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Hello.

I`m new in this forum and need some help with the ultramatic transmission of my 54 Clipper Super.
The low range disengages when starting in low range after a few seconds or approximately 100 meters. It is doing the same when I select low range and hold the brake for more than 20 seconds. In both cases the gear acts as in neutral. The reverse and high range is working properly and also the direct drive clutch works very smooth. I?ve already checked the linkage and adjusted it but it doesn`t help. Do you know what the reason for my problem might be?
Thanx.

Ulrich

Quote:G'day Ulrich,
to PackardInfo but sorry I can't help with your query. There should be someone along soon with knowledge and experience who can help. In the meantime there have been a number of threads recently about Ultramatic problems so perusal of these might help.

And I invite you to include your '54 Clipper Super in the Packard Owner's Registry here, together with a pic, any known history and how you acquired it?

Hi.
I will take some pictures of my car and put it into the register. I dont`t know much about the history. I know that is has been brought to Germany in the early 90s ( I think it was 92 or 93) and belonged to somebody from Duisburg. I bought the Clipper from a young girl from north Germany.

Ulrich.

Does your car have the original style Ultramatic or the late 54 Gear start?

I have the original style ultramatic, not a gear start type.
The seletor indicator has P N H L R. There is no D or a dot.

Ulrich.

Sorry. I forgot some further details.
the disengagement does not occur when I start in H and then shift to L. Very bizarre.
Unfortunately I don?t have any experience on automatic transmissions. As I know the low gear, respectively the reverse gear, will be engaged when the applicabe brake band is engaged and stops the outer housing of the sun and planet gear train from turning. Please correct me if I?m wrong.

Ulrich

For normal, average driving you would put the Ultramatic in "H" and leave it there. You shouldn't have to shift it into or out of low unless you doing some kind of mountain driving.

Usually I use just the H, but I want the transmission to work properly in all ranges. When L is selected you can feel the brake band engaging but it suddenly disengages after a few seconds. Is it possible that the timing valve is the reason for this? When I?m driving I can shift from H to L and vice versa and everything is working as desired. The L only disengages when starting from still standing.

Ulrich.

Hi Ulrich:

Let's see: Low works well while at speed, but not when moving at less than, say, 40 KPH.

That sounds like a pressure problem. The unit is probably benefiting from rear pump pressure.

Check the oil level in the transmission first (I guess you've done that already)

I would also try a full fluid change preferably with a removal of the oil pan and pickup screen cleaned (if dirty) in new unused solvent.

It's not uncommon for the UM to have valve body problems that clear up without any service due to a little dirt or varnish that moves on.

Best wishes.

Do you know if any work has been done on the transmission and in the valve body? Did it just start happening suddenly? Hopefully Ross has seen something like this and have some easy suggestions but it almost sounds as if a pressure test is in order to see what exactly is happening. He did mention a rubber piece in the piston setup that sometimes came out of position letting pressure out. Don't remember the symptom or if it was intermittent once it happened. The fact it works after starting in high and getting to speed does almost sound like a front pump but if that were the case, why does high range work from a standstill since it is even more dependent on pump pressure.