Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

For some of us, serious road car does not = automatic transmission, air conditioning, cupholders, but to each his own. But for increased service life of any automatic transmission, crisp, quick shifts, as Dr. Dyneto suggests above, are always preferable.

For the last time, this entire ZDDP nonsense is just that. See Tim Cole's post #3, and mine, #6, on the topic "New Quaker State Oil," June 9th, of the General Forum.

If your engine's not pumping oil, just use any major brand 10W/30 detergent oil. Can't believe these same geezer folk tales from the 1970s about detergent oil, multiweight oil, silicone brake fluid, you gotta use antifreeze, batteries discharing on concrete floors, ad nauseum, are still circulating. Let's leave that garbage to the JimBob hot rod Chevy 350 and Branson, MO '41 Kadillac krowd.

BTW, have been in California since '76 and have driven many Packards in all temperatures, in all seasons and have never, ever, not once suffered starting problems, vapor lock and all these other gloom and doom downhome gasoline horror stories, predictions.

Gasoline today is vastly cleaner than the stuff available when our Packards were new and late model.

Too many people driving too many worn out, cosmetically restored old cars want to blame the big, bad oil companies, the gasoline, despite many oil company folk owning and driving collector cars. Oh, and the ever popular "the government." Unhappy? Vote. Newsflash: The government is us. People who run for office are, like us, United States citizens.

YOU can run for public office. Like the man said, "If you don't like the news, make some of your own."

Finally, too many people insist on driving old cars of any make as though they were late-model Tauruses, Accords and Camrys.

Our Packards were built by and for the denizens of another era, when our national population was a quarter to 40% of today's nearly one-third BILLION with resulting clogged roads unimaginable in the 1930s, 1940s, even Packard's final years in the 1950s.
Don't drive in gridlock.
Don't sit with your engine idling while waiting to park at some concours d' nonelegance.

Back in the day, in torrid weather, people stopped for coffee, to relax, stretch, see the sights.

You can't "have it all."

Change your fluids, and when you need to change any fuel line hose, use fuel injection hose. It'll last another century or two.

Not only do you not need extra ZDDP, but as the above suggests, it may even be detrimental. That, and the zinc additive settles on the bottom of your oil pan.

Similarly, don't believe the Ultramatic nonsense non-Packard folk tell you. In 1950, Consumers Reports gave Ultramatic their Best Buy rating, choosing it the best automatic transmission on the market.

A friend put 130,000 miles on a '53 300 with a 327 and Ultramatic, with never a problem other than draining the ATF and changing the filter every 25,000 miles. But then he drove like an adult. Ultramatics wouldn't take jackrabbit starts and hard acceleration like a HydraMatic.
The troublesome 1955-56 Twin-Ultramatic was a stop-gap by a dying company as Ultramatic was never attuned to a V-8's torque curve.

In my callow youth, i owned a '51 200 with Ultramatic; a 48,414-mile car from the little old lady from, not Pasadena, but nearby Hawthorne. I had the Ultramatic rebuilt substituting the later 9-inch rather than 11-inch direct-drive clutch merely as the seals, etc. were dried out from sitting in her son's garage. A Xerox executive, he wanted the thing out of there so he could put in a pooltable, so i got it for a song. I doubt any US car had better ergonomics than a 1951-54 Packard, tho' a Chrysler's hands down better.

I think we added a transmission cooler when we rebuilt the Ultramatic since i had a '70 Polara convertible at the time and we'd done the same for its Torqueflite.

If you have to have a '50s Packard, get one like Jean Trevoux campaigned in the Pan America Carrera road race. Or a Mayfair coupe with stick/OD.

Would've kept it longer had it been a stick and overdrive.
On the freeway, kept wishing it would shift again.

The above gents are right about having ONLY someone who really knows Ultramatics work on yours.

Before assuming your Ultramatic is toast, I'd check the measurement on the linkage and a do it yourself band adjustment wouldn't be a bad idea either. If your High has died there should be some debris in the pan and in the screen to show for it. It's possible a previous owner "destroyed the evidence" but it doesn't seem likely. I mean dropping the transmission pan for an inspection is not standard car shopping activity . Last week when I drove my '51 I thought I'd lost High Range but it's just getting so smooth that it's hard to tell. Plus I'd been driving my '55 which DID have harsh lock-ups so I was waiting for something that wasn't there. I'm happy to say the '55s shifts are now so smooth that I have to listen for a change in the exhaust note to tell.

I really would go through and check the linkage. Many on this site can tell you how absolutely critical the exact settings are and how when they are even a little off can cause all sorts of symptoms and eventually problems. This site has all the info you will need to check your measurements and do the band adjustment. Believe me I checked all of mine for even though there is a Ultramatic Tech here in Portland, he is not inexpensive! Fortunately I haven't had to resort to him ------ yet.

When you do get it all sorted you are in for a real treat. They are like no other car of the period or today. I love both of mine and only wish I had bought one (or two) sooner.

Found 2 mechanic's that have worked on ultramatic's. We are taking out the valve body tomorrow and see how it is and the throttle control rod adjustment to make sure its at 28 29/32. Here is hoping its one of the two.

I remember a thread here somewhere about seals in the low or reverse pistons getting hard and leaking. The original Ultra piston tops get pressure to keep the pistons down when not applied. I believe it was mentioned a leaking seal could possibly bleed off pressure needed for high range clutch. Don't remember the entire symptom.

If Ross doesn't chime in and give details, maybe a PM to him would give additional things to look for when you take the valve body out. If you do remove the pistons remember to watch for the struts falling out of position in case it has the first style bands without the strut capture pins.

Follow the latest procedure to adjust throttle linkage. It has the dimension to use since you probably won't have the special positioning gauge.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/SC/SB-340.pdf

I fully agree, the low and reverse piston seals must be in good shape and pliable so that a lot of pressure is not bled off. Also of critical importance is the 5/16" adjustment mentioned in that service bulletin Howard highlighted.

If those two things are OK, then then you should have H range regardless of how out of adjustment the throttle linkage is.

If there is no H at all, then chances are the high range clutch disks are completely fried or one of the two bushings that support the high range clutch drum have spun out of position cutting off fluid supply to the high clutch. Also possible that the timing valve is stuck.

How did you come out with your Ultramatic problems?

Too hot to do anything to the packard. Its been 102 everyday and low of 83 in the mornings.

You're right! Much too hot.

Can someone send some cool air or rain to Oklahoma city. It has been 100+ everyday. Its 5am 88 degrees, 112 high yesterday and today. Still no progress on the ultramatic.

Quote:

We've been in your position more times than I care to remember Bob. In Fact, this is the first year in the last 14 that Florida is finally on target to meet our average yearly rainfall total yet 3/4ths of the rest of the country is currently experiencing the worst drought conditions since the dust bowl. Our thoughts and prayers are with you folks who need the rain so badly, we know how it feels. Hope your Ultramatic problem proves to be more simple than complicated.