Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

This is my first actual project car, so i don't know too much beyond some general maintenence. And i dont have the tools to do fine mesurements on the carb, engine ect.

I've been working on it slowly for the last 6 months or so. I've rebuilt the fuel pump, carb, and dissasembled most of the inerior, and fixed up some of the wiring. (To the best of my ability). It now starts, runs, and moves. Like i said i dont have all of the proper tools so it gets way too much fuel. (I figure ill take it to the shop for that)

The car sat on a lawn for a long time before i bought it and so it has rust in the front floor pans, and some of the body.

One of the problems that most concerns me is someone has swapped out the PB for a floor shifter on the original tranny. And the floor shifter doesnt corrospond with the gears. So even when the car is supposedly in park it rolls, and i dont know if my parking pawl is broken or not.
I have the parts for the PB but the wiring is fubar.
I have to find my camera so ill post pictures of what they did to it later if i can.

Also it seems like my TL is over compensating.

Brandon: Welcome to the web site. You will find a lot of people in here willing to help with any problems connected with 55 & 56 Packard.

When it comes to the Packard PB units, there are three or four people very knowledgeable in this area. BH, Randy Berger, and an occasion poster here that goes by the name of Pushbutton.

John F. Shireman

welcome Brandon, when you get ready to tackle the reinstallation of your PB unit, download the wiring diagram on this website and then holler for Mr. Pushbutton. He is an expert at these. Glad to see you putting the car back to original.

Brandon, welcome to the forum, and here's a piece of advise: Mr. Pushbutton (John) is probably the best man to talk to about the pushbutton shifter. I would say that he knows more about them than the men who designed them! He helped me get my '56 Patrician shifting after sitting for 41 years in a field. If anyone can help you, he can.

Brandon -

Welcome to the site and the wonderful world of Packards. Don't be afraid of the V8s. You won't need a lot of special tools unless you get into the transmission. There are workarounds for the rest, but you need to do you homwework, first.

Make sure you download the Service Manual, Service Couselors (SCs), and Service Technical Bulletins (STBs) for 1955-1956, but every owner of a pushbutton-equipped Packard should download this little beauty:

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/article/view.article.php?120

...the Auto-Lite Service Manal for the pushbutton system.

I'm working on scanning the 1955-1956 parts book, but it will be awhile before its all ready for upload to the site.

There are also some Studebaker Service Bulletins that pertain to the Packard V8, including the pushbutton system. If somebody contributes those, I pledge to work up a version of an index to that material that I compiled sometime ago on all Packard topics therein, as an article for the site.

Thanks for the warm welcome, and for the infomation you guys provided.

Heres a picture of the shifter someone installed in the car, the problem is first of all its hideous and not original. Second of all none of the gear markers line up exept for park. Which when selected the car rolls.

I have a new button set, but the rest of the actuator is taken apart (all of the wires were bad).

Id like to figure out if the parking stop is broken, but i dont know where to take my car to have the tranny looked at.

Ive never worked on one before and have no idea where to start.

I live in Portland about ten minutes from downtown if anyone knows where to take it.

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Brandon, you can do this yourself. You will not only save money but save the Pat from some idiot who knows nothing about it. Drain the transmission pan into a clean container and save the fluid. Jack the car up and slip some jackstands under the frame just about where the front door meets the fender. Remove the pan bolts and drop the pan carefully so as to not damage the gasket. Have someone shift the trans from above and watch the linkage inside the tranny. You can see the parking pawl and whether it engages the park gear. It may not because it doessn't have enough travel. You will need to eventuaally buy a shop manual and parts book. The pair will set you back about $100.00.

Did I hear my name?

Merry Christmas to all my Packard friends, I took two calls yesterday helping DIY-ers get their 56s up and running.

Its been raining and snowing here for the last couple of weeks but as soon as i have a clear day i'm going to try what randy suggested and get under the car.

Anyone know how hard floor pans are to find?

If you end up needing transmission parts, or a whole trans, let me know, I have 3 '56 Ultramatics that I can rob parts from.