Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

does anyone know of someone who will work on 56 clipper transmissions, preferably somewhere in california? mine is the three speed auto and it shifts too early making the car lug a lot. when you give it a lot of gas or drive it in high it tends to do better but i still want to fix it.

Custom Auto Service in Santa Ana is very knowlegeable about Ultramatics but first, have you checked the adjustment of the throttle linkage?

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G'day djsalv,
to you and your Clipper to PackardInfo.

to be honest, i am not very knowledgeable with cars, but the last couple guys i had look at it just said that i need to take it to a specialist. most people just say that they wont even touch them. thanks for the tip about custom auto service, ill check them out.

Before you spend a lot of time and trouble, try this: locate your throttle linkage on the top of the engine, particularly the pull rod that connects from the arm on the firewall to the carb. Clamped between two locknuts on that rod is a tab of metal that operates another linkage. Mark the present location with a piece of tape or something. Screw the two locknuts, and thus move that tab about 1/8" toward the rear of the car. Take a drive and try it. Should shift a little higher. If not, move some more to the rear til the shifting feels right. Moving it too far is not dangerous, and will only make the tranny shift high and hard. It is actually more dangerous as it is; the shift pressures may be too low and make for slippage. Also, the little rod that is attached to that tab should be in the center hole of three at its opposite end end.

All this can be done in the space of a few minutes without having to take the car anywhere. All you need are two 7/16 wrenches.

djsal wrote:
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<p>The 1956 automatic transmission (Twin-Ultramatic) is a TWO speed! It may feel like a 3-speed because the lock-up torque converter feels like a shift when it locks up. Shift out of low is designed to be at lower speed.</p>
<p>In other words, your T-U may be operating normally, you just may not think so because it behaves differently than a modern transmission.</p>
<p>Try starting in "H" position. This eliminates the low-gear start. You should only feel one "shift" which is actually the torque converter locking up.</p>
<p>Also, try starting in "L" position. This holds the transmission in low gear. The one "shift" will again be the T-U torque converter locking up. Once locked up, then shift manually to "D" or "H" and you will feel low gear release (shift).</p>
<p>Craig</p>