R9. No relays involved. No fuses. I wired it a number of years ago such that when I want OD, I let off on the pedal and flip the switch which is a direct hot wire to the solenoid. It's been strictly a one-wire activation since I've had the car. Haven't pulled the solenoid because I assume it will pull in if I can get the 6 volts to it. If I can get 6 volts at the disconnected terminal, I should get 6 volts when the terminal is connected to the solenoid. Been working for years that way until now. Even w/o driving the car about a month agao, I flipped the switch and heard the OD pull in and did that twice just to test it before the drive.

My '41 120 Overdrive solenoid activation is via a toggle switch under the dash. Drove the car about 8 miles last week for the first time in well over a year. The OD engaged only twice near the end of the first 4 miles. Worked on it today and while I can get 6+ volts at the terminal to the solenoid while that terminal is disconnected, when I hook the wire up to the solenoid, the voltage is less than 5.85 Volts and I can hear the solenoid "whining" trying to activate. Battery three years old and while it meaured 6.90 Volts (trickle charger on it all the time), the water was low in the battery. I'm wondering if the initial 20-amp draw is bringing the voltage down in a weak battery and keeping me from getting 6 volts into the solenoid? Other than that, I have no ideas. Checked the ground and it's ok.

Cannot really determine from the photos, but since I saw "ultra" in the text, I assume this pertains to the Packard Ultramatics used up through '54 rather than the older engines of the 40-41 timeframe.

Well, yesterday after just 20 miles and radiator running cool, while I did not experience vapor lock, the fuel in the filter bowl inlet to the carburetor was intensly bubbling (this was on a 1954 non-Packard). I had a generator light come and when I lifted the hood was quite surprised. I have since rerouted the fuel line well away from the exhaust manifold.

Apparently this adapters place used a a 195? engine as a pattern. So, looks like a no go here for us '41s. Too bad!

So, anyone have bellhousing bolt pattern and crank bolt pattern for the '41 120 282 straight?

Well, I will need to get clarification from this place just what Packard engine they were developing an adpater for as below is the email response I received. I have very limited data on this 120 and certainly no bell housing or crank figures.

"I don't know if my kit will work with that year engine. Send me a sketch of the bellhousing bolt pattern and crank bolt pattern and we can find out."

Th advantages of the automatic include, high on the list, convenience and not having to deal with clutches and overdrive cables and switchs for OD solenoids and all that. I have other stick shift cars, but this one is most cumbersome and an auto is the modern way to go.

Uncertain until I confirm the adapters are available. Then I will solicit advice. This car can be so much more enjoyable with an auto tranny. It already has been converted to 12 volts and has a good A/C.

An adapter for the V8 to a torqueflight is already readily available and is what was in my '55 Clipper Super when I acquired the car. The '41 stick has just gotten progressivey worse with hardly any distance separation on the gear shift lever between neutral and 1st and a couple days ago it all jammed in the road. I got it unjammed as such but now it can't find neutral to start and the linkages are very widely separated. Then there's the flip the switch to activate the 6-volt solenoid and pull the OD cable in and out depending on forward or reverse; it's just ridiculous to go through all that. If a conversion had already been available, it'd already have been done.

I have emailed the tranny adapter manufacturer since their product development schedule shows summer 2009 for the Packard straight 8 to Chevy automatic adapter. Will post here what I receive. I am seriously considering this for my '41 120.