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Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#1
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paulsPackard
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OK after tinkering with the 1950 Packard Super8 all spring, I am back on the converter lockup.... This weekend, I performed the Direct Drive Clutch Pressure Test... It was 0...... not 15-20 PSI then up to the lockup pressure... it was totally 0... the needle on the gauge NEVER moved.. So much so that i tested the gauge just to make sure it was working....

Sooo... going to the manual, i removed the governor and the direct drive shift valve.. (it was free).... governor was free and seemed to be working, everything was cleaned soaked in carburetor cleaner, re assembled and lubed with ATF and reinstalled... I did find one stuck valve.. the valve IN FRONT of the direct drive valve was stuck for sure... it had a ton of black looking oil come from it... since it had the pins capturing it front and back i didn't remove it.. I kept moving it forward and back and spraying with WD-40 until it no longer produced the black oil and seemed to be completely free.... I put the pan back on and tested again.... 0psi on the DDC pressure tap....
What should be my next step??? I am thinking the Direct Clutch is bad, like a open hole from a hydraulic standpoint, to me that could make the zero pressure scenario???? Any thoughts???

Posted on: 6/2 7:11
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#2
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Pgh Ultramatic
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First, here's the hydraulic charts. Note that some valves changed with time. These show the later Direct Shift Valve, for instance. Not sure which one you would have, perhaps the older one.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... 7475&post_id=262827#forumpost262827

These are clearer and show the 1949 everything.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... =534&post_id=274984#forumpost274984

Then the parts diagram...packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/parts ... PlateNumber=143&partslist=1948-1954

As you can see on the charts there is only so much going on in the circuit. If the pin in the valve body, separating the DD valve from the modulating valve, has been removed, then this symptom is expected. Do you remember if you had to remove it and if so, if you reinstalled it?

If that's OK, I would check and make sure the converter inlet valve is there, as if not, it will short the DDC circuit to the converter circuit. Keep in mind that bourdon gauges will read 0 at under 5 PSI.

Posted on: 6/2 7:36
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#3
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56Clippers
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Quote:

paulsPackard wrote:
OK after tinkering with the 1950 Packard Super8 all spring, I am back on the converter lockup.... This weekend, I performed the Direct Drive Clutch Pressure Test... It was 0...... not 15-20 PSI then up to the lockup pressure... it was totally 0... the needle on the gauge NEVER moved.. So much so that i tested the gauge just to make sure it was working....


To confirm, “then up to the lockup pressure” indicates that that the pressure is in the Direct Drive is in the engaged range. What value did you get?

Quote:

Sooo... going to the manual, i removed the governor and the direct drive shift valve.. (it was free).... governor was free and seemed to be working,


Did you measure the governor pressure to know that it is working correctly?

Quote:

everything was cleaned soaked in carburetor cleaner, re assembled and lubed with ATF and reinstalled... I did find one stuck valve.. the valve IN FRONT of the direct drive valve was stuck for sure... it had a ton of black looking oil come from it... since it had the pins capturing it front and back i didn't remove it.. I kept moving it forward and back and spraying with WD-40 until it no longer produced the black oil and seemed to be completely free....


On 3/20, you wrote “ I have type F in it right now”. Did you change the fluid, you hadn’t listed in it previous posts? If so has the fluid gotten blacker as though it was removing “ a ton of black looking oil” from other places, not just the modulating valve? Finding gunk causing one operation to fail should make you wonder if there is more gunk other places that you can’ see.

Quote:

I put the pan back on and tested again.... 0psi on the DDC pressure tap....
What should be my next step??? I am thinking the Direct Clutch is bad, like a open hole from a hydraulic standpoint, to me that could make the zero pressure scenario???? Any thoughts???


Did the DDC pressure go “up to the lockup pressure” as in the previous test? If there is an “open hole”, it wouldn’t go “up to the lockup pressure”.

Have you run pressure tests on the rest of the transmission to determine the rest of the condition?

Posted on: 6/2 11:41
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#4
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Pgh Ultramatic
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Good point Mike...

Paul, where are you getting the 15-20 PSI figure from? The DDC pressure is supposed to be zero on disengagement. The engagement pressure is 75-90. Engagement is at perhaps 20 mph on light acceleration.

Posted on: 6/2 12:42
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#5
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Quite a regular

paulsPackard
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Quote:

56Clippers wrote:
Quote:

paulsPackard wrote:
OK after tinkering with the 1950 Packard Super8 all spring, I am back on the converter lockup.... This weekend, I performed the Direct Drive Clutch Pressure Test... It was 0...... not 15-20 PSI then up to the lockup pressure... it was totally 0... the needle on the gauge NEVER moved.. So much so that i tested the gauge just to make sure it was working....


To confirm, “then up to the lockup pressure” indicates that that the pressure is in the Direct Drive is in the engaged range. What value did you get?

Quote:

Sooo... going to the manual, i removed the governor and the direct drive shift valve.. (it was free).... governor was free and seemed to be working,


Did you measure the governor pressure to know that it is working correctly?

Quote:

everything was cleaned soaked in carburetor cleaner, re assembled and lubed with ATF and reinstalled... I did find one stuck valve.. the valve IN FRONT of the direct drive valve was stuck for sure... it had a ton of black looking oil come from it... since it had the pins capturing it front and back i didn't remove it.. I kept moving it forward and back and spraying with WD-40 until it no longer produced the black oil and seemed to be completely free....


On 3/20, you wrote “ I have type F in it right now”. Did you change the fluid, you hadn’t listed in it previous posts? If so has the fluid gotten blacker as though it was removing “ a ton of black looking oil” from other places, not just the modulating valve? Finding gunk causing one operation to fail should make you wonder if there is more gunk other places that you can’ see.

Quote:

I put the pan back on and tested again.... 0psi on the DDC pressure tap....
What should be my next step??? I am thinking the Direct Clutch is bad, like a open hole from a hydraulic standpoint, to me that could make the zero pressure scenario???? Any thoughts???


Did the DDC pressure go “up to the lockup pressure” as in the previous test? If there is an “open hole”, it wouldn’t go “up to the lockup pressure”.

Have you run pressure tests on the rest of the transmission to determine the rest of the condition?



I have drained the fluid several times since i got the car running, but I just got around to working on the transmission... I have probably put 1500 miles on the car since i got it.. The transmission seems to function normally it just dosent go into direct drive... by that i mean all the gears seem to engage well and there is no slippage of the clutches.... To your point the black oil from the modulation valve may mean others are stuck as well... I can say that the governor, the direct drive valve are free because i removed and cleaned them... also i can see where the book calls "vent" to me means, ported to exhaust or as i said "open hole" so i can see where the pressure could be zero... I thought i read somewhere in a chart where it said 15-25 lbs disengaged, and 60-80 when the direct drive clutch is activated... Anyway is there any other possible cause that does not require removal of the transmission, that i have overlooked....
Thanks to all Paul

Posted on: 6/2 14:43
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#6
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53 Cavalier
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Quote:

paulsPackard wrote:
all the gears seem to engage well and there is no slippage of the clutches....
Thanks to all Paul


All the gears? There is only one! Maybe your transmission is working just fine???

Posted on: 6/2 15:04
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#7
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Pgh Ultramatic
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Quote:

paulsPackard wrote:
Anyway is there any other possible cause that does not require removal of the transmission, that i have overlooked....
Thanks to all Paul


Well, everything that I already mentioned only requires you to double check the valve body and do the DD pressure test correctly. I mentioned them as they are both logical possible causes and not very difficult to check. Are you planning to check on those?

Another possibility is your throttle pressure being extremely out of whack. If you are in kickdown then it won't go into direct. Loosen the front jam nut on the transmission throttle linkage, set the carb to low idle, and see how far forward you can push the transmission linkage with normal finger pressure. If there is a huge distance then it just needs to be adjusted forward a bunch. The throttle pressure problem can also be caused by some mistake in the reassembly of the throttle valve.

Quote:

paulsPackard wrote:
i mean all the gears seem to engage well


I assume this means that H, L, and R make the car drive well? If you are feeling a "shift" in H or L at 20 to 50 MPH, that is your DDC engaging.

Posted on: 6/2 16:25
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#8
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paulsPackard
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Hello, by all the gears i mean H, L, R.... It does not attempt any type of shift while driving...

Thanks Paul

Posted on: Yesterday 5:44
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#9
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paulsPackard
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After looking at the hydraulic schematic, it appears to me that the converter inlet valve could possibly be stuck.. I think that would give the same symptom as well.
My thinking, if the converter does not dump, then you have the same pressure on both sides of the direct drive clutch.... Much the same as what happens when you have bad bushings and too much pressure leakage into the converter....

Is this possible?? i have pretty much cleaned everything else...

thanks
Paul

Posted on: Yesterday 8:03
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Re: Back to the Ultramatic Lockup
#10
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Pgh Ultramatic
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That's correct but it won't explain why you would have 0 pressure on the DDC circuit at speed, if that's what is happening.

If you have the correct pressure on the DDC circuit at speed and still no engagement, then I think you have made a prescient diagnosis on the inlet valve. Or the bushings like you said.

Posted on: Yesterday 8:09
1955 400 | Registry | Project Blog
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