GM 4L60E Transmission Adapted for 1955 Packard 400
Posted by Kevin AZ On 2011/9/14 18:33:31
All,
I remained quiet about this project for some time other than consulting with Craig Hendrickson from Nevada and Art Butler of Arizona. As many of you know, I endeavored to restore my '55 400 over ten years and I think I did a pretty job but my transmissions have always been problematic. Please see some of the pictures I previously posted about the torque converter I encountered while trying to fix my transmission issues. Yes, I did labor over keeping it original or doing something else. I chose something else because I intend on driving my Packard for many years and I wanted the real reliability.
Thus, yesterday I took delivery of my Packard after it has spent the last (3) weeks in Phoenix Arizona with Packards of Arizona (Packards International) member Art Butler. Art is an extraordinary fellow who owns many Packards and also an beautifully restored '56 400 painted in Scottish Heather. Art, I learned some time ago has always been troubled by the ultramatic issues in 55-56's and he has long theorized how to fix that and keep our beloved Packards on the road! To that end, Art found a way to mate a GM 4L460E transmission to 55-56 Packards so that we can keep them reliably on the road.
The following pictures show some of the process that Art and his staff completed. I now have a modern transmission with 3 forward speeds and overdrive. Yes I have "customized" my 400 again, but it has been done very discerningly to keep the car looking as "from the period" as possible. The components used to complete the transmission were purchased from TCI and one of the slickest things is that a speedo control unit was also used with a TCI speedo cable that enables me to motor down the road with my original Packard speedometer fully correct and operating.
Lastly, my Packard now goes down the road and it keeps up with modern traffic without any problem WHATSOEVER! It shifts beautifully and locks up, to loaf along as a Packard should. Frankly, it now has plenty of testosterone and I can only think of one other Packard out there that may rival it (Paul Crowell's '56 Executive of Nevada) when it comes to raw performance on the road.
Here are some pics.
Attach file:
(104.38 KB)
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(70.31 KB)
(65.11 KB)
(75.74 KB)
(58.75 KB)
(71.69 KB)
I remained quiet about this project for some time other than consulting with Craig Hendrickson from Nevada and Art Butler of Arizona. As many of you know, I endeavored to restore my '55 400 over ten years and I think I did a pretty job but my transmissions have always been problematic. Please see some of the pictures I previously posted about the torque converter I encountered while trying to fix my transmission issues. Yes, I did labor over keeping it original or doing something else. I chose something else because I intend on driving my Packard for many years and I wanted the real reliability.
Thus, yesterday I took delivery of my Packard after it has spent the last (3) weeks in Phoenix Arizona with Packards of Arizona (Packards International) member Art Butler. Art is an extraordinary fellow who owns many Packards and also an beautifully restored '56 400 painted in Scottish Heather. Art, I learned some time ago has always been troubled by the ultramatic issues in 55-56's and he has long theorized how to fix that and keep our beloved Packards on the road! To that end, Art found a way to mate a GM 4L460E transmission to 55-56 Packards so that we can keep them reliably on the road.
The following pictures show some of the process that Art and his staff completed. I now have a modern transmission with 3 forward speeds and overdrive. Yes I have "customized" my 400 again, but it has been done very discerningly to keep the car looking as "from the period" as possible. The components used to complete the transmission were purchased from TCI and one of the slickest things is that a speedo control unit was also used with a TCI speedo cable that enables me to motor down the road with my original Packard speedometer fully correct and operating.
Lastly, my Packard now goes down the road and it keeps up with modern traffic without any problem WHATSOEVER! It shifts beautifully and locks up, to loaf along as a Packard should. Frankly, it now has plenty of testosterone and I can only think of one other Packard out there that may rival it (Paul Crowell's '56 Executive of Nevada) when it comes to raw performance on the road.
Here are some pics.
Attach file:
(104.38 KB)
(74.19 KB)
(70.31 KB)
(65.11 KB)
(75.74 KB)
(58.75 KB)
(71.69 KB)
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