Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I've been practicing driving my new (to me) 28 and occasionally still have problems shifting. I'm double clutching, and most of the problems are from first to second, with some when I go to third.

Any ideas? Is this normal? Will practice help?

Thanks!

Stu

What you've got to develop a feel for, which will come with practice and experience, is estimating what the engine speed would be for the gear you're going to select at that road speed, and give it a bit of throttle to get close to that engine rpm as you complete the shift.

The rpm might be too high. Are you giving it enough chance to come down before shifting from neutral to 2nd/3rd.? Or, is your idle set a little too high?

Stu,

These cars are not my forte, but besides perfecting your double clutching technique I would ask what weight gear oil is in the transmission. You are probably already aware that these transmissions use a heavier gear oil than is used in the later ones. If memory serves me correctly, a "600" weight is used and I believe this is straight mineral oil.

(o[]o)

I use Penrite grade 250 oil in my transmissions on the 1929 models, its a very heavy oil and when you first start off its almost impossible to change up if you pause and wait for the correct engine revs to roads speed, it needs to be shifted very quickly and will slip straight in without noise. After a few miles when the oil warms it is normal and engine revs to road speed is the guide.
It just takes practice, after many years with mine and earlier on other makes I am getting better and even get it right sometimes!! You won't break it.
That's a fine looking '28 that you have.

Dear classiclincoln:

The non-synchro Packard box is my all time favorite. I have tapes of the darn things that I sometimes pull out and listen to.

Now, the first thing to check is the ring and pinion ratio on your car. It should be on the left hand side of the differential case. The higher the number the sooner you should be shifting into high gear (4.66 was standard). To get the feel begin by shifting early. As soon as your car gets to a brisk walk you can go into second, and into third by bicycle speed.

Note as well that as the bearings wear the trans will become harder to shift.

As for oil 160 summer, 90 winter. Some folks put 250 and what not into the trans but too heavy an oil will starve the bearings.

Now here is a little trick about shifting that you can learn as you get more experience: When you have the clutch released between gears in double clutch mode, you will find that if you move the shifter past detent you will begin to feel the fluid friction of the gears through the shifter and when they are synchronized. At that instant you can then simultaneously depress the clutch and shift gears in silence.

Downshifting takes more practice and requires revving the motor in double clutch mode. Except on hills you don't need to down shift your car until it is near bicycle speed.

Hope this helps.

One thing that hasn't been said yet that may need to be said is: Don't try to shift this transmission the way you have shifted other, more modern (meaning syncronized) transmissions, where you run each gear up to the top of the torque curve in that gear and move on. The usual Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Waaaaaaaaaa. If you do this you are getting the speed of the shafts inside the transmission mach more difficult to match up to, which is what you are doing in a crash box. The goal is to get from a dead start to high gear relatively soon, and let the long stroke of the engine make up the difference. More like Errr.........Eh-errrrrr, EAHerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
It is a different driving emperience alltogether, but you didn't buy this car to get the same driving experience as a '66 GTO.

Thanks for all the tips. Tomorrow's the last time I'll be able to take her out until the fall (2 week vacation next Friday and rotator cuff surgery 4 days after we get back).

What Mr. Pushbutton said is pretty accurate. I was driving it like my 79 Fiat Spider. Tomorrow I'll try shifting sooner and at lower RPMs (even though there is no tach.).

As for the other posts regarding tranny oil/fluid; I'm a mechanical moron and will pass this along to my mechanic so when he works on the car down the road.


Thanks again for the help.

Stu

I believe I said that.

As soon as the car gets moving you can shift into second gear. You have to learn by shifting early. As you get more experienced you can move the speed up.

One time I was at Charlie Clancy's place and he was getting his car into high range by 15 mph. And that was a 37 Super Eight. That's the way he drove the car by habit.

In the speedster second is good for 45-50 mph without pushing it, but around town you can still put the car into second, and third at fairly low speed. The torque curve is virtually flat. But it takes practice. Can you imagine leaving the toll booths on the Garden State Parkway, running the car up to 50 in second gear and then not being able to shift?

At one time George bolted a second transmission onto the back of one of his cars for overdrive. I never heard it but George told me it was really awesome having the gears screaming at over 75 mph.

Quote:

That was the Speedster that we bought from him in 1974. During the latest restoration, it was removed. There really was no need for it since it also had a pretty low rear end ratio. It will cruise all day long at 75mph.

I've heard that at least one other person with a 1930 Packard in the New Jersey area has this set-up as well, and may still be set-up that way. Bill Hirsch, perhaps????