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

Well I finally got my 1949 Packard 4 door home yesterday evening. It is a series 22. It is going to be a great fun project car.

I just finished changing the oil, filter and trans fluid. I have 2 main concerns I want to tackle first. #1 the overdrive is not working and when you get to speed it just free wheels when you let off the accelerator. I am going to check all the electrical first and see if that is the problem, I guess pull the solenoid if all that checks out. There are 2 electrical components that look like solenoids to me but not sure one is larger and sets ahead of the smaller one at the rear. Give me some input as to what they are if you can. #2 is the speedo cable. I think it just needs an inner cable can these be purchased at a parts store or are they special to Packard?

Final question. I have never owned a car that you step on the throttle to engage the starter solenoid. What happens if you floor the car with it running? does it try to engage the starter?

I am sure I will have many more questions in the future. This looks like a great forum and looking forward to hearing from some of you. If you like you may call me at any time at 1-58-243-9008 Thanks so much for the help.
Dave Beck

Welcome to an enthusiastic packard forum.
You forgot the "0" in your area code

Welcome aboard and add your car to the registry for all to enjoy.

The items you are describing, the larger one is a solenoid, the other is iirc a governor for the over drive. if you do a search on this forum, there are lots of information on how to test, proper voltage etc.

Other member such as Owen and Randy B will be along shortly and they have a vast knowledge on these to help you out in more specifics.

G'day Dave(DBeck),
to PackardInfo and for including your '49 Super Eight Touring Sedan in the Packard Owner's Registry. Looks good in the falling leaves!

Yep I did it is 580

welcome.
if you floor the accelerator while moving it will not engage the starter.
it is a lot of fun when younger people are admiring the car and I hand them the keys and say " here you go. start it up"
I have never found anyone who can start it. it is a lot of fun and the younger crowd enjoys learning about how older cars start......
welcome and enjoy your new car. post some pics.
aloha
tim

On the overdrive, since yours is a 22nd series the first thing you need to do is verify if you have an R9 or have the mid 22nd series changeover to the R11 overdrive. They are completely different units both mechanically and electrically.

Unless someone has mismatched the parts as one poster recently found on his car, the R9 will have a squarish black relay box on the firewall about the size of the voltage regulator. It has 6 terminals.

The R11 will have a smaller rectangular box with a fuse on the side and 4 terminals. The two relay boxes are completely different and not compatible with a different OD.

In case that part has been mixed, under the car the R9 solenoid and lockout cable are on the passenger side and solenoid has 4 wires. The R11 has them on the drivers side and solenoid has 2 wires. Solenoids will not interchange but governors are the same on both although the drive pinions may be different.

I would suggest you go to the literature service, shop and training manuals section and download a service training book for the OD. The R9 is entitled Econo-Drive Training Book and the R11 is a generic version and will have Borg-Warner Overdrive in the title.

The speedo cable is nothing special and a universal cable can be used. It is the square end variety. The pinion and shaft is a one piece assy that slides in the adapter and cable slides into that. If the cable adapter has been removed from the trans there is a slim chance the pinion and shaft has fallen out. Another possibility if the cable is missing the sort of retainer piece at the speedo end that keeps it from falling down the housing, the cable could have migrated away from the speedo end enough to loose connection.

On the carb switch, the activation is done by a small round ball which rests in a flat space on the shaft --sort of wedged between the throttle shaft and the switch mechanism. When engine is off that ball is in position so stepping on the accelerator turns the shaft. The flat spot rotates and ball is squeezed toward the switch pushing a plunger and activating. As soon as the engine starts, when you let up on the accelerator it frees the ball and vacuum pulls it up into a holding area where it can no longer reach anything. As long as the engine is running the ball is held and switch can no longer be activated. Things stay that way until the engine quits and no vacuum lets the ball drop down in the start position again.

EDIT: If you find a broken or kinked speedo cable then lack of lube and possibly frozen input bushing at the speedo is a known problem. There is a small felt filled oil hole for the bushing and it would be a good idea to apply a drop or two of light oil even if all seems OK. Like most of the speedos, they don't make it easy but a small sewing machine type applicator usually works. You can barely see the hole at the end of the arrow in the square bumpout under the screw. A drop or two around the bushing at the very end where the bronze colored cable socket extends and rotates in the diecast threaded portion is also a good idea.

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Thanks so much for the great information, it seems my trans mission if an R11 as the governor and solenoid are on the drivers side. And the relays are as described for the R11.

On the starter the answer is no. Engine Vacuum keeps the metal ball suspended above the electrical contacts in the switch mounted on the carburetor. When the engine is shut off, the engine vacuum ceases and the ball drops down to make electrical contact for the next time car is started.

Packard designed this type of starter switch so the car could be quickly restarted if stalled out from using the clutch to soon.

Packard designed this type of starter switch...

Actually it's a Carter Carburetor design, not Packard. And also used by Buick and perhaps others.

There was a period when some manufacturers had a preoccupation with unconventional starter switches. Chevrolet for years had the starter actuated by depressing the clutch pedal, and before that the Delco "Starterator" also used by Chrysler; Nash used a switch intergrated with the gear shift handle such that pulling the handle forward while in neutral activated the starter. I guess the grandfather of all these ideas and certainly the most elegant and sophisticated was "Startix" used by Packard, Lincoln, Piece-Arrow, Auburn, Studebaker, Hudson, Reo, Willys and others in the 30s. Startix was pretty elegant, when you turned on the ignition switchthe starter automatically engaged and if the engine stalled it automatically re-engaged the starter. I believe Startix was a product of Eclipse Manufacturing Co.