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

Quote:
Yes, you did, but you seem to have overlooked the leading text, advising that pattern is for the Gear Start edition of the Ultramatic, which was introduced with 54th Series - and very late in the production run, at that. You advised that your car is a 52, with a 53 trans. There is no no 'D' selection on the shift quadrant on a 52 (or 53); hence, the text you pasted would not apply.

Prior to the advent of the Gear Start version, there was NO automatic shift between Low and High range - sez so right in that FAQ. Furthermore, that text advises that the ONLY shift you will feel in the original Ultramatic is in/out of Direct Drive, which is a lock-up clutch in the torque converter.

Please go back and re-read that FAQ carefully; there are no awards given, here, for speed reading.

If you also read the FAQ on "What Fluid To Use", you will find that many other owners have complained about noise in Direct Drive - described as a groan/moan/moo. Short of an overhaul, perhaps you should to try a COMPLETE drain and refill with Type F fluid. Do NOT, however, inter-mix fluids of different types.

Because automatic shifting is activated by a governor, perhaps the governor in your trans needs cleaning, which can be accomplished in-car. In addition to the Training Booklet and Service Manual, see also this site's Packard Service Index - namely the installment for 1951-54 (24th->54th Series), and then the category, ULTRAMATIC, for several additional topics pertaining to the governor.

i am reading that now. thanks for all your help. the more i read about it the better. but yes

it does seem that she is operating normally considering her age. i was going to completely drain and fill with Type F. ( read that in an earlier post/.

remove and clean the Governor. check!

thank you very much.

I had planned on finding a 52 12 plate to have rebuild next year when i get the 327 K done and it should all go back together original. The glove box slip indicates she had a 327 originally. ( now a 51,288 J )

thanks for all your help

The reason I suggested running it with the wheels on jack stands is because the rear pump will free up the hydraulic problem. Ultramatics will stick and then unstick. However, you should go ahead and put new oil in it, or at the least check the level and condition of what's in it.

This weekend i will drain and fill with Type F. read about the governor before i remove and clean it.
i will put it on stands and run it like you said. Not sure how long or ?? both ways ?/
I will do this after i change the fluid.

i am reading the Serviceman Training Manual first. Then the others. Because i am a service man and been hit in the head alot so i don't read as fast as i usually did.


I was fooled initially. by the direct clutch/torque converter change. I am used to Chevy and fords from the 60's and 70's/


so my Ultamatic seems to be ok. I heard about the groan thing and that may be fixed by Type F. it only does it when cold.

Thank you again BH

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Thanks for the thanks. I'm not an engineer and only a mechanic by avocation. I just try to direct people to the answers that I would be looking for (some of which I have researched and compiled). This site provides the hands-on owner with more resources than what was previously available anywhere else.

Be sure to check out the article on cleaning the governor in Service Counselor Vol. 24, No. 5 (p. 18). The Training Booklet and 51-54 shop manual feature identical text in this regard (as part of an overhaul), but the SC article goes into a bit more detail. If you've worked on any automatics as a service man, I'm sure you know not to use wire brushes on these parts.

Ultramatic is a bit different than any other automatic that you may have seen or worked on. The planetary set-up with long and short gears threw me, at first. The lock-up converter concept was decades ahead of Chevy and Ford.

When you're finished with the Training Booklet, take a look at the last ten pages of the Ultramatic Drive section of the 51-54 shop manual. It covers design changes regarding the torque converter (and clutch), planetary and pump check valves that went into effect for 52.

Just take it all slow and easy, and when you're ready to gop to work, start with the least invasive approach(es) first.

Thad,
for including your '50 Eight Touring Sedan in the Registry. I like the paint name!

Old post but here's my two-cents worth anyway. When the same thing happened during a trip in my 1953 Patrician, it was the governor which was simply stuck. It was like stopping the car with a manual transmission without pressing the clutch. Removing and freeing it up solved the problem and required only a couple most basic tools since the governor is external and accessed though a plate on the side of the transmission.