Re: Modern transmissions??

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2009/8/1 17:48:58

Yes, 10+ years of service from 2 of them, and friends with much more than that and still going. But here's the crux as I see it: almost any transmission guy can open a kit, replace the gaskets, seals and soft linings, and send you on your way. If that's all you needed, then all's OK.

But you really want a guy who knows Ultramatics and will check for the things that are unique to Ultramatic's performance, worn bushings, scored shafts, etc. There are also some other things to consider that joe-the-rebuilder wouldn't know about - replacing the wave washer in a 56 torque converter, possibly upgrading to an steel alloy parking lever, etc. Real Ultramatic guys know this, the franchise transmission guy won't and doesn't want to.

Properly rebuilt, you should have no concerns, but you should avoid a steady diet of lead-foot starts from a standstill, and generally drive a Twin Ultramatic in the conventional mode (not the so-called 3-speed option). Simply giving one that has problems to a guy that just sticks parts in it will likely not be satisfactory over the longer haul.

There are more qualified guys around today who can work on Ultramatics, the real bleak days were in the 60s and 70s and a lot of those shlock-jobs didn't help the reputation of the unit. I suspect there will be plenty of guys around in the future as well. Though I may be in a minority, I wouldn't consider buying a Packard with a non-stock transmission if it was a reasonable to high-value car.