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

Also, the 1955 Chilton Automobile Repair Manual has a very detailed easy to read and understand several page spread on the Electo-matic Clutch complete with diagrams and pictures in the Packard section. While I don't have a Packard with one, reading it has removed any fear I might have about getting one.

There is nothing to be concerned about in having a car with an inoperative Electromatic Clutch; the mechanism even if inoperative does not interfere with normal clutch operation and gear changes. In fact I'd guess that the majority of Electromatic Clutch-equipped Packards are driven with it just turned off electrically at the dash switch.

I've never driven a car with "three on the tree" so just that in of itself is going to be an adventure once I get her going. Speaking of which...I'm surprised that the manual didn't have a shift pattern mentioned.

I don't think there was any need to mention the shift pattern, it's the same as all American cars with 3-speeds on the column. If there's an exception to that, I'm don't recall it. It's also the same, except for the plane of orientation, as almost all cars that have a 3-speed floor shift. That standard pattern was pretty much universal for 3-speed transmissions.

PS - here's a photo of the soon-to-become standard "H" pattern gearshift, this on a 1901 Packard.

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Learned the hard way: Just because there's a "clutch" button on the dash, doesn't mean you have the electromatic.
Best to look under car. My '49 has the button but it's made inoperable(delete).

Note however, that later on Packard went with a progressive non-H pattern in the Model 18 and 30 transaxles. They went back to convention with the Twin-Six.