Re: '56 Patrician New Owner Questions.
Posted by HH56 On 2018/7/24 17:14:14
Congratulations. The 56 is a beautiful car when all sorted out.
Typical places the transmission leaks are the front pump shaft and seals around the throttle valve shaft on the passenger side and the selector shaft on the drivers side. The two side seals are obvious but if the front seal is leaking that will have oil coming out around the inspection plate edges or the small hole in the bottom of the lower bellhousing cover.
To a lesser extent, if the pan mounting lip has been distorted by the pan bolts being tightened too much it can leak around the cork gaket between bolts. You can check for distortion by using a straightedge across the pan at the bolt holes when the pan is off. Use a small hammer to flatten any metal that is pushed up so the gasket has a smooth surface to seal against.
The 56 Twin Ultramatic is significantly improved over the 55 with different shift points and other refinements but was still a relatively new item. H or D are the two main operating modes. In H there is no shift. It starts and stays in high range with a transition (not a shift) to direct drive which locks out the torque converter occurring at approx 20-45 depending on throttle opening. In a properly functioning unit that transition would barely be felt with a change in engine speed and noise level being the most noticeable action. Units with a glazed or dry direct drive clutch plate sometimes groan when the transition occurs. The noise won't hurt anything and can be lessened by letting off the gas as the transition is made.
In D it starts in low and there will be an actual shift from low to high and then the transition to direct drive. Speeds again will be in about the same range depending on throttle but sometimes it still left a bit to be desired with where the actual L to H shift happened. There will be a distinct shift feel from L to H and then the barely noticeable transition to direct.
In L it starts and stays in low. It does have a transition to direct but at a lower speed than in a normal driving range.
Reverse is just that but depending on idle speed it can be a bit abrupt or harsh with a noticeable clunk when selected.
It is possible the transition to direct is not being made or maybe a valve is sticking after the long sit. Also if there is wear to a bushing or shaft and loss of pressure to the clutch or a band piston shifts will be erratic. There are some other wear conditions that can cause issues with the shifts. With a proper rebuild hopefully that is not the case but there are some less than quality rebuilds and rebuilders out there. Not a lot of mechanics understand where to look for wear or will even work on the Ultramatic. It is a different beast to the other transmissions of the day or what modern mechanics are familiar with.
Someone on the east coast would better know if anyone is closer to your area but if not Ross Miller in Maryland is extremely knowledgeable on Ultramatics and has devised some mods to the valving that improves and smooths out the original factory shift points. I don't believe he works on them without having the car in his shop though. Ultramatic Dynamics in Virginia has (or at least had) exchange units where you remove and install it yourself. Because the throttle linkage adjustment is so critical it is really best to do Ross's approach unless you are very familiar with the unit and adjustments.
The TL will work at all times as long as the small toggle switch on the left under edge of the dash is on (lever toward center of car). That switch receives voltage from the special 3 terminal brake light switch. As long as brakes are not applied and toggle switch is on voltage passes to the control switch. The control switch does the leveling automatically. If you have the optional factory manual switch installed, when active that switch interrupts the feed to the toggle switch and disconnects the control switch. When manual is selected the operator controls the positioning but unless the toggle switch is turned off, as soon as the manual switch is returned to the center off position power is returned and the control switch takes over again and levels the car automatically.
Here is a schematic of the complete TL wiring with the factory manual switch installed showing all relay contacts and switches. There are versions of home made manual switch conversions so bear that in mind until you find what you have. Some of the home made versions bypass the limit switches which is a big problem.
Attach file:
(89.00 KB)
Typical places the transmission leaks are the front pump shaft and seals around the throttle valve shaft on the passenger side and the selector shaft on the drivers side. The two side seals are obvious but if the front seal is leaking that will have oil coming out around the inspection plate edges or the small hole in the bottom of the lower bellhousing cover.
To a lesser extent, if the pan mounting lip has been distorted by the pan bolts being tightened too much it can leak around the cork gaket between bolts. You can check for distortion by using a straightedge across the pan at the bolt holes when the pan is off. Use a small hammer to flatten any metal that is pushed up so the gasket has a smooth surface to seal against.
The 56 Twin Ultramatic is significantly improved over the 55 with different shift points and other refinements but was still a relatively new item. H or D are the two main operating modes. In H there is no shift. It starts and stays in high range with a transition (not a shift) to direct drive which locks out the torque converter occurring at approx 20-45 depending on throttle opening. In a properly functioning unit that transition would barely be felt with a change in engine speed and noise level being the most noticeable action. Units with a glazed or dry direct drive clutch plate sometimes groan when the transition occurs. The noise won't hurt anything and can be lessened by letting off the gas as the transition is made.
In D it starts in low and there will be an actual shift from low to high and then the transition to direct drive. Speeds again will be in about the same range depending on throttle but sometimes it still left a bit to be desired with where the actual L to H shift happened. There will be a distinct shift feel from L to H and then the barely noticeable transition to direct.
In L it starts and stays in low. It does have a transition to direct but at a lower speed than in a normal driving range.
Reverse is just that but depending on idle speed it can be a bit abrupt or harsh with a noticeable clunk when selected.
It is possible the transition to direct is not being made or maybe a valve is sticking after the long sit. Also if there is wear to a bushing or shaft and loss of pressure to the clutch or a band piston shifts will be erratic. There are some other wear conditions that can cause issues with the shifts. With a proper rebuild hopefully that is not the case but there are some less than quality rebuilds and rebuilders out there. Not a lot of mechanics understand where to look for wear or will even work on the Ultramatic. It is a different beast to the other transmissions of the day or what modern mechanics are familiar with.
Someone on the east coast would better know if anyone is closer to your area but if not Ross Miller in Maryland is extremely knowledgeable on Ultramatics and has devised some mods to the valving that improves and smooths out the original factory shift points. I don't believe he works on them without having the car in his shop though. Ultramatic Dynamics in Virginia has (or at least had) exchange units where you remove and install it yourself. Because the throttle linkage adjustment is so critical it is really best to do Ross's approach unless you are very familiar with the unit and adjustments.
The TL will work at all times as long as the small toggle switch on the left under edge of the dash is on (lever toward center of car). That switch receives voltage from the special 3 terminal brake light switch. As long as brakes are not applied and toggle switch is on voltage passes to the control switch. The control switch does the leveling automatically. If you have the optional factory manual switch installed, when active that switch interrupts the feed to the toggle switch and disconnects the control switch. When manual is selected the operator controls the positioning but unless the toggle switch is turned off, as soon as the manual switch is returned to the center off position power is returned and the control switch takes over again and levels the car automatically.
Here is a schematic of the complete TL wiring with the factory manual switch installed showing all relay contacts and switches. There are versions of home made manual switch conversions so bear that in mind until you find what you have. Some of the home made versions bypass the limit switches which is a big problem.
Attach file:
(89.00 KB)
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