Re: Push Button Controlled Ultramatic

Posted by Reyman R. Branting On 2010/10/23 22:23:09

The car was flat bedded to a local shop where a few things have been done. The mechanic is overworked and it has been slow going. I'm not currently in a position to work on it myself and some things are beyond me anyway.

1. The carburetor was cleaned and rebuilt. Someone had previously worked on it, installed an incorrect gasket that upset the air flow and screwed in all the way the air bleed screws. New gasket, new kit, and it purrs like a kitten.
2. Tank was cleaned and interior coated. Coated a little two well, in fact. The fuel outlet was clogged and the problem noted only after the tank was mounted. The fuel gage sending unit was coated with gunk and even carb cleaner wouldn't clean it. PB Blaster did, however. Will learn if it works when we fill the tank.
3. The push buttons work - usually. I've driven it around the shop's lot a few times. One of the front brakes tended to lock up when brakes were applied. Turned out that both front wheel grease seals were leaking badly. The grease was white and about the consistency of heavy motor oil. New seals are on order from NAPA, thanks to the X-reference that gave the NAPA part number. There is a "?" after 55-56 All in the x-reference. I'll let you know if it is correct for 56 senior cars shortly.
4. The push buttons some times don't work. After the car sits for awhile, they start to work again. Until the brakes are working, I can't take it on the road to see how it shifts.

My thanks to the folks who contribute to this thread. Learning about the Auto-Lite service bulletin for the push button controls is extremely valuable. Without your help I wouldn't own a Packard. I now have too many.

Bernardi