and nice to have another option. I am thinking that finding a stock of Hudson senders might be about as interesting as finding Packard ones though.

Am still thinking that there must be an early Ford product that also used the bimetal types. The Motor's and Chilton manuals call them Ford and King-Seely type. Packard used King-Seely and don't think Ford was the manufacturer so why the name otherwise.

I don't have any reference info for Ford to look thru so am hoping that someone familiar with the early Ford cars might know and post any information. Of course, even if they did use the type, probably wouldn't get lucky twice and have it be a drop in like the later one. The unknown type senders on one early Ford parts site I looked at were of a different look.

Thanks, Brian. Sure looks like the Spectra is the same style unit that Quanta and Classic have. With Classic's price, am wondering if maybe theirs is sourced overseas or if the site is way out of date. Napa has the FG97A listed on their site at $109 which may be the same one our vendors are selling with a bit of cushion added.

Good question about the difference in senders. Tank size is the same and the electrical function is same as the 52 on being the resistance type unit. The gauge is even the same one for 51-2.

Possibly there was a slight error in the bend and wrong reading in the 51 units that was corrected with a new piece. There is an SC article listing the correct float distance for 51 "after numerous requests from the field" for the information.

I believe this is the type of sender used in the 49. It is not a resistor but rather a bimetal element whose characteristic heat, bend and break cycle is affected by the float adding or subtracting force. This changes the on/off cycle duration and makes the gauge bimetal element respond accordingly on the scale. The photos are of a NOS Packard unit of that approximate era.

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There is a jamb nut only Packard calls it a locking nut. Here is the procedure from 55 manual. Identical to earlier years--just a better copy to read.

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You mentioned hearing something drop when you removed the body so it is possible you have the original style bands with the struts as a separate loose piece rather than the later version where they are pinned on & can't fall. The use of the strut holding tool PU-308 when replacing the valve body as mentioned in the manual is very advantageous.

If the trans is out you can work carefully with things upside down without them but if trans still in car, you can make a serviceable substitute by getting pieces of flat stiff steel or aluminum about 1/16 thick, an inch or so wide and 6" or so long -- enough to reach the levers & struts from the side of the case.

They are simply a couple of pieces of flat metal with a hole in one end which uses a bolt threaded into one of the oil pan holes to keep levers and struts in place until the valve body is positioned and can hold them properly. After that is positioned and screws started, the tools are then unscrewed and slid out and body tightened.

Thanks for info. There are also a couple of other Ford possibilities that will fit 51-56 and doesn't need a new plate. Available from Classic Car and from Quanta for around the same price if a local Napa is not handy.

http://www.classiccarautoparts.com/gastank_sending_units_ford.html

http://www.quantaproducts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SUF5759

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Am I understanding you correctly, the car is locked and will not budge at all backward even if pushed? If so, can you push if forward or will it drive forward?

If it is totally locked going in reverse, and the solenoid is installed correctly have a look at service counselor vol 21 #15https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/SC/SC-VOL21NO15.pdf and see if any of those symptoms fit. Even though it's a later bulletin, the overdrive is virtually the same as what was used on your car. Perhaps when replacing the unit, something was misaligned or is now binding to the point the sleeve mentioned as the problem for driving in reverse is locking things up.