Re: Twin Ultramatic Shifting

Posted by BH On 2008/5/27 8:06:46

Unless there's evidence of previous tinkering, I prefer to leave throttle linkage adjustments as a last resort, but only because there were several changes involving the procedure since the advent of the Gear Start Ultramatic (and the automatic upshift from low to high).

Given the recommendation in the previous post, I'm gonna try to cover the salient articles published in the Service Counselor (SC) and Studebaker Service Bulletin (SSB) and reprinted in the "Complete Ultramatic Service Information" books - all of which, I believe, are archived here at PackardInfo in the Articles section.

Before adjusting anything, since the linkage involves a solid rod, you should check for a damaged or improperly bent rod. Rod length data was provided for 24th-55th Series in SC Vol. 29, No. 4 (p. 26) and reiterated in SSB No. 340 (p. 7), but supplemental rod length data was provided for 56th Series in SSB No. 344 (p. 4).

Also while a "Throttle Control Shaft Lever Extension Kit" was released to alter the linkage geometry and eliminate unwanted kickdown for 55th Series in SC Vol. 29, No. 7 (p. 36), that application was extended to early 56th Series in SC Vol. 29, No. 12 (p. 65). I'm not sure whether this would apply to your car, though.

The corrected procedures for adjusting the throttle linkage for each Series was reviewed in SC Vol. 30, No. 5 (p. 18). However, since the remaining Studebaker dealers took over service for Packards in later years, throttle linkage adjustment corrections and variations were revisited in SSB No. 340 (p. 7).

Someone feel free to chime in if I missed one.