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Folks: I have a very frustrating problem. My R-11 overdrive has suddenly stopped working (it won't engage...the relay is not closing) on my 23rd series after having been functioning PERFECTLY for as long as I've had the car (3 years). I thought for sure it must be the overdrive relay or fuse, but I removed the relay and bench tested it...it's just fine (closes right at 6 v). I placed it back into the system and with the ignition switch closed, I have voltage on both sides of the relay coil. I have continuity from the relay to the solenoid (and the solenoid does energize when I manually close the relay). I have continuity across the kickdown switch and from the kickdown switch to the relay. I suspect that the governor is not properly grounding out the signal when the speed setpoint it reached. Tonight, I went underneath to inspect the governor, and I was surprised to note that mine had two wires coming out from the top of it (from two separate booted connections)...one of course goes to the kickdown switch. But the other wire (about 6 inches long) is simply dangling there, dead ending in something of a stump. Is this second wire supposed to be connected to ground??? I thought the grounding function happened internal to the housing, so I'm not understanding what this second wire does and how or if it has anything to do with my problem. I can't see where this wire could have been connected to anything in the immediate vicinity...there simply isn't any visible evidence. I would be happy to check continuity from the governor to the kickdown switch, but I can't see how I can do that given the presence of those little boots on top of the governor that cover the connection points (I can barely touch them with my fingertips). I'm stunned to read threads of those of you who have actually removed the governor. I can't see how this is humanly possible, given the geometry of the device and where it is wedged...how the heck did you guys ever get it out???? But I am still left to conclude that my problem is an electrical one and has to do with the governor's grounding function.

So, any comments or thoughts from the wizards out there?

A lot of the governors came with two wires and were used with electromatic clutch. There should be some faint markings AD is overdrive and EC is the clutch. If those can't be seen, the clutch wire (unused and just poke it out of danger if you don't need it) is the one coming out of a sort of raised enclosure toward the edge and the OD wire is the one attached to a terminal and exposed. You should be able to disconnect from the governor connector and ground the harness end. The solenoid should try to energize. If not, look for a black plastic connector in the loom between the governor and main harness. They were eliminated as a source of intermittent problems but some cars had them. If still no luck, would suspect the kickdown switch.

I know the governor is hard to access and Packard had a special wrench. There are some prior threads where one poster made one by cutting and bending an open end wrench and gave instructions.

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HH56: While I can't possibly get an overhead view of the governor because of where it is situated, I felt around and couldn't detect any similarity at all with images that you included above. Can't see any means to put a probe on the appropriate connector because of where they are and the presence of those boots that are covering them (at least that what I call them). And I can pretty much rule out being able to disconnect anything. I will try to look at the wiring between the governor and the kickdown switch to see if I can find any faulty connector. I wouldn't suspect the kickdown switch itself since I did have a sat continuity check between the bottom two connection points which tells me that it must be in its normal position, providing a circuit path between the relay and the governor.

Not knowing what you have exactly, unless someone has cut the connector off and hard wired it, the "boot" should be a plastic or hard rubber inline connector similar to this replacement type sold by Restoration Specialties. Normally, there is a bullet connector on each wire and they will disconnect. Because water could get in and corrode the terminals, Packard eliminated the ones in the harness proper after some cars were built but the governor still had one since it was a serviceable item and needed to be removable.

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So here's the next hurdle. I can't see any recourse at this point except to remove the governor to permit me to examine what's going on there. Is there a way of removing it without having to drop the transmission? I'm not underneath the car right now, but I don't even recall seeing any bolts to loosen. I've chased down every thread here having to do with "overdrive" and haven't found a thing that would help.

It unscrews. You need a specially shaped wrench--either the KMO 608 or something more like the later one. The earlier version had a much shorter handle and not sure on angle. Believe the poster who modified a standard open end to make one said handle on his was about 5 inches long, wrench end could be no more than 3/16 thick or more than 3/8 wide and size of hex was 1 7/16. He also mentioned without the angle, the fill plug had to be removed on the OD he was working on.

The later 51 version shown as comparison

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OK, this would set me up tool-wise. But of course these pictures make it look easy since the tranmission is sitting on a bench with everything perfectly accessible. Has anyone actually had experience removing the governor with the transmission INSTALLED?

Yes, it can be done although it is difficult to fish it out. But before you do that, why don't you just unplug the governor at the connector and provide a ground with a jumper wire (ignition switch on). The overdrive solenoid should click in. If it does, the governor is at fault, if not, the trouble is elsewhere.

Don't forget that the signal for the relay also passes through the lockout switch located at the back of the lockout cable under the dash. The wires so love to fall off of these, and the switch itself is also a bit fiddly--be certain the knob is pushed all the way in.

Ross: Do you mean to say that the connection at the governor is in the form of a plug? Not being able to see the top of the governor, I was forced to assume that it was a screwed connection...so this would be a key piece of information. I didn't want to just yank on the thing. I guess my other alternative is to just cut into the wire and test for continuity.

Since I am getting voltage at the upstream side of the relay coil, I know I have continuity from the battery through the ignition switch.

I think Ross is referring to the electrical connection at the governor and not the governor's physical connection to the OD.