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

Hi guys, I'm back with another problem with my '47 Super Clipper. I am in the process of changing the clutch disc and need to remove the transmission which is attached to an R-9 Overdive unit.
The manuals (46-50 Packard Shop Manual, Motor's Manual)I have simply state that to remove the transmission with the overdrive the transmission once disconnected from the clutch housing and the governor and solenoid removed etc. that the transmission can be removed. I have removed all of these things including the transmission support crossmember and the overdrive support and the driveshaft as per manual instructions. Putting a transmission jack under the transmission I can slide the assembly back only until the overdrive case contacts the frame X member leaving me about 2" short of the transmission clutch shaft clearing the bell housing opening. I have rotated the transmission sideways, lowered and raised the engine and still there is not enough clearance in the X member driveshaft tunnel to get the trans/overdrive back far enough for the trans + OD to come out as a unit. The case of overdrive unit contacts the X member at the speedometer cable boss and one on the opposite side as well and can clearly not be moved back any further because the opening is not large enough for the O/D case to move back any further unless I am missing something. Nothing in the manuals addresses this problem and I am stymied as to how the transmission can be removed from the car. I DO NOT want to remove the O/D separately and the manuals do not not indicate this is necessary. I can post some photos if these would help explain. The photos in the manual show a man in a shop coat gingerly replacing the transmission with his finger tips!

Do you have enough room to try tilting the transmission down towards the rear before sliding back and out?

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Thanks for the suggestion ! I do think now that this is the way it must come out. Please read the reply to Howard. I hope you are right!

Motors and Chilton say essentially same thing but have you put a jack under engine, remove lower 2 trans bolts and put in a couple of pilot bolts, raise assy to remove xmember, then lower until clear remove other bolts and slide off using pilots. Take that to mean engine and trans should be tilted as assy until OD clears.

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Howard, I have done all that. Jack is under engine and I have raised and lowered it to see if I can get an angle that works to no avail. The trans came off the bellhousing just fine using the two pilot bolts I installed. Everything went fine until the trans/od came back and stopped when the o/d was too big to get through the driveshaft hole in the frame X member. The two crossmembers that support the trans and the O/D have both been removed.
When looking at the photo of the chap installing a trans in the 51-54 shop manual (by his fingertips no less!)I am thinking that I am going about this wrong and that instead of the rear of the O/D going back through the driveshaft hole in the X member of the frame which now appears impossible the only way is that the rear of the trans must be drop down to clear the X frame. I just went out and looked it all over again and my guess is that the pilot studs are too long and that they held the trans in too upright a position and that if they were cut shorter once the clutch shaft clears the clutch disc then the rear of the trans can be brought down to clear the frame X member if the engine has a slight angle downward and possibly the throwout bearing and holder are removed.The end of the clutch shaft can probably be tilted up within the space in the pressure plate. The jack I have has a tilt platform so I can adjust the angle. Something to try tomorrow. Here's hoping!

Dave, you sound like you're having the same trouble I had when removing the trans from my old '53 Clipper. I had to twist and turn it to no avail, then finally removed the o/d solenoid to get it twisted around enough to get it to come out. I feel your pain, I really do. There's a technique to doing it, and it's hard to explain. Basically, remove that solenoid, then twist the trans around and keep wiggling. It's a pure bi$%& to get it out, but it IS do-able. It took me about 3 hours for a job I figured would take 30 minutes, lying in tall grass basically in a pasture up at my mother's place in 100+ degree heat. It was not fun, and I do not look forward to ever doing it again.

In my Speedster, I plan on having nothing in the way to remove the trans separate from the engine, because I plan on keeping the car until I'm in a nursing home, and want to be able to work on it with ease when I'm 70+.

Eric the solenoid and governor have been removed. Can you recall if the trans came out by tilting the rear downwards as it seems like the only possible way? I notice in the manual for the 51-54 that the crossmember is different than in the '46-50 cars as is the mounting bracket for the O/D. I have only worked at jerking this sucker for two hours so far so an hour to go to match your time
I am not that far from being in a nursing home so once I get this job done I hope I don't see the transmission out ever again if I get it out this time that is!.

Actually, IIRC, the rear of the trans went UP, which is why I had to remove the solenoid, to twist the trans around to get the rear end to go up. Then, I had to shove it to the side to get it as back as far as possible. It was laying on it's side with the shift levers down when it came out, if that helps any.

One hour to go, clock's ticking!

Dave,

I essentially did what Eric described to put the R-11 in my 39. The one other thing that gave me the last 1/4 inch was removing the overdrive section fill plug.

Another thing I would add is installing (and maybe removing) the trans would be best done with two people. I tried a trans jack, but it would not allow the trans to be tilted and manipulated in a way that would allow the back to be tilted up and the input tilted down. I found that a floor jack with a wooden saddle and a strap holding the trans to the jack worked good. This only got me so far, and than the jack was just in the way, after that it was a wrestling match with cramming the trans back into the X, as I rolled it to find the sweet spot to get that last bit of clearance.

I have no problem throwing a Muncie on my stomach, sliding under a car and throwing it in. After wrestling the Packard trans with overdrive for an hour, I waved the white flag and got a pal to help spot me so I didn't get hurt. I to hope never to do this operation in my car in the rest of my entire life!

Best of luck,
Jim

Jim and Eric, You give me hope. I will pull the oil fill drain plugs and hope that helps. I did try with the trans on its side levers down but no luck that way either although by then I was pretty tired. I have done several transmission/ transfer case installs over the past 50 years but never one as difficult as this. Without that O/D unit it would be a snap! I'll keep you posted and will take some photos once I master the technique and post it as a FAQ but you won't see any photoshopped pictures of me holding it by my fingertips .