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

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The link I provided earlier has reproductions of the control cable….$60

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The cable and lockout switch from Vintage would probably work well for the 51-4 R11s which had the lockout switch under the car but not as well for the earlier R9 and R11 units. The lockout switch on those was at the dash bracket. Unlike the later units, not even sure if there is an opening on the earlier cases where the later switch could be mounted. For earlier years I think Ross suggestion of a switch operated by the lever is better.

I don't remember hearing of an earlier repro cable that would include the bracket or even some kind of modern switch since NOS switches are getting scarce too but if someone has done it there should be a market. If anyone knows for sure if this was done please share any info. There is a thread on the forum from a few years back detailing someone elses search and purchase of a good used original cable assy. After everything was found and gathered the total amount to get it all going was not cheap. Based on that experience and without a repro or being lucky enough to find a good and inexpensive used cable, using a modern cable and lockout switch under the car would be a comparatively inexpensive and very practical fairly easy to do solution.

The Vintage cable should work and price is not horrible. Not sure if the knobs can be removed on them but if you do find it can, repro ivory Packard OD knobs are available at Levine reproductions. Just need to figure out how to attach it. For that matter, there are a few factory 51-4 cables on ebay with black knobs but not sure if those knobs can be changed either. .After fabricating some kind of cable support and the hookup for the bare end of the Bowden cable at the OD, for the electrical, you could use an aftermarket manual brake switch similar to one of these or make your own bracket and provide a different type switch. Just ensure the switch you use is water resistant.




Arrange the switch so when the knob is pulled out bringing the lever full forward the arm of the switch is in a position to open the switch. When the knob pushes in to move the lever backwards to OD position, when it reaches about the halfway point have the switch arm move enough to close the switch. Unlike the R11 where the lockout switch disengages power to the relay, for the R9 this change electrically would be extremely simple because on that unit the lockout interrupts ground coming from the governor. All you would need to do is exchange the location of the lockout switch and kickdown switch in the ground string which closes the relay when governor is at speed.

If anyone has a 48-50 model with an R11 and is contemplating this type of mod things are slightly different. On those years OD the lockout switch interrupted power supply to the OD relay. For best practice and a proper duplication of the factory wiring you would need to extend and bring the original wires from under the dash down to the new switch. While you could interrupt ground side like the R9 and duplicate function it could be confusing to someone working on the car and trying to follow a diagram. In 51-4 models they did interrupt the ground side again so on earlier models it would be owners choice either to follow factory or follow the simpler way to do the mod. If installing a new R-11 in a car without OD and no hard to find original cable this ground lockout mod could also be done.

Referring to this R9 diagram which also shows the reverse safety switch mentioned in the post with the service counselor link, all the action happens in the red circled area. The OD wire at the governor is the wire connected to the exposed terminal with a visible rivet on the governor bottom. That wire would be disconnected at the connector going into the loom. It would need to be extended by use of an extension wire and re routed to the new lockout switch. Terminal out of the new switch would reconnect back to the loom and continue on to the kickdown switch. The two wires under the dash that went to the old lockout switch would be connected together and all would work as before.

For the extension to the new switch, if you wanted to keep everything neat and your governor is stock condition there should be bullet type connectors on the existing wires. A local auto parts store should have male and female crimp on bullet connectors which you could use to make the extension so everything is plug in at both ends if you used a brake switch like those above. The .156 size should work for the governor side but the switch side size and type would need to be verified with whatever switch was used.

Make sure the correct wire at the governor is used. The second wire at the governor that comes out of the sort of raised or molded area of the bottom with terminal possibly covered by tar is the EC wire. Since your car has EC it should also be connected into the loom but not be disturbed for this change. On cars without EC or some that had EC disabled this second wire could just be coiled and tucked aside.

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That won't work with the R-9.

This is what you need. Many are all buggered up, which is why they're hard to find in good condition.

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Also one on eBay, but without the switch on it.
ebay.com/itm/135429870791?chn=ps&mkevt=1 ... XsSM-lWlrztFzL1ZgMh3t4P-ylSTk&gQT=1

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Correct. The repro cable will not be an as is bolt on for the 50 and earlier overdrives. Using the repro cable you would need to figure out your own method for providing a cable wire to clevis end attachment to the OD lever and use the added external lockout switch replacement described in my lengthy post above.

Based on the $300 price of the ebay cable without a switch and the around $400+ the fellow paid for his cable and switch setup 10 or so years ago, unless authenticity is important to you I suspect one could get a repro cable, the external switch and parts for a clevis fabrication for a third to half of what it will wind up costing for an original cable and switch. Add in a bit of time and if possible, a proper knob, it should be a functional almost undetectable unless you looked closely arrangement.

The one West has looks just like the one I have which is from a 1939 R6. Are they the same or different, or am I simply wrong about the year mine is?

I believe they all have the same lockout switch and transmission end although I am not sure if the cables are the same length. Some have a bracket with an angled single mounting screw on one side of the knob while others have mounting screws on both sides of the knob. 47 uses the double screw type and I don't know which models used the single.

I have Max Merritt pricing me the complete cable assembly/lockout switch/reverse switch.

I bled the brakes last Saturday, got back under the car the next day and discovered the master has a slow drip... always something. Just received the new master from Merritt.

The other issue is the clutch slips a little in top gear if you floor it (supposedly had pressure plate/disc replaced in 1997). Overdrive will make that worse.


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Yours is for an R9. The R6 didn't have the switch.