Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

It looks great and I want one!

It needs a few things to go from prototype to production.
To support 55s, I need to change the current sensor, add two isolators, and make an adaptor cable.
I'm thinking of changing the timer to be more accurate by changing from a 555 to a crystal.
I need to make more complete documentation.

I'll keep you posted.

Fantastic explanation of functionality - goes way beyond the factory info. Good job!

The reason your car changes level, on its own is due to worn out front rubber control arm bushings. I have new bushing kits. packardparts.org

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I noticed on my 400 with original bushings some occasional "phantom" leveling, where the thing kicks on when the car is sitting still, long after any weight change, and also it tend to not level out perfectly. Especially in a "phantom" leveling situation, it often ends up more out of level than when it started.

It's really something that only an owner would notice, thankfully, but I can tell it "ain't quite right". I'm considering a bushing replacement maybe a year or couple from now once the more important things are sorted and I get some miles on the car.

Dwight Heinmuller sells the bushing kits and also has a reproduction of the special tool required for safety’s sake to install them.

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Yes he does and I got his kit, works well. However, it doesnt include all the bushings. I know it doesnt have the rear lower eyelet bushings (the ones in the front of the arm), the sway bar bushings or the front top and bottom stops.

I would think it's because those aren't as necessary for a properly functioning TL system. But especially the sway bar bushings, if original, should be replaced if you are doing the others too.

got the motor to spin but doesn't engage the gears. my 10yr old daughter talked my wife into buying this 55 clipper sport at an auction. at first wasnt happy, but this car is darn clean for the price she paid. spent part of its life in a museum, but the last owner neglected it a bit, for 20 yrs. anyway, new fuel lines,cleaned fuel tank, new fluids, and she runs good. never seeing this suspension before, i wasnt excited when it didnt function. at some point someone replaced the on/off switch with a toggle switch.assuming to bypass the auto. i finaly got the motor freed up but it not turning any gears. does this engage like a starter? and am i gonna have to pull this whole thing apart to try to fix the issue. any help greatly appreciated.

If the motor spins but nothing happens with the compensator to move the transverse bars there are a couple of things to check. First is the possibility a snap ring clip has moved out of position and the worm drive moved so the armature is no longer able to turn it. That is covered in a 55 service bulletin.

The second item is a possibility something happened electrically to keep the motor running and the compensator turned too far and tried to drive the transverse bars thru the case. If a fuse does not blow in time that can result in the transverse bars being bent and the splines of the final drive output piece being sheared off.

Here is an example of the sheared off final drive piece issue.



If you do find something damaged, on a 55 electrical components are under the car so one known reason the motor drives too far is the bracket the limit switch and solenoids are mounted on was hit by road debris and bent so the limit switch is not able to operate. Another reason is the limit switch was electrically bypassed and was not in the circuit to stop the motion when the transverse bars came close to the body of the compensator. More than once a poorly designed or connected home made manual up/down switch addition has been known for this. Since the components are under the car and exposed to water another cause has been a short or damage in a wire or a solenoid sticking due to moisture or other failure. Another reason is by someone wanting to move the suspension manually and then connecting power directly to the motor bypassing all the normal electrical components and then not watching what was happening at the compensator and let the motor run too long.