Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

When I had my 1955 Packard 400 it had an interesting problem.
Perhaps a 55-56 Packard guru could answer my question.
Okay, 1955 Packard 400 , V8, Ultramatic, 2 door hardtop. Power windows and power seat.
When I would park this car on an incline, nose pointed up, put in park and there it would stay. You couldn't get the gear selector back out of park position. I would have to get a friend to push on the rear bumper ever so slightly in order to select another gear be it drive or reverse.
I suspect perhaps the engine and transmission mounts we shot causing a shifting problem?

Kind of depends on when the car was built and if it had updates. There were two issues with the 55 TU Park position.

The first production cars had a linkage issue. When put in park the rod length and lever geometry lined the linkage up in almost a straight line. Looseness, slop or mfg tolerances could worsen the problem so trying to get it out of park would be difficult because the rod was trying to push the lever on the transmission straight back instead of giving the end a shove to make a rotary move. That was corrected by changing the rod length and redesigning the attachment point on the transmission lever so park position was a few degrees more vertical when tightened on the shaft..

The second issue was inside the trans on the parking pawl and parking gear. They would mesh and then if any pressure was on the gear such as when on an incline things would jam so even if the outside lever moved it couldn't pull the pawl out of mesh in the gear. Both pieces were changed and the pawl precision ground for a slightly different contour.

Both of the issues are covered in two or three of the 55 service counselors.

Thanks Howard,
I don't know much of the car's early history.
When I got the car it was from a salvage yard.
Wasn't in too bad of condition other than a missing radiator.
The car had last been registered in 1965, I imagine the reason it was retired was the parking issue. Otherwise after changing oil, buying a used radiator, cleaning fuel system, adding a battery, car started right up!
Maybe the previous owner didn't bother with "recalls"?
The local Packard dealer was still in business in 1965 selling British Motor Corp vehicles.

For any trans .you should use parking brake. And wheels against curb to take the load.

Also be sure to set the parking brake before releasing the brake pedal so that the parking brake can hold the pressure from the transmissions parking pawl.

Duh, why something so simple escaped me!
Brain cells were inactive is my only defense.

The jambed parking pawl on my Esquire has embarrassed me on several occasions until Randy and OD convinced me that using Neutral and a properly set up parking brake was the sure way to go. My Executive still is wired for the Auto Park function and I find it a PITA if I am moving back and forth between them or have an iffy battery. Some winter day when I am bored I will disable the Auto Park function. I will still avoid parking both on steep inclines and continue to carry a set of wheel checks, just in case.

The auto park is a nice conversation piece and I suppose under some conditions is an antitheft feature. As you say, it can sometimes be a PIA.

I decided to have both by modifying the circuit to add the disable feature yet keep the auto park function for show and tell. The disable is essentially TB56T-25 but did it with a switch and all in an old relay can so it looks stock. Removed the original relay guts and added a new modern relay and switch inside the can.

Flip the hidden switch on the bottom of the modified can one way to have a stock auto park function. Flipping it the other way disconnects power from the relay so it cannot force park when ign is switched off and connects the button and finger directly together for the bypass.

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Or you could just do what I did junk the Ultra for something that works-Bendtsens conversion kit and a GM 700r auto-after having 3 Ultramatics die on me each one costing about $2500 it was a no-brainer.

Interesting h.

Ran into this last night adjusting rear brakes. Put in n. Key off. Oops..so turned key on pulled battery cable.

Think i would put switch inline with green wire. Call it a day..