Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Most of the manual transmission Packard V8s I see are the 352"s from the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. These have an 11" clutch disc and the pressure plate is bolted on with 3/8" bolts.

Occasionally, I see a flywheel with a 10.5" clutch disc and the pressure plate bolted on with 5/16" bolts.

Can someone clarify which Clipper/Packard/Hashes used which manual transmission clutch and pressure plate setup?

jack vines

According to the parts manual and service counselors, for Packard the 5540 models with the 320 engines were the only ones to use the 10 1/2" clutch. Other 55s with standard trans used the 11 inch and in 56 it was all 11 inch. For Packard, also no mention of any bolts used on the flywheel other than 7/16-20. Pressure plates all used 5/16.

Anything else you see must have been Stude or Hash and I don't have parts manuals for those. If a 55 Hash used the 320 they might have used the 10 1/2 clutch too but I would have thought the bolts would have been the same 7/16 and 5/16 Packard used. Don't recall ever reading of a separate crank or flywheel being made for engines sold to others.

They did have the forged crank that came out but don't remember reading of any thing else that came with it unless it might have had something to do with that Performance package that is in some of the documents as being planned. Don't think anyone has ever said they have seen one of the packages to know if it actually made it to production.

With the Golden Hawk being more geared to performance maybe those had the 3/8 bolts on the pressure plate and could a separate flywheel have have been a Stude item???

Sorry Jack, nothing to add to the clutch situation. However, regarding the forged shaft and a relationship to a "performance" package,

the Studebaker-Packard Service Bulletin announcing the forged crankshaft states clearly that it is nothing more than a service replacement, I suppose Packard went thru replacement crankshafts for the V8 faster than they anticipated when the established inventory quantities. Perhaps we could assume that Packard's original vendor for the cast shafts was no longer in a position of supply inventory so Studebaker forged them in their own facility.

Attach file:

---

  (151.19 KB)