Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

The adventure today related to getting the shift linkage adjusted for the 400 and holy smokes! One again, who ever had this car of mine ahead of me should have been shot! (I guess that's a bit over the top?) Anyway, the connecting rods and Z-shaft were 'monkeyed' with to the point that nothing aligned correctly. Too bad I didn't take pictures, but the Z-shaft assembly was put in there in such a way that it hit against the floor body. Also, one of the rods was been a full 30-35 degrees of what it should have been. I figured all that out when the entire linkage from the parts Patrician was removed, compared and installed into the 400.

At this point, I now have Nuetral, Drive-Low & Reverse, but just can't seem to get park located. As I have a small leak at the shift shaft seal, I wonder if not finding Park has something to do with the transmission 's internal condition?

At this point, now I'm WAY OVER MY HEAD in further knowledge about how to find PARK, I'd so appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

Many thanks.

IIRC there is some STB or SC that deals with a problem of this nature. It details some change to the lever on the side of the trans.

Another diagnosis is to crawl under the car and disconnect the linkage from the lever on the side of the trans and move the lever thru all detents. Since park is park then u should be able to find park and twist the drive shaft to be sure park has been found. That will eleminate any suspicion of Internal trans problems.

this mite be it
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/serviceinfo/

thanks for that link, i found the part about the U-joints to be particularly interesting, especialy since mine apparently was shipped the wrong way because when i took the driveshaft out i took a pic and the lock washers were installed under the nut instead of the bolt head. i was going to install them the way they came off the car....but now i know and i will switch the lock washer around.

sweet thanks!

The SC detailing the linkage change is Vol 30 #1. If your car still has the original 55 pieces and someone tried to modify those, that could be part of the issue as would be mixing 55-6 pieces.

The inner lever however is a known source of problems as it is pot metal and the threads holding the single screw tightening it to shaft is easily stripped. Once it loosens and starts moving, then similar issues to yours can happen. That might bear looking at.

Believe there are only 5 real detents that you can feel from the control valve: P & N use the same, then Left triangle, R triangle, Low and Reverse. Park essentially leaves the control valve alone moving it only slightly due to the geometry of inner linkage but moves a spring loaded roller assy in position to push the park pawl into mesh with the park gear. The roller springs and a stopping pin on the pawl are also known issues on 55's.

Ultramatic Dynamics sells a parking pawl for 55s which relieves most of the "PARK" problem. Not sure if he also makes a new pot-metal piece for the inner lever or not.