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I'm looking for some guidance to resolve a problem which has existed since I've owned my 46 Packard Clipper Deluxe. The turn signals will not self- cancel. After a turn I must move the turn signal lever to cancel signal. I believe I have found problem but need guidance/ procedure to correct. See gap in attached photos. How can this be corrected? Thanks in advance.

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Assuming both canceling pins are intact and extend the proper distance from the wheel hub to catch the switch hooks, and the wheel is not held up on the splines you might try loosening the clamp under the dash and the clamp at the end of the column where it attaches to the steering box and see if the complete column can be moved up a slight bit.

Hopefully it will move with a little persuasion but there is a concave ring that surrounds the steering shaft which actually provides the inner race for the top bearing. It is kept in tight contact with the bearing by the spring under the steering wheel. The concave ring normally rides close to a split retainer which rests in a groove around the shaft. The concave ring is also somewhat tight on the shaft. If that ring has been pushed down by the spring the tightness and spring tension may prevent the column from moving up. In that case it would take disassembly of the wheel and spring to lift the ring back up against the retainer while you reposition the column.

Howard, Thanks I give both a try. Is there a diagram in the parts book showing the cancelling pins?

If you remove the steering wheel, the canceling pins are on the back side of the wheel. I had a similar problem with my 51, so I pulled out one of them and found a metal rod at the hardware store of a similar size, and just made two new ones, longer than the original and put them back in. Fixed the problem.

Dave, Thanks for the info--if I need to I'll use your fix.

Update--loosened clamps and tried moving column, it didnt move. I can see the pins so my next move is to remove the steering wheel. Hope to do that next week.

I encountered this same problem. when I got my '52 one signal canceled. A few times I had to remove the steering wheel for a signal issue and another time or two for a horn issue. the first time I took the wheel off I marked the position of the wheel carefully and when I put it back I paid attention to the pins and my signals worked as intended/. they canceled perfectly. but then when I went back for other issues I forgot about the positioning and now I have not found that 'sweet' spot . the wheel does not go down as far as it was before. and of coarse the marking I had faded. I used a Crayola......
someday I will get it correct.
I even cleaned the splines and groves etc thinking I would get a better fit.

To re-open a blast from the last years past...I also have a question regarding the internals of the steering column.

Does anyone have an exploded view or some pictures???

This picture is what I have inside my steering column. All that there is inside is a cone shaped bearing and a spring. My guess is that the spring is supposed to exert pressure on the bearing and keep the steering shaft centered.

It seems to me that something is missing because when I reinstall the steering wheel over this spring, the steering wheel will bottom out on the splines (as one would expect) however there still seems to be a lot of play side to side and up and down (not forward and aft...or I guess you can say in and out). It seems that perhaps I lost a cone shaped spacer or something.

This is my dads car and I have rarely driven it so therefore I do not know if this is normal. I only reinstalled the steering wheel and tested it to see if it was safe and the left to right play was uncomfortable.

I had the steering column out and when I reinstalled it, I bottomed out the outer tube flush against the steering gear (see attached PDF) and with that being done perhaps this would place the steering wheel too far up and away from the spring so that perhaps the spring (if that is the only device that presses against the internal bearing) and this position would allow sufficient pressure is exerted on the bearing. The turn signal cancellation pins are apparently close enough to where the turn signal will still cancel.

The service manual is very sparse on these details.

Any suggestions???

Bill

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There should be a concave ring around the shaft that goes down inside the bearing to form the inner race for the balls. On top of that is a split ring which fits into a notch in the shaft and then the spring goes over both to push and keep the concave plate down in the bearing. The distance on the steering box is not a fixed amount. The depth around the neck does depend on where the wheel lies on the splines etc. Did your car have a bent wire like anti-vibration spring that fits between between a groove on the top of gearshift tube and the switch area?

Howard says>There should be a concave ring around the shaft that goes down inside the bearing to form the inner race for the balls. On top of that is a split ring which fits into a notch in the shaft and then the spring goes over both to push and keep the concave plate down in the bearing.

OK...so at least Howard confirms I am not gone Packard Crazy over these last couple of months. Yes...it appears...my dad's car is indeed missing this concave ring and the split ring thingy...

Does anyone have these two parts?

Howard also says>The distance on the steering box is not a fixed amount. The depth around the neck does depend on where the wheel lies on the splines etc. Did your car have a bent wire like anti-vibration spring that fits between between a groove on the top of gearshift tube and the switch area?

Then Bill says (after a couple of wines this evening)> Hmmm...no bent wire-anti-vibration-spring-thingy...sounds (reads) like I need some parts.

All I have is the spring shown in the previous picture (attached here again) and with the parts I currently have...the steering wheel simply slides down on top of the spring...then...on top of the steering wheel will slide on the horn connector (washer looking thing that connects to the long wire that slides through the hole in the inner tube) and another spring that will be smashed between the metal horn upper washer.

With respect to the depth of the neck of the steering wheel on the shaft...I understand that it does it not rely on it's position with relation to the splines (left or right on the splines)...however...the depth of the steering wheel on the inner shaft will depend on the relation of the outer shaft to the steering gear case...IF...the outer tube is placed right up against the steering gear case (as mine is in the attached diagram) then the inner shaft will be longer (with respect to the outer tube) and therefore when the steering wheel is bolted onto the inner shaft and torqued down to the point where it bottoms out on the inner shaft splines and it can not be pressed on any more then there could be a gap between the steering wheel and the steering column shroud...however...since this unit is missing parts (inner concave ring and split ring) then Howard has accurately identified the problem..

Does anyone have an exploded view/diagram of this contraption???

THANKS All (especially Howard and Dell) for your assistance on helping me fix "Grandads Car"!!!

Bill

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