Re: 32 Transmission woes

Posted by Tim Cole On 2010/8/11 17:49:03

Oh wow. I assume it didn't work right before.

The Packard Senior three speed transmission was a hand crafted affair and, technically speaking, rebuilding it was not an authorized repair. That's because it was a superior unit and the Packard company flatly stated that it should only require a few minor adjustments over the life of the vehicle in the unusual event of a shift quality problem.

But Packard is gone and some of them just have to have service.

I've done a number of these and been cursed out for taking too long to set them up. These were units that were going to blow up otherwise so they had to come apart. However, when you're working with worn out synchronizers and gears nothing goes like the manual says it should. So you have to take some time and understand that this is a process of reaching a compromise. Also, they don't come out very easily given the dozens of bolts, brackets, floorboards and what not that are in the way.

I recently had some parts custom made for a Packard and, low and behold, the adjustments worked just like the manual says they should.

Usually shift quality problems in the Senior Packard transmission is a matter of adjustments that are outlined in the service manual. I'm sure it would be easier given somebody had the genuine Packard tools.

If somebody called up and said they wanted to rebuild a Senior Packard transmission for the heck of it I would try to talk them out of it.