Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

The majority of 56s tend to run their shifts together when using drive, unless one accelerates hard. I usually find that low winds out longer than I'd like, and then direct comes too soon.

For years I have been bumping up the direct engagement speed when doing rebuilds by shimming the direct shift valve piston spring,roughly as outlined in ibn the February 56 Service Counselor. Except that I put my shims down in the piston so as not to restrict its movement, and I end up using a lot more than they call for--usually about .120". That raised the direct engagement point about 6-7 mph which prevented a lot of lugging, and made for a neat return to convertor when accelerating out of slow uphill corners on the twisty roads around here. Coasting, my 56 Packup shifts to direct at about 25, and in normal acceleration about 35. With the 3.07 rear, I don't want it any earlier than that.

I was still not satisfied with the low-high shift point. Like most 56s I've driven, at medium accleration it would raise much further than the direct shift point and the shifts would run together. Bump-bump. I hate it. I had an early production 56 400 in last week where the shifts were all but simultaneous under most conditions.

Both cars have now had 1/4" cut off their low-high shift valve spring ("B", figure 208 in the shop manual). This has proven quite satisfactory and the cars have a shift pattern reminiscent of a Torqueflight. Under light acceleration, there is a 7 mph gap between shifts, and the gap spreads as you horse on it. To the floor you shift to high at about 55.

I find this makes the tranny much more flexible in traffic and back roads, also it does not attempt direct while I am still accelerating. That comes in as I ease off the gas a hair as I near my desired speed. Some of you might like to try it.

Sounds like a very worthwhile improvement! My 56 Pat did that same simultaneous thing.

On a Nash website I recently saw the comment that the Packard Twin Ultramatic was the worst automatic ever produced, and while a bit harsh, considering how it was delivered in 55 and the number of fixes, service bulletins, and accomodations needed to make it satisfactory, I'm not sure I'd totally disagree. In comparison at least to PowerFlite, TorqueFlite, Hydramatic, Ford-O-Matic, PowerGlide, TurboGlide, and others I have owned, admittedly not every auto ever made, the TU was by far the most troublesome of any of them to run regularly in anything less than a quite DOCILE manner. While no doubt, yes, it can be made to work, it was certainly no paragon of reliability, if looked at objectively, admittedly difficult to do here. The tweak noted above is yet another attempt to make it work the way it should have from the beginning, something I never had to do with any 50s Mopars.

What would be involved in giving the T'Ultra an overdrive???
I would be most willing to give up "Converter D" for overdrive. OR even "H". Would not be willing to give up "L" range.

Ross -

This info is exactly the kind of thing that a Packard enthusiast is looking for!

IMHO, Packard just didn't have sufficient time (and volume) to completely refine the new, automatic, low-to-high shifting of the late-54 Gear Start Ultramatic and 55-56 Twin Ultramatic.

Personally, I would rather get to the bottom of a problem and fix it, rather than go to all the trouble and expense of substituting ANY other automatic transmission in place of the Ultramatic.

So, thanks for sharing your hands-on insights - keep us posted on the results.

Quote:

In hindsight, one can argue or admit a lot of mistakes or miscalculations were made during those times. Think we all pretty much agree the TU was not nearly the transmission it's predecessor was but rather a stopgap measure hastily done on a shoestring to try and stay competitive. Lack of thorough testing is apparent but absolute worst may be a stretch. Seem to recall a couple of other transmissions so bad they were completely pulled out of cars and replaced with something else after a short while--.

More changes and refinements were in the works for 57--whether they would have been the turning point will never be known-- but time and money ran out. The fact still remains that tiny Packard had a minuscule engineering department compared to the competition. It being able to pull off anything from original design on--by themselves-- is still impressive. Borg-Warner was in the transmission business for decades and learned from it's first automatic fiasco so had a slight advantage, GM was enormous and could probably throw more engineers and divisions at a problem than Packard had employees and Chrysler had the benefit of seeing all the other mfgs early mistakes to learn from-- and learned very well as time has also proven.

Though the term Torqueflite actually covers a variety of incarnations over several decades, it has a well-deserved reputation as a good automatic transmission.

However, I would personally never accept any other automatic transmission in any of my Packards than an Ultramatic. There are plenty of owners who have proven that the Ultramatics can be reliable for the purpose for which they were intended.

Thankfully, some devotees have looked into the depths of a few problems and come up with some good improvements - rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Again, keep up the good work, Ross!

I agree, a pic would be nice, as long as it was offered.

This kind of work on the Twin Ultramatic sounds a lot like what my dad alluded to when he was modifying the Twin Ultramatic on his '55 400. His biggest gripe about shifting was that the shifts were not positive enough. "Too smooth" was the way he put it. There are wide differences in automotive company policy on how an automatic transmission ought to behave, from the "Power Slide" that was a standard GM trait to the much more aggressive "clunk" (both up and down the shift pattern) of the Torqueflites, at least from the 60's to today.

Some desired characteristics can be achieved with simple changes in fluid type, others respond only to mechanical tweaking. Vacuum modulating can enter into the mix, too. It's no wonder that electronics have become so popular. Pretty clean way to adjust an automatic trans... but definitely not a cure-all. Note how rotten some of the new "electronic" wonders shift.

Good topic. Interested to learn more. Especially adjustments for the shade tree mechanic.

My 55 shifts too quickly, also. Has anyone tried this fix on the 55 UltraMataic? I would love to have mine shift as Ross describes his after the fix.

Guy, the whole idea behind the Ultramatic was smooth shifting. You're not supposed to notice the shifts and my 400 operates that way. You can tell by the pitch of the motor that you've shifted(if that's the right word) into direct drive. The tranny is working as designed. Packard's engineers were working on that smoothness and that is why it is designed as it is.

Howard, I once had a fellow with a 56 Hudson try to tell me that Packard only sold the screwed-up (how??) engines to Nash-Hudson. I asked him what proof he had of this and he replied it was common knowledge. I told him I doubted there was any knowledge in either the facts or his opinion.
I am not positive but I don't think I gained a friend. I wonder how ridiculous stories like that get started and worse get passed on as gospel.