Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Hello everyone. New member to the forum. Always been into the odd and orphan makes. Currently own 47 Willys pickup, 50 Hudson Pacemaker and a 75 Bricklin. Just picked up a 56 Pacard Executive.

Already found some great info here but wanted to explain my exact situation and get everyones take. Car had not been driven in many years. Prior owner had done some work at some point in getting road worthy. After first drive and since then when you came to a stop you would here some clunks. After reseach I believe this was the lockup unlocking. Other than that it shifted good and no other issues. The trans was a quart low and not knowing what the prior owner had filled it with thought it would be worth dropping pan inspecting and topping off with Type F which I see many use. After filling up took for test drive and shifted better than before. Half hour later when driving still shifting fine but when it tries to go into lockup will not fully engage and makes a moan / grinding noise. Mainly around 30-40 mph. If you feather the throttle you can get it past this point and then seems fine. At speed 90% of the time you can feel it is in lockup and working. I see many have switched to Trick Shift after this same issue and had good good luck. Just want to get any opions or experiences before I dump $50 in fluid to then fill with $80 in new fluid.

Thanks and look forwad to being on the forum

Often when these cars are found abandoned or laid up they were bought in later years purely for cheap transportation, received negligible or no maintenance, and abandoned when any significant problems like transmission issues came up. The groaning on lockup may be indicative of worn bushings (low hydraulic pressures) and clutch plates that are worn or have hardened. You might be lucky with Trick-Shift but perhaps first you might just run the pressure tests as outlined in the shop manual. Also check the throttle pressure adjustment.

Mine groaned when shifting to direct drive too.it has stopped , almost. Only groans once in a while now but i can live with it. Only thing i. Ever did was drop the pan and clean the filter. However, i run the Dexron-Mercon now for over 30K miles and 15 years. I have a 56 Exec sedan.

My 1955 Pat acts like PackardV8's 1956 Exec, i.e., it will groan very occasionally when accelerating. It's done it since the day I bought it 14 years ago and has not gotten any worse. I use Dexron-Mercon TF.

This behavior was written up in one of the service bulletins at the time, but I forget what it said to do about it. I did nothing except continue to drive it and enjoy it.

Craig

I believe the consensus is the clutch plate has hardened a bit so it rattles or groans slightly when making solid contact. Several have described it a a "Mooing" sound.

If the engagement stays solid once it comes in and you don't feel it slipping when the fluid has thinned at normal operating temperature, don't think there is too much to worry about. Drive it with the current fluid for a while and if nothing changes then just keep using the fluid you have. The trick shift was recommended because it seemed to free up sticking valves and give a firmer shift for some.

Most of us let up on the gas for a second when the engagement point is reached to let it fully engage without any load. That seems to lessen or eliminate any sound.

Thank you everyone for the feedback so far. Mine sometimes sounds more like a grinding or slipping gears. Goes away just as everyone else describes in letting off the gas and feathing back in. This is only at speeds between 30-40 only as it tries to lockup. Maybe my direct drive is worse off than others. Really odd that mine did not make that noise prior but did not shift as firm. Now it shifts firmer but now grinds. Oh the joys of old cars. Going to drive it for a few days and make sure I do my best to have it fully engage without slipping and just get some miles on it. Will go through the pressure tests. I have done that for other trans before. One question for the throttle pressure and low brake top. Are most of you getting an old pan and modifying for testing purposes. Manual does not show picture but assume it just has through connections with the the NPT on the outside and hose connection into the port on the inside. Seems easy enough to make if you have an extra pan.

Mitch

Don't think you will be able to take the inside pressures with just a pan because of the clearance between the ports and the pan bottom. There was an adapter piece about 2" deep with a bolt pattern to fit the pan. On the side was a curved tube to enable slipping the hoses out and another opening with a removable cover to be able to work the wrenches for throttle adjust. To go along with the extra depth of the adapter there were a couple of extension tubes for the suction intakes to reach the lower fluid level.

Figures 186 and 188 in the 55-6 Twin Ultra section of service manual shows a partial photo of it mounted and being used.

G'day Mitch, aka BloodSweatandWhiskey,
A to PackardInfo, but sorry I can't add anything to this thread to help you.

However, I invite you to include your '56 Executive in the Packard Owner's Registry here on PackardInfo!

to keep pressure up start in low ,,get up to 30mph,,shift into d or h,

Riki Quote:

The way my 55 Pat T-U works is that if I start in L and accelerate away, then the torque converter clutch engages somewhere above 20 depending on how much I have the accel pedal down. Then, after lockup, if I shift to D, it will stay in converter lockup, but release the low gear start planetary set and go directly to "top gear" (direct 1:1) with no torque converter action at all. It's kind of cool, because riders who don't know about the T-U think that it's a 3-speed auto, not a 2-speed because of the two "shifts" (one to direct drive and one out of low).

Oh yeah, there's no "groan" under this sequence. I also think this technique accelerates best when accelerating hard onto the freeway from an on-ramp. I've never tried it full throttle all the way to freeway speed, but I will sometime.

Craig