Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Has anyone any experience a obtaining and fitting a switch and the wiring necessary for a ride leveler manual control. I would like to fit one to my '56 Patrician and have found reference to one in the July '56 Service Counselor, but it assumes you have a factory switch and harness available for the purpose. I very much doubt that anyone over here in Australia would have them so I am looking to make-up something suitable.
Kind Regards, John

I used the power antenna switch on my '56 Patrician to work the T/L. I like the fact that it has a "spring back" feature when you let go of it. Just wire it up like the S/C says so it goes through the limit switches, so you don't over-extend the gearbox.

Although you can use the antenna switch, you MUST remember to shut off the T/L switch before you engage the antenna switch. The switch that Packard had made by Cole-Hersee automatically does this. Max Merritt did have some of those switches and Kanter's probably has them. I installed mine several years ago and made a harness by looking at the drawing in the S/C. It was not difficult at all and is a nice demonstration of how the T/L system works. I have attached a pic of the switch. I did modify my switch so that it returns to center position when released.

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If you are going to install a manual overide switch, be sure to do it according to the diagram in the service counselor--this insures that the limit switches are still part of the circuit and the compensator can't be run too far in one direction.

G'day all, especially John Payne. I just received my original S-P Override switch kit for my 56 Patrician. It had the matching knob for the Packard plus the wiring loom and detailed instructions. I got it from kanters for $US85 plus about $30 air postage. The kit is the correct NOS item and appears to be good value. Best Regards Peter Toet

G'day John,

Off topic, but a hobby horse of mine, could you put your Packards in the Owner Registry here including pic's and history, if known?

Peter, all the kits I have seen have the Clipper knob, not the Packard one. Kanter must have put in the proper knob based on what you told him it was for??

Hi all, and G'day to you to Peter - you picked me in one, although I suppose there's not too many '56 Patrician owners in Australia (3 that I know of).

Thanks everyone for your valuable advice. I did in fact look at the antenna switch from my '56 400 and, as it only had 3 terminals compared to the factory switch's 4, and the harness showed 4 wires, I assumed that it wouldn't work. Also, the diagram of the harness shows 4 light green wires but it wasn't clear to me how they all were linked together (I'm not much of an electrician).

Nonetheless, I have actually partially made-up a wiring harness and connected the 2 wires (pink and yellow) to the compensator brain box (ride leveller still works!), but have been struggling with how to do put it all together at the dash end. Both the harness wires are now "hot" (hope this is correct) so have been temporarily taped. This suggested to me that either should be used to switch juice into a light green wire but if so, which one and how, particularly if the on/off switch is turned off.

Realising that there are 3 hot wires to fiddle with, I did go a bit further and modify a brake before make, double pole double throw toggle switch, to a single pole triple throw switch (ie, On-On-On) which in theory would enable either 3 individually switched power inlet sources and 1 power outlet, or the reverse. Center position being allocated for the auto leveller and the other 2 positions for up and down. The only problem was that although the auto feature continued to work, the manual over-ride didn't, hence my current dilemma.

There is probably something really simple that I'm missing in all of this but for the life of me, I can't figure it out. Maybe the Kanter kit that Peter bought is the way to go but, having gone this far, I would like to try and get it sorted, if only to satisfy myself that I did it (conceding defeat doesn't come easy).

Yes, I will soon put some photo's and detail about my Patrician and 400 together and upload them.

Thanks once again for all of your advice, John

If you have the installation instructions on page 28 of Vol 30 No 7, then follow them exactly. Realize the light green wire is the feed to allow the T/L system to work automatically. Any interruption of that wire will turn off the automatic function. When you remove one of the terminals from the on-off switch and plug it into "A" of the new harness you have interrupted the circuit. The "A" wire goes to one of the light green spade lug connectors which fasten to one of the center contacts on the new switch. The other light green spade lug connector goes to the other center contact. The "B" connector (Douglas connector) is then plugged back into the on-off switch. Thus, whenever the on-off switch is turned off OR when the new switch is pushed or pulled thereby breaking the continuity of the green wire, the automatic execution of the T/L system is turned off. Something like the old series lights on a Christmas tree - when one is out, they're all out.
The new switch, when pushed or pulled, grounds either the PINK wire or the YELLOW wire resulting in running the T/L sytem either up or down. It also runs through the limit switches giving you the protection that Packard built in.
If you do not have the SC, you can find it on this site.
It really is a nice feature and sure to wow the folks at the car cruise. It is also very handy when changing a rear tire.

G'day all, My bad, Randy, you are correct in that it appears to be a Clipper knob in the kit. I have a few of the correct ones amongst my Junk. Best regards Peter Toet