Re: 1951 ultramatic removal

Posted by Gary On 2012/1/10 8:16:29

I believe I can understand your dilemma Casey. Possessing the correct tools and shop equipment to do the job is probably 75% of the ability to perform the job efficiently. The average hobby mechanic probably owns jack stands that provide 18" of clearance from the floor to the rocker panels at best. That distance is based on the stands being placed under the rear axle housing at the spring perches and the front lower control arms at the coil spring seats. I'm guessing that even the most compact transmission jack or hydraulic floor jack would have to be at least 4" high and is more likely to be 6" so to have a decent chance of getting the transmission out from under the car once it's unbolted, the car probably needs to be a minimum of 24" at the points mentioned above. So the real challenge is getting the car high enough to remove the transmission SAFELY. The '51 through'54 service manual provides explicit details and photos on how to do it but it's being done in a controlled environment. The car is up on a hydraulic lift providing standing room access. The mechanic is installing a factory engine support bracket and is using a transmission jack as tall as he is...he started the procedure with a hot cup of coffee and it's still steaming when the transmission is placed on the work bench...
The instructions for removing the transmission are on page 2 under the Ultramatic section of the manual here.https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/servicemanual5154/Ultramatic_VII.pdf
Lately, I've been tossing around the idea of removing my transmission if it needs to be rebuilt and I've pretty much settled on removing both the engine and transmission together. Of course, my decision is based on the fact that my car could use a valve job which will probably include replacing the guides so I figure at that point just go ahead and replace the rings and bearings while its out and then its done.

Again Casey, I can't stress "SAFETY" enough. Honestly, If I had it to do and decided that removing the transmission by itself was the way I wanted to go, I believe I'd try to find four nice size blocks of oak to set that behemoth on that will give you a minimum of 24" from floor to rocker panels and you can rest assured it will be high enough and won't go anywhere barring an earthquake.