Re: 1955 700R4 conversion

Posted by Craig the Clipper Man On 2013/7/17 8:23:11

WauhopM:

I do not know just how long the Twin Ultramatic in my car has been running. I know it was rebuilt not that long before I bought it in June 2012. I do know that it is the weakest link in an otherwise strong running car. The only times of the year it seems to work OK are spring and fall. In winter it clunks from gear to gear and in summer, when it's hot, well ... I don't really trust it for any real distance beacause of its propensity to overheat and stay stuck in either first or second gear. Since there is no overdrive, it feels like I am really pushing the car when I am only driving 65 mph. Right now, with it being so hot outside, I do not feel good about driving it anywhere, despite checking the fluid level every time I start it.

It seems a shame that in order to get a Twin Ultramatic to work right every time an owner must be "lucky" enough to know an experienced Packard mechanic. I think for anyone who wants to drive their '55 confidently, then it seems that conversion to the 700R4 or another transmission might be the best course of action, as long as you can maintain the P-N-D1-D2-L-R shifting configuration.