Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

That's funny.
You may have planted a seed for one of the younger generation to enjoy the classic car hobby.
Cheers!
Al

Ok, after the 100+ miles I put on the car this weekend, including the 90 on the freeway at 65mph+, I realized the transmission needs to be the very next project I must complete. Before the A/C and the tires. As neither are needed if the transmission finally gives up the ghost.

At 50mpg+ the engine and transmission are loud and angry. Most likely because I am still on the converter as my lockup doesn't work due to leaking bushings.

I am very surprised it's held on this long, and the motor never overheats from such punishment. Yet I fear if I kept tempting fate, I will need more than a transmission work in the near future.

So will all that said, the rebuilding of the spare transmission I have will begin in earnest.

Just to bring everyone up to speed on my plan, I have a doner transmission out of a '56. As you can see from the pics, this transmission came out of a car with Push Button transmission and was painted metallic green. Not sure what model of '56 it came out of. The PB still will be removed as I have no need for it.

I have an extra Gear Start Bellhousing and Oil Pan. Those will replace the bell housing and oil pan that are currently on the 56 tranny so it can be bolted to my straight eight. The '56 had as many factory fixes and changes to handle the increased power of the V8 motors, so the hope is this should serve as a pretty robust transmission replacement for my 54 Gear Start.

The plan is to completely go through the '56 transmission over the next several weeks to replace and need seals, bushings, hard parts, etc. Also, modify any of valving needed to make it match the S8 shift pattern better. This will be based on input from Ross as I come to it.

First order of business is to scrape all the accumulated grease and grime from the outside.

This transmission came from a car in Santa Maria,CA and was was out of the car, but still attached to a V8 motor, but stored outside under a tark. The motor had a hole in the side of the block. So the hope is that the tranny was not the reason it was removed, and so the rebuild should not need any "hard parts".

Attach file:

---

  (79.87 KB)


  (63.42 KB)


  (106.09 KB)


  (95.95 KB)


  (78.69 KB)


  (84.37 KB)


  (72.12 KB)


  (47.49 KB)

Also if you look at one of the pics of the top side of the tranny body, there is a "68" or "89" (depending on which side you read it from) scratched into the top of it. Not sure if this was something a rebuilder marked at one time or what.

Also there is a W 1 marked on the converter in paint/marker.

The bright green paint indicates that the engine/trans came from a 1956 Clipper or Executive.

Stewart, thanks for the information. So there should be no problem with that tail-end mounting to my existing Clipper drive shaft? Wasnt there some difference between the senior and clipper coupling on the transmission side?

Ill be happy to take the push button items off your hands, PM me your price

Troy, all I have is that PB housing that is currently attached to tranny right now, and I promised that to Mr. Pushbutton a long time ago. Sorry!

Wasnt there some difference between the senior and clipper coupling on the transmission side?

Front universal on the senior cars with Ultramatic was a different size than the juniors. The senior units are pretty much NLA and have been for some time. Best option is probably to have a new driveshaft made with a sliding spline and conventional front universal, it's pretty much the standard solution nowadays when the senior front universal needs replacement. Others have reported on it here, someone will no doubt post the link for you, here's a pic from someone who had it done - sorry I can't credit the photo.

If you want to confirm, other than the green paint, which series 56 Packard your transmission came from, the letter prefix to the transmission serial # will tell you that. The # is located at the rear just above the pan.

Attach file:

---

  (23.72 KB)

Will my existing "Detroit Joint" that is attached to my GearStart mount to the '56 tranny as is?

Is the output shaft flange different between the GS and 56 TU?