Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I had 6 or 7 cars with factory 4 speed hydramatic and still have my father's '63 Cadillac with it. ALL of them were water cooled- lines run to the bottom of the radiator where a tank is inside. It's possible that this unit had an external air cooler but it would have been very "home-made." And since Ultramatic had an external cooler, I can only wonder why it was not used...

The early Hydra-Matics like the one that was in my Pat did not have a torque converter and did not need external cooling.

The transmission cooler in the lower radiator hose had been removed.

The early Hydramatics (pre 1956) were a single hydraulic coupling unit. These had no Park position and were to be parked in Reverse- if you shifted into reverse while moving, it would crunch much like a stick shift. They were fairly rough shifting, too. The later were a two coupling design which had a Park position plus they shifted much more smoothly and were properly called Dual Range Hydramatic but neither of these 4 speed Hydramatics had a torque converter.

The early Hydramatics used fluid couplings like Chrysler did with their early semi automatics didn't they?

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Both of the Calgary cars were converted in the 60's.

I owned the Clipper hardtop from 1985 to 1987.