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just to be safe I chose to use a modern rock and hammer..my friends press. took a couple of hours but they are straight now. a couple more issues, the compensator lever has twisted, but have another one on the way. (thanks Mike) and there is a crack in the top of the housing, can it just be repaired with a little JB weld as it is not pressurized? or should I look for a new top pc?


also has anyone tried the permatex liquid tape to seal the compensator switches? multiple layers and still stays flexible? so they say. the switches tested ok for continuity, no power when switch depressed correct?

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Dads 56,
IF I read the parts book on this site correctly, the top is the same for 55 and 56. I would see about getting another top, or whole gearbox. Since you know it has a crack, why not do it while you have it out? I'm not sure of the correct torque on the bolts holding it together, but it needs to be tight enough that the middle part of the case does not spin. I had one one time on my 55 Patrician.

I have seen whole and parts for sale on these units. Mike Dulinski or Gerry at Sw Packards might have some used ones.

I do not know about the 56 switches.

Do you have an idea why the system failed and bent the bars and lever were damaged?

Quote:

On a 55 a common reason is the bracket holding the limit switch and solenoids gets hit with road debris and bent so the limit switch is not in alignment and cannot be activated by the transverse bars to stop the action.

On an original 55 and 56 system the limit switch failing or a wire between a solenoid and control box or limit switch shorting or the solenoid sticking are the main reasons the compensator can run until the bars swap sides and try to wrap themselves around the middle.

On the sticking solenoid, some may remember a post Randy Berger made when he first started working on one of his cars. He heard the solenoid click and the car started moving on its own. That part is a normal touch up of the level but the abnormal part was the car did not stop after a second or so. He ran to disconnect the battery and was fortunate enough to catch it in time. On chasing the reason for staying active he found water had gotten into one of the solenoids and the corrosion and rust caused the plunger to stick in the on position to keep the solenoid closed. Unfortunately the fuse is heavy enough and compensator powerful enough the fuse may not blow until damage is done.

The main reason for the failure and damage in a non original system is the improper addition of an aftermarket manual switch. Too many have just added an ordinary switch to control the solenoids directly. They connect the wires to the solenoids and completely bypass the limit switches with the added wiring.

HH56
Thanks for the response, and the sound advice for the novice in me. This car will be a lesson in patience .
I was just outside rooting around in some parts and found another compensator body. I will take that one apart to see if I can salvage a good pc
Don't know why the system failed. I was careful when moving it that the switch under the dash was off. I never heard the motor working. I did previously find some old correspondence of my fathers that mentioned he was having troubles with in it in 1966. It was then parked in 67.
Is there a way to test the solenoids ? Or is the smart move just to replace them?

I will look up Randy'"s Post for reading

Thank you!

So while I am waiting for parts to arrive for the compensator, I replaced the control assembly unit as I have another that tests fine.( thanks HH56 for that lesson)I will test this one that I removed at a later date. Then I decided to remove the wiring harness going back to the compensator/leveler to inspect it and re-tape or repair as needed. to do that I removed the vacuum tank, and discovered it had a large amount of fluid/oil in it. where would this come from? the hose traces back to the carburetor it looks like. I have been searching on the forum but nothing I can find addresses what I am seeing. can someone point me in the right direction? as I was removing the wiring harness I also discovered the 30 amp fuse was good, but where the 7.5 should be was a 14 amp fuse(part of the issue perhaps??) I also saw a large (loose)yellow wire going from the brake light switch into the firewall and under the dash, will get photos of it tomorrow. it appears to go to a mechanical switch off the steering column to the brake pedal. this car hasn't moved in almost 50 years so that surprised me.

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Probably a bad seal in the power brakes caused fluid to be sucked out, some of which made its way to the vacuum tank.

And if fluid made its way out of the unit you can bet it was a serious leak and for it to get to the reservoir tank the vacuum section of the booster is probably saturated too. I know you have mentioned changing the brake booster but this confirms the need for repair or replace before you drive the car. To have the fluid be able to be sucked back into hoses I also suspect your unit might be one that has the gasket and flat cover blocking a relief port so fluid and not air is the only thing that can be sucked in. That issue was discovered on Packard versions of the TreadleVac by people on this forum a few years ago.

Definitely either get a rebuilt unit from one of our vendors or if you want to rebuild your own, TreadleVac rebuild kits are available for the hydraulic section. As far as I know, nothing is made for the vacuum section that is available from our vendors. No idea if any other mfgs vendors have that portion. Kanter has kits as probably does Max and Tucson Packards as well as several other mfgs vendors. Pay particular attention to the condition of the pot metal cylinder casting. Frequently corrosion has damaged smooth surfaces where seals need to seat. There are some repro castings available although from last report they need to have a port drilled in the casting to match the Packard version.

Another word of caution based on experiences from several people on this forum. Getting a rebuilt exchange unit from one of our vendors is suggested because we know they stand behind their products. A few have had their units rebuilt by people who advertise in various car publications as working on all units. Results have been less than satisfactory with a couple of them. For someone to just do a rebuild of yours you might inquire and see if Ross has time to do the job or, I believe Kanter will also do just a rebuild.

There is an excellent written tutorial Ross put together that is in the HOW-TO section of this website. Riki also found a link to a YouTube video of a TreadleVac being rebuilt.youtu.be/LKbnYmPj9a8 Not sure who that mechanic is but the video does appear to go thru the complete unit.

Thank you PackardDon & HH56 for replying. Rebuilding the treadlevac unit is on my to do list. I will read the how to & watch the video. That will hopefully help me determine if it is something I can tackle myself or will have to be sent out for repair
Any tricks on how to dry out the vacuum tank? I have shook it, turned it every conceivable way, yet there still seems to be some fluid in it.

Thanks

Sean

A little bit of leftover fluid will eventually dry but I would try to get most out. Maybe get some denatured alcohol inside and slosh it around to dilute the fluid as much as possible before pouring the alcohol out. Do that a couple of time and then use a smaller diameter tube inserted in thru the hose connection and well into the tank to blow some low pressure compressed air inside while the tank is upside down. Twist and turn the tank as needed to try and let the air flowing in help blow as much as possible of the remaining fluid out.

HH56 Thanks so much! Will try that