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

A little transmission talk....(Have a road trip coming up and want to make sure everything is in tip top shape.)

If you have a 53 you know the dipstick is a little short dipstick under the car on the side of the transmission, an issue that I believe was corrected in 54 with a dipstick that came up by the heater core. If I can find a 54 dipstick tube assembly, can I put it on my 53? I have a leak on the shifter shaft seal, which I have replaced, but didn't correct the issue. Might try stacking another seal on top of the one I did replace to see if that helps.




I'm not sure, but my shifter shaft may have a burr or something on it which is causing the seal to leak. If I get ambitious, can the shaft be removed without dropping the transmission? Such as, can I tip the back of the transmission down, remove the valve body and get the shaft out?



I'm running Penzoil Type F, which seems to be working well. I know there is always a great debate whenever it comes to engine and transmission oils, but what is everyone else running in their Ultramatics?

When the car is running and the torque converter is full is the fluid level below the shift shaft seal? I'm wondering if my transmission is leaking only when my car is parked or if it is leaking all the time?

The instructions for filling the transmission below, which are what I followed, would make me believe that the when the transmission is operating and the torque converter and rest of the system is full of fluid it is drawing up 5 quarts of fluid. Is that correct? Reason for my question is that if my car sits for an extended period of time, such as 5 months in storage, I'm thinking that it could potentially lose several quarts of transmission fluid before it it gets down to the level of my leaking shift shaft.




I'm going to go through and check all my Ultramatic's settings, such as band adjustments, throttle valve lever, selector linkage, etc. to ensure they are correct. Adjusting the cross shaft requires a special tool, but does anyone know what the distance is that Gauge PU-364 is measuring so I can check it without the gauge?




Most of the settings seems pretty straight forward, but if you have any words of wisdom I would be happy to hear them. TIA

I'm using whatever Type F fluid Napa had. I believe it's just generic Napa brand...probably made by Pennzoil or Valvoline. Works fine for me.

I'm also leaking at my input shaft seal, among other places. Most of my leaking comes when the car sits, hence the drip pans that live under my car. Sitting over the winter will definitely cause some fluid loss but I haven't found mine to be excessive. My car sat from November to March this last winter and I lost barely any trans fluid. Just a quick top off and I was good to go. That whole time there was definitely fluid leaking but it didn't amount to much.

Eventually I will deal with all the leaks but I'm having too much fun driving and enjoying the car right now.

The longer dipstick did appear in 1954 but very late in production when the Gear-Start Ultramatic was introduced. Neither of my 1954s have it but I have a complete unit to install someday.

For 53 Cavalier.
Here is an illustration of the tool provided in a Service Counselor when Packard advised dealers to drill a new hole for use with the 359 head. I revised that drawing and added the LHD hole distance to the illustration per the measurement given on page 6 in Studebaker Service Bulletin 340.









Somewhere on the Forum Ross gave a simple way to measure to set the cross shaft without use of the tool. Perhaps he or someone else can restate the information or procedure.

HH56
Is 2 3/4" the measurement that I need from the top of my head to the center of the of the rod for my 53? Or is the PU-364-XA illustrated below different than the PLU-364? That is, does the XA simply include the hole for the 359 that wouldn't have been included on the original PLU-364? I should be able to get this measurement without too much trouble, or even whip up a home made gauge pretty quickly.

Here's what Ross said regarding the adjustment in question:

"Just lengthen the pull rod to the carb a bit until you like the way the trans upshifts. There is a singular lack of rocket science involved. Besides, that is likely all that got changed when the carb was taken off."

Discussion can be found beginning here

That 2 3/4 measurement is from the sort of raised ridges on the head the tool is resting on in the photo to the center of the rod protrusion that sticks into the hole in the tool. Since the rod end is a bit past the head laying a piece of straight flat stock on the head to extend over and then measuring from the BOTTOM of the flat stock with a small engineer scale is probably the simplest. Ross had another way which he posted but I just don't remember it.

All the tools were the PU-364-?? but they made some revisions over the years and changed the suffix accordingly. Early on the height of LHD hole from base was changed, added notch to base, modifying the angle of holes to base slightly so the tool rested with less interference on the head, the 359 head hole, the RHD hole, and tools with combinations of the changes had a different suffix.

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Thanks KP, I had seen this post, but didn't fully review the entire conversation. I'll try setting my cross shaft to factory, if it's not already, and see what happens. Does lengthening the rod cause the transmission to shift from low to high sooner or later?

I'm not sure I feel my transmission lock up. Is it as noticeable as the shift from low to high? Maybe it is happening so close to the shift to high that I'm not noticing?

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Thank you! I think I'll make up a little tool. I'll use it once and then hang it on my tool board for the next 10 years!

The 53 and 54 non GS trans used the same case, so I think the dipstick idea would work.

Pretty much everyone is using Type F or something real similar.

Just make a Sharpie mark where your adjuster is at currently then set it the same later, and road test it.