Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

All of you out there in Packardland with '56 pushbutton equipped cars, you might want to take a look at the button-shaped "Klix-on" circuit breaker, I am starting to suspect that these are not "popping" at the rated 20 amps. I have seen a few motors come in with windings burned to a crisp. I intend to do some testing in the coming months, and devising a test rig. If you have any doubt about this on your car, I would replace it with a modern circuit breaker of the same rating from NAPA. They don't look the same, perhaps one could be placed in series with the wire off of the starter solenoid at the starter to the original circuit breaker, that would maintain the appearance of the original and give the proper electrical protection needed for these motors, which aren't plentiful.

Here's a good candidate, and at $6.56 each are in the budget.

napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7823042

AutoZone and O'Reilly has them too. I am using one.

The AutoZone. The holes are parallel.

I am looking for a starter motor that can be adapted. Motorcycle. Small tractor..lawn mower..

The autolite armature I am sure are scarce. The field those can be rewound ..

I am changing the connector to a terminal strip. Between pb and finger connector. I think that connector is giving me problems. Easier to make tests with terminal strip. And. It's a positive connection. With a screw ..

Those connectors are really good, they are GM Packard connectors, which are tops. I replace all of the ends with brand new ends, and always get a good, positive connection that way.

I had fields made for the PB motors, and I am getting ready to have a run of armatures rewound.

Gm.Packard..don't mix!.think that's the problem...hee.

That connector..is in the troubleshoot. .everything in the pb system is screwed. Except that connector.

One could get real protective .by using a fuse or circutbreaker. At each fingerwire.at connector..

My orange wire at parking relay cooked..thinking putting an inline fuse there.

The after market circutbreaker..what like is that with the long posts you can separate wires. I have the motor..green so that's all I need to remove.. Good to know your making arms.

My orange wire at parking relay cooked..thinking putting an inline fuse there.

No need for another fuse if you have the 9A inline fuse added in the white or yellow wire coming from the ballast resistor and connecting to the auto park relay per the field bulletin 56T-25. It is shown on the diagram I sent on the 8th. That wire and fuse is the voltage supply for the finger and PB wires so the fuse will protect all the wiring related to those items and the shift relay coils. The CB protects the motor only. If you are going to add a fuse suggest adding it per the bulletin.

Thanks h.. I will..9amp fuse..might have to settle for 7.5.Or 10.I will look.but I don't think 9 is an off the shelve number.

That circuit needs a whopping 250 ma (1/4 of 1 amp) to pull in the relay coils. I ship my units with a 7 amp fuse protecting the logic side of the system, per Packard's service bulletin recommendation. I think 3A would be plenty, but the 7 will blow before all the 18 gauge wires going up your steering column will melt. I have seen, and fixed that, a few times.

They probably picked the 9 amp because it was a value they used in several other accessory applications over the years and maybe the holder and fuse was a standard SFE size item at a lot of dealers. SFE 7.5 used the same size holder and more than adequate for the needs so surprising they did go so high. I would not go lower than 7 because the backup lights on PB cars are also protected by that fuse.

Come to think of it so is the current for the starting relay.

in the process of hooking things up, have 7.5 amp fuse inline with yellow wire,

just started terminal block wire will be set up like fingers,