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Quote:There was something on TV in the last week or so on the new Orion rocket for the Mars mission. IIRC, they said that was even bigger than the Saturn V.

Kev I understand what your doing, bolting a 56 Ultramatic to a gear start housing.

Do you just have the gear start housing, or the whole transmission? If you have a whole gear start, can you tell if it was brought up to the 56 modifications described in the service Counselors?

Ross, Kev, any idea of how close an updated gear start is to a 56 twin Ultramatic? Do they perform similar?

Ross, thanks for the picture, and adding to my vocabulary, by making me look up words and definitions!

My 51 road race replica has gear start with only the direct shift point raised slightly. It even has the early version valve body and shifts really well: low-high is just at the right time and crisp.

I have often read of the Gear Start described as a prototype unleashed on the unwitting public. I have copies of internal testing protocols and road test protocols dated early in 54--this was not some fly by night operation. I would guess that they would have loved to have it out in time for the 54 intro so as to have something to new to trumpet. All the later Ultras were made at the Utica plant. I would guess that this major redesign would have been built there also.

I can't answer that as my GearStart has been sick since had one. No lockup, running on the converter all the time. So I have nothing really to compare to. I just for once want to feel the converter lock up. I could only get it to lock up when running the car on jackstands. Pressure tests should too much leak down from bad bushing to engage the direct drive clutch under load.

When done, this will be a late 56 Twin (all running updated) mated to a '54 327. Aka Franken-Ultra.

Except for the bellhousing, everything is off of the '56 tranny. So cast-iron bellhousing, but aluminum body and tail housing.

Picked up the PS gear from Gerry. He had two units, one was way more rusty that the other. So I picked the one caked in grease thinking more grease equal less rust. We transferred some parts from the other unit so this one has all the parts and bracketry.

It will need all new hoses, and I will go through both the pump and control valve to refresh the seals. After a couple of rounds of initial degreasing, the shaft on this one is also a bit rusty. No deep pits, just surface rust. So hoping the shaft will clean up and smooth up enough to stay sealed and not eat a new seal.

Should I just take the rotted hose to a local hydraulic hose shop and have them fab up new ones?

The plan is to get through Franken-Ultra first, and then move onto the PS setup. Just trying to see where everything lies for planning purposes.

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kev

if you want to beef up tail shaft let me know,

I should be ready to start the 400 with trans, in few days,i have to figure out the shift relays again, (wires),

you should go push button too!!

No push button for me.Trying to maintain the original look as much as possible.

Didnt make out what you were trying to say here:

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this, and if you want a bronze bushing made,,,me, I put needle bearing there

That Packard part is light weight, the parking pawl shaft goes in there,

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Ross, not to hijack BigKev's blog (which I am really enjoying) are there photos or a blog somewhere of your '51 road race replica? I used to have a '51 Packard that was used in races but I know nothing about its history and it is gone now, other than some pieces (the engine and Ultramatic, for example) which I still have. Judging my the trim holes, it was based on a 300 with the 5-main 327 and solid lifters but must have been rolled at some point since it had a '54 roof professionally grafted on. In fact, it took me a while to figure out what was "wrong" with it.

I think he meant "beef up" the tail shaft.