Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

IMO....I believe that the trans oil showing on your parts and around them is ready for a change NOW. Burned black trans fluid will cause damage, and, the condition of the oil may signify a trans problem that will require more than valve body work. Hope this helps.

Concur with Ross, looks like blew the piston plunger out.

I appreciate the feedback from everyone. I finally got around to taking some pictures. I assume the cylindrical body with the shaft poking down is the reverse brake assembly. The sleeve I found in the pan fits over this, so I just need to put the sleeve back on, then the washer, then the retaining clip? Or do I need to pull out the shaft to make sure it's not broken? (I assume it would have fallen out if it was broken).

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Last pic.... top left bottom right with the piece hanging down from the center of it. 4 bolts holding it in. And two tubes that go into the side of it.

when I look on windows the images are rotated. when I look on my iPhone they are the opposite. I know why....just annoying.

So last night I put the sleeve back over the rod that protrudes from the reverse brake assembly and used the same washer and retaining clip. I noticed that there is a couple millimeters of play for the sleeve to move up and down. Is that the design intent or should I add washers to eliminate that play? Also, it seemed like the rocker arm looking device that pushes the reverse brake rod from the top has play to move up and down. Is that correct or should there be something controlling the movement that wouldn't allow me to move it up and down freely? Not sure if the actuation is only present with hydraulic pressure.

i'm thinking you need to take that "servo" out and repair it. there is no putting the "sleeve" back on and it is fixed.

you need to take it off and disassemble, see the extent of the damamge, and replace parts.

start here:packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... at&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=510

and here for how to reassemble:

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... at&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=530

Ok, thanks for the advice!

So I got reverse to work fine months ago after starting this thread and I simply put the sleeve back on the rod for the reverse servo. I had removed the servo and disassembled it and everything seemed fine. I recently lost reverse again. Fluid level was right around the full mark. I dropped the pan expecting the same issue of the sleeve falling out again, but no, it's still in place. The rocker that touches the top of the reverse servo rod was fine too. Then I thought perhaps the level was just a tad low even though forward gears engaged firmly. I put the pan on with the same old gasket just to test (so yes it leaked a little), threw the old fluid back in there plus two quarts of new fluid to get the level just a little above full, and reverse still wouldn't work.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to go from here?

Assuming the mechanical side of the application -- band, supports and struts, actuating lever pivot pin are all intact, in good condition, and properly adjusted I would check a couple of known issues.

First, I would make sure there is absolutely no slop in the manual valve lever. The setscrew that holds the lever to the shaft has a known issue and that is the threads in the pot metal lever strip letting the screw loosen. When that happens there is rotational slop. Since reverse is at the very end of travel, it could be that by the time the shift linkage has moved the shaft to the reverse position the slop in the lever has taken its toll and the manual valve is not fully in the reverse position so no fluid is being directed to the reverse piston. Grab the lever circled in the photo and tug on it. If there is the least bit of play that must be corrected. Many times it takes a roll pin thru the lever and shaft.

If that part is OK, then less likely is a loose screw or bracket, a poor adjustment, or a stackup of wear in the outer linkage is causing much the same issue. It could be that by the time the operator lever and intermediate linkage is at a stop or end of travel, the far end of the linkage at the transmission side is not.

A second cause could be the reverse shuttle valve. That is a small valve that gets spring pressure in all forward gears to stay in one direction and apply fluid to the top of the reverse piston to ensure it stays down. When you select reverse another passage provides fluid to move the valve so that the former pressure that was at the top of the reverse piston is stopped and what is in the chamber is allowed to bleed off so the piston can be moved by pressure applied from below. If that valve is sticking there could be no way to relieve the top pressure so the piston cannot apply.

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See my post under clunk..post.

Pictures. And video. Will show you what hh is talking about.

I just fixed one. Which was moving on shaft.