60mph without lockup on an ultramatic? Both the 288 and the 327 in my 50 both seemed like they were going to rev out and explode by about 60 mph if i was flooring it and not letting it lock up. Of course, i have no idea what my rear gear ratio is either.

On my rebuilt tranny (because i don't have the linkage adjusted just yet) there's a very very slight pause and then a nice solid lockup. I'm sure if i adjusted it to lockup at a slightly lower rpm/mph, it would feel like it did before the rebuild: like a soft light throttle modern gear shift, and quick.

If it's not locking up, you'll know it. Can't get anywhere, like driving around in first gear in a stick car, overreving.

A common suggestion is to make sure you're using new...and the right size battery cables. Don't use the 12v ones from the parts store, and i believe some have recommended having welding shops make you some. The previous owner of my car had them made from welding cable, and they've worked great on 2 different motors/starters hot and cold.

Congrats and glad to hear another packard (with overdrive!) on the road! Just in time for the holidays!

I'll bite also, are you sure it's not a 455 HO or just a plain 455 (which isn't a bad thing at all.)

As a bathtub owner, I can't stand the look of customized bathtubs, period.

But DAMN if that isn't a FINE looking car that is way sexier than a chopped merc anyday...nice job!

What's the driveline you ended up with?

I ran the trickshift before and after the rebuild, i doubt any fluid short of something that's not even ATF would cause those issues.

Did they replace the direct drive disc in the converter? When mine was restored 15+ years ago, they did seals and gaskets but no internal parts. Finally, after overheating it on a trip 3+ hours from home and pushing the car to the limit, i took the trans down for rebuild because of internal pressure leaks, and found the direct drive clutch disc was coming apart. I know it was my fault from the abuse, and angrily pushing the car with a pretty high temp gauge at 70+ mph with the hot radiator heating the trans fluid was not a good idea.


Anyway, had it rebuilt buy a guy here in Ohio who had done a few a LONG time ago. I bought the parts, when there was a machining issue i found the directions for the fix, and he did everything. I did the converter and direct drive disc myself.

Anyways, parts was like $500 with the NOS direct drive disc from someone here. Rest of the parts were from kanter (bushings, clutch discs, etc). I can't quote his price as we did some horse trading with my computer business, but i'd venture a guess that a rebuild with parts would be in the 1200-1500 area? Not really that bad. Of course Ross is the go to guy, but there are cheaper options.

Also, i TOTALLY bent my rods removing my motor and tranny. I fixed them as best i could, and connected them up and adjusted them per ross's directions (very easy) and the tranny has been perfect.

As a side note, when done using modern parts, your soft parts are essentially all the same material as GM...and trickshift hasn't been eating up GM trannys that i've heard of. If yours was recently rebuild correctly, it should have GM linings and modern seals.

All i wanted was to drive my packard on my wedding day. Didn't make it. And then to bring my little girl home when she was born. Didn't make it. Oh well, maybe it'll take her to prom? With dad chauffeuring so that no handsy sonfabitch tries anything?

Lastly, there is a place that sells a kit to put a GM tranny behind a straight eight, it's about 1K for the kit. With your experience, you could make it fit if there's x-member issues, and you're already 12 volt if you want to use a computer. I'd look at a 700r4 or electronic variant, and make use of a lockup converter. Why go with a 727 when it will be more work and a little more money, but you could have lockup and OD?

Dibs on the motor if he pitches it!

Also, if you put it in reverse and give it gas and it goes into gear sooner than the 15 seconds you're waiting in idle, that would be another clue that possibly there's internal leaks inside the tranny that's costing you pressure, and giving it gas is helping overcome that.

In my 1950 when this started, it came down to the servo seals not holding pressure. Good thing i took it apart for a rebuild, the cork was starting to come apart on the direct drive clutch (no doubt due to a hot, angry, bitter 3 hour drive home from a show that finished it off) and the clutch plates were wore down pretty well (so i was told by the rebuilder)

If you have time and funds, get a rebuild kit, and have it done or do it. Now i have no delay in gear (actually hits pretty decent when you put it in gear now) and everything works smoothly, better then it had ever worked for me.