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I believe that some higher end marine applications use multiple batteries, and that special considerations come into play with multi-battery installations. I found a lot of information on multiple battery setups on some websites selling high dollar marine battery charging and maintaining equipment.

I'll check the marine multi-battery thing out. I might have to do something special.

I disconnected the ARM and the FLD wires, both ends, and each has continuity to itself alone.

I disconnected the under-seat charger, started the car and backed it out, turning on high be ams. radio, 2 heater motors, fog lights and leg it run. The meter showed a fairly strong discharge. I let it idle until it warmed up hot enough to turn on the parade cooling fan. Then I shut off the accessories except for the headlights and videoed the meter.http://www.mktx.com/packard/RechargeRedBatt.MOV

So I started with fully charged green light batteries and after the test, the under seat charged showed red at 6.4V. So I think the system is working and the double battery (both brand new, so prob matching) is telling the VR it doesn't need anything until it's down a bit. But it takes it longer to drop than a single acid battery.

I might have to run a single battery on the diagonal to use the existing cables and take one battery out.

Thanks for your help Tex and Howard. -Emily Latella (maybe)

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With several accessories on, it will always show discharge at idle so presumably you revved it slightly by a couple hundred RPMs.

I really can't remember for sure what my own 1940 Packards had for voltage regulators but I know the more recent ones used vibration insulators on the bolt holes which the regulator you have seems to be lacking.

Of course you realize that with an alternator, you won't be using the regulator at all or you will be using a different one, depending on whether it's built-in or not.

P.S., I learned long ago to always copy what I want to post before hitting the submit button as I've lost things too. That way you can just paste it back in rather than having to start over!

Thanks for the tip, Don. Because I'm slow and take photos, I've asked for more time in prepping a post. And I learned to copy before submitting. I just didn't do it that time.

I reposted the video above. You can see it charge after the batteries were run down. So I think that's to answer as to why I thought it was not charging. The batteries didn't need it, yet.

At any rate, twin batteries may be more trouble than they're worth without an alternator. I took one out. When the new VR arrives Monday, I'll install it and hope all remains good for a long time. If not, alternator goes in. Thanks again for the help.

At the Kent Island motoring tour, my OD cable snapped when i pulled it out of OD. Ross and Chuck helped me. I moved the OD level under the car rearward to engage the OD for the ride home and re-inserted the OD rod and knob to trip the OD switch. This worked as far as driving home 70 miles with OD, but my reverse was disabled in the process. I had 1st 2nd 3rd, but not reverse. Reading Howards recent Pawl post, i see its a good thing it wont go into reverse. Ive asked Bill who rebuilt the OD if there is something i can do before a replacement cable arrives from John Ulrich Packard Parts arrives next week to regain reverse.
I know how to peel back the rug and open the transmission access plate on the floorboard and to take the lid off the tranny, but i dont know what to look for or how to fix it.
Chuck took this of our cars at the motel. I won Peoples Choice!

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Kent Island Yacht Club Motoring Tour and show

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If only the cable was damaged there is nothing to look at inside the trans. Anything related to OD is after the trans so not accessible with the top of trans removed. It sounds as if the lever was wired in the OD position so you could get home. Not sure why it would not go into reverse as long as none of the other electrical except the lockout switch was touched and as long as the OD lever was wired in the full OD position. If wired somewhere in the middle of travel then possibly that could be interfering with something inside and preventing reverse.

Lockout sw being on is no different than when knob is always pushed in and reverse works then as long as car is below OD engagement speed so OD has dropped out. The solenoid should still disengage and let reverse work unless something electrical is keeping it in. Maybe a question for Ross as to exactly what else might have been done.

To change the cable, the clevis is held by a pin to the lever on the passenger side so if that is still connected it would need to disconnect and cable housing removed from the mounting bracket so entire cable assy can be replaced. That would all be done on the outside and from underneath.

I disconnected the clevis and wired the lever all the way back. I inserted the rod/knob to trip the lock out switch. I drive around the block. The OD engaged as it should. I stopoed and attempted to engage reverse. It did not work.
Tomorrow i will try it with the lever tied all the way forward. Im not sure how to trip the lock out switch on. I can pull the rod out, but not sure if thats enough.should i disconnect one of the wires? Or connect them together to take it electrically out of overdrive?

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I would pull the knob and rod out to disengage the switch and wire the lever forward to lock out OD. Try it and if it works as normal the trans should be OK. If still no reverse with OD locked out then it could be something in the transmission detent but more likely there is an issue with the OD and whether it is electrical or mechanical needs to be figured out.

To troubleshoot the OD wire the lever to the rear and place the knob and rod all the way to the back to energize the switch. If the reverse problem is back there could be some kind of short keeping the solenoid engaged which is detailed in that bulletin mentioned in flackmasters post. To rule that out pull the fuse in the wire powering the OD to completely disable the electrical side of the unit. If still an issue there could be a mechanical problem inside the OD that is keeping the reverse lockout rod pushed into the transmission so you cannot select reverse.

This morning I wired the lever as far forward as it would go, which is about perpendicular to the ground. The clevis is still disconnected. The lever resisting moving more forward and my pulling on the knob is what broke the wire. I pulled out the knob/rod. I removed the OD fuse. I did a test run around the block. It would do a “soft shift” into reverse, the back up light comes on, but reverse wont engage.
I have a house guest, so i cant take any more time on this until Thurs, but i know I’ll have to open the tranny and see if the detent is stuck. The grandkids have been waiting for the last day of school to be picked up with the top down. Fortunately theres a roundabout entrance exit, so no reverse needed.