Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

So I was driving my Patrician yesterday and today, for the first time in two years. So I may have been a little quick to take it out but I hadent gotten a chance to road test it yet to get a feel for what's going on with it.

So my question(s) are:

While driving in what I'm assuming was (D) Drive I I started hearing a little click click click on every stroke, my exaust has holes so I thought that might be it, but I can't tell exactly where it's coming from. Any thoughts?

Also while driving I heard starting today what sounds like an angry heater blower, but was coming from under the dash or in engine bay. Heater blower was off.

Where should your needle generally read, (for generator) on the dash cluster? Mine seems to flip out sometimes.

What tranny fluid should I use for the PB Ultramtric? (Sorry I know this has been asked multiple times now)

And where do I fill it?
Any additives I should use?
Can I trust a shop to fill my trans for the first time in a while?

What should my oil gauge read (typically)?
I'm doing an oil change soon with a fresh filter, what type/weight/additives do I need?

What's the name of the additive for unleaded gas, or should I just use premium?

My 2 bits on some of questions. Others will fill in and add to.
Angry heater blower--do you have an underseat heater on passenger side? Switch for that is the left side one, the main blower front of radiator is the right side switch..

Amp gauge should be almost middle to slightly toward charge unless battery petty much dead. In that case it will be toward high side until it charges. If in middle, then suddenly flips a lot one way or other, sounds like something needs looking at soon.

I use type F. Others use different. Filling is done at the dipstick pipe next to heater box. Depends on what you mean by trust a shop. If removing pan, then make sure you have a gasket. To just open the drain plug, then probably yes but that won't drain converter-- they also may not have a small long funnel to get into dip tube and their regular hose thing may not fit either. It's kinda awkward where the tube opening is.

My oil ga is in the middle to slightly toward high when cold and middle to slightly left when hot.

Thx for the input, it would seem I'm very low or almost out of trans fluid. The underseat heater is disconnected and the other was off, it was a sort of a wooshing vibrating, sound. It just sounded slightly like a fan, but I'm pretty sure it's not. Vacuum leak? I wasn't going over 40 so I dontthink it's u-joint hum.

Edit: what's the capacity for trans fluid?

Edit: what's the capacity for trans fluid?

If both the trans and converter are drained, the refill capacity is about 12 quarts. I also use Type F, but could also recommend Type FA.

PS - some sources state the refill capacity as 11-1/2 qts.

angry heater blower.......

bad bearing in the generator or waterpump, or power steering pump? those radiator fans by themselves can be pretty noisy.

my ammeter can wiggle a bit, but it doesnt worry me a lot. its generally pretty steady. no idea really what the tick could be. theres a million possibilities.

For what its worth, i trust NO ONE to work on my cars antique or not. As long as your mechanically competent, then i always recommend DIY. esecially a vehicle that a shop these days probably would not be familliar with.

The click-click couldn't possibly be a valve or lifter could it? That might be happening from sitting so long.

The only vacuum under the dash is on the wiper switch. If the 2 hoses are hooked up backward, there will be a hiss when the speed or arc lever is at one end of travel and quits when moved a bit. Connected properly, no hiss in any position.

The direct drive clutches are known to groan when going into position but that's only when the engagement is made. Letting off on gas slightly when "shift" is made lessens that & it quits when in full contact under pressure.

Low on trans fluid or a sticking valve results in a buzzing noise from transmission. Changes frequency a bit with engine speed when trans oil pressure increases or decreases.

Additives might help but will let others mention their favorites.

maybe the lifters are getting a bit clogged from sludge like mine were.

brandon, how many times have you run the engine before now? are yousing a high detergent motor oil?

mikec writes:
"For what its worth, i trust NO ONE to work on my cars antique or not."

AMEN!!! When i gets to where i can't do my own work i'll stop owning mechanical objects and move into a furnished apartment back in town,get a big screen TV and gain 100 pounds. It's bad enuf farming out specialized machining operations such as cylinder boreing or valve seat grinding.

Awsome, so I was getting a bit of noise from the transmission, seems better now that I've added some more fluid, but we'll see.

Im going to change the oil and filter Sunday, and check out the lifters. It hasn't gotten louder or changed since this morning. Maybe I have the wrong weight oil in it? How do I know if it's high detergent?

I've started it once a month for the past two years and about every couple of days for the past month before taking it out.

I think the wiper switch hoses may be backward and or the switch may be damaged. It's loose in the slot and the knob moves back a bit after being turned. The wipers also have a hard time returning even with matchbooks under them.

If the steering leaks from the ram, and or the hose will it cause the system to make extra noise? It's a fill it every month kind of leak.

Thanks again for all the help,
It's hard trying to listen to one sound in a symphony of noise.

The "angry fan noise" I'm hearing goes away at lower speeds, and appears again at what I'm guessing is over 35-45mph.

So by time I get a chance to pull over and look at it, it stops.

Also somewhere in between last night and this morning, (battery cable disconected until startup this morning), I lost all reading in fuel, oil, and temp sensors. And my drivers side low beam.

Are the 56 headlight bulbs availible?

Short?

Would this have anything do do with my voltage reg, or possibly the generator?

And if there were a bad bearing in the gen would it lead to problems causing these to to out?

Also with a little nor fluit and a can of additive the transmission so far stopped humming.