Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hi all.

I have the Ultramatic out of the car to do some resealing. I figured I'd look at the front universal joint. Upon disassembly I found some flat spots on the needles. So I assumed this unit will unit Will need a rebuild. I'm glad I did this as there always was a little vibration in the driveline of this car. I assume, caused by the flat needles.

Is this something that I can do? Or do I need to take it to a shop? As the pin appears to be pressed into the ball Quite tightly.

upon reassembly, what's the procedure for pressing the pin into the ball equally. So that there is no run out. I would think the slightest bit of run out here, would cause vibration. Is A ruler sufficient here? or do I need a micrometer?

I know this procedure is probably documented someplace, but I can't find it. So I'm sorry if This topic is redundant.

As always thanks again

Assuming the pin is not worn, you don't have to remove it. Just get a rebuild kit (try Kanters and/or Max) with new needles and caps. Packard used this type of joint on Ultramatic-equipped cars from the 23rd series thru the end, so shop manuals for any of those years have details of doing the job. And do check the boot carefully for tears or rips, they can lead to failure reasonably quickly. Also check the housing for wear in the bores. Chrysler also used this type of joint for decades so service parts are plentiful, and new joints for the junior Packards are still around but replacement joints for the senior cars are pretty much extinct. If that's the case, reworking the drive shaft to a cross & yoke type joint and a sliding spline half shaft can be easily done by any competent driveshaft shop. Someone on here just had that done recently, should it come to that.

Oh thanks a lot Owen!! You just made up a perplexing job much easier. I thought the pin was in the kit I needed to be replaced also.

I do have a packard 51 to 54 service manual kicking around someplace. But as usual, you can't find it when you need it.

Thanks again

Well, if the pin is worn it should be replaced; have a drive shaft shop or machine shop do it, you need a reasonably hefty hydraulic press. You'll have to inspect the pin to determine if replacement is needed. But typically unless the joint has extremely high mileage or has been mistreated, the wear will be in the needles - they never make a full rotation to even out the wear so they tend to develop flat spots as you've observed. One often finds exactly the same situation with needle bearings used for kingpins - they only revolve in a very short arc and are prone to wearing on one side (flattening).

Randy Berger just had one of his out for routine service and he might have some better advice for you. The original lubricant was a "heavy fibre" grease specific to this application, but I use a name-brand heavy duty wheel bearing grease and haven't had problems. Don't overlubricate (avoid getting grease into the boot).

Quote:
Why not avail yourself of the 1951-1954 Service Manual that's on file in this site's archive?

Reconditioning is covered in Section XVII - U-Joint and Driveshaft. The entire section is only fve pages long; at only 930KB, it wouldn't take long to download - even with only a dial-up connection.

I did repack the universals on the Patrician. Luckily the needles and other components were OK. I just washed them in kerosene very well and repacked them using a wheel bearing grease and not too heavy on the front joint. The rubber boot was still in one piece so my luck held. I did the front and rear universals.

Thanks Brian, I forgot service manuals were available on this board. Nice feature. Anyway I find my found my service manual. And you're right the section is short and sweet and describes everything. Sorry I should've done that first.

But I just love!! Yankee ingenuity tips. You generally don't get those from the service manual. One of the best, on another subject, I think was Ross's suggestion. On how to remove the seals from the throttle and selector shafts. With the transmission still in the car. Wow, who Would have thought to drill a small hole in the Seal face and use a sheet metal screw to Pry it out. Regretfully, I didn't use that tip. Because I also needed a front seal. So I dropped the tranny. At 69 years of age, I just love tips like that.

Thank
Warren