I think i might be onto to something?

[55PACKARD]

Well i've been doing alot of thinking since my last outburst i would like to apologize if I affended anyone here...I had the drive shaft well kinda fixed the checked the u-joint and regreased the front truinon and the vibration is a little better oh yeah they rebalanced the drive shaft too...anyway i think the torque convertor is no good i had a friend witch is a mechanic look at it and he think the torque is coming apart i hear a knocking coming from the trans when in park or neutral when i place into drive its quiet as a church mouse ..Plus I heard that if the trans has a funny sound to it like a bad water pump it might be something in the trans itself..My big question is if it was going bad what is the outcome? I guess it will destroy the trans right? Plus is it true someone makes a kit to bolt up a Gm trans like a 350 or even a 7004R OD trans that would be great i did also come to the conclusion that i will be keeping the Packard motor in until it dies then i think i might even rebuild it with all the upgrades that everyone has talked about.I would like to put a 2 4bbl set-up on it if i could find one or maybe someone will figure out to modify a chrysler intake to fit that would be GREAT..well thanks for putting up with me and my outrage i guess i had alot of growing up to do....But now im going to be alot more open minded in keeping the motor in on My PACKARD... <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Oh yeah i always get asked if i still have that motor in too the people seem to love that it still does....

[55PACKARD]

Thanks for the reply...They make a non lock up convertor for the 700-r4 and make something to elimate the computer too..The tires are new only about 3 to 4 months old yes they are bias belted to keep the correct apperance i think they were balanced correctly..i hope anyways...the noise is sometimes i mean it doesnt make that noise all of the time but yes its at idle not in gear or a load on the trans or car ..I would think an engine bearing noise in a motor would make more noise in gear with a load so i dont think its the motor well i hope not...I think its time for me to get the Allmighty book you speak of <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />How and where do i get this..... <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />Thanks alot for your time.....

[Guest JT]

A while back there was talk of this outfit making the trans adapter,

http://www.transmissionadapters.com/index.htm

[55PACKARD]

Thanks i sometimes forget im that close to kanter's...I think i would do the 700-R4 trans swap becuase i think it would give me better fuel mileage and i think it would have a little more get up anf go out of the hole with the 3.08 first gear that they have..I would buy a rebuilt 700-R4 from jegs by TCI i had a turbo 350 from them and i love it so much so i just have to find the trans adaptor kit then i'll be set..Oh i forgot to say my vibration seems to be more noticable around 30 to 40 mph when on the gas but you can feel it a little lower and a little higher mph but not as bad.....

[joe kastellic]

I have encounted, the " knocking noise" that you say is coming from the transmission, for awhile in the mid 1980's the chevy vans were doing the same thing, the cause was loose converter bolts, also check and make shure that your trans,and motor mounts are not loose or worn from age, always look for simple things first. Joe

[joe kastellic]

I can't understand, why people want to increase gas mileage, with the 700-R4 trans. but at the same time they want to have a hi performace engine if i was so concerned about M P G per mile then i would collect a YUGO . I have gotten 18 MPG WITH MY CLIPPER 2 barrel with 3.07 and packard auto, through the use of fine tuning (4-gas analizer) which many auto repair shops now use. but i wil go with a 4 barrel in the future.

[Guest AlK]

Joemy lack of understanding goes even further than yours. i am mystified by the need for speed in a 5000 lb car. The senior Packards were never marketedas race cars. they were luxury cars. if you want a racecar buy a (choke) corvette. me i want to drive my living room down the street. do i care if i get from one light to the next 2.5 seconds sooner than someone else heck no. i am much more concerned if the 5 or 6 cars around me all saw my car and if one of them did not then i have to go slower not faster. i hit that gas pedal as though there was an egg underneath it. you get gas mileage by keeping your foot out of the carb. when i want fast performance i jump into my 64 dart convertible custom car with the 340 and 4 on the floor and on that one i don't worry about gas mileage. I know that everyone has his own ideas, you have yours, 55packard has his and i have mine, but even with that you have to temper your thoughts with reasonability and that means if you want speed you do not start with a car that weighs in at 5000 lbs.

[55PACKARD]

Thanks guys..I think i was misunderstood i dont want to hotrod my clipper i just want a little better take off that i thought i would get from the lower gearing from the 700-R4 but thats a good idea about the the 3spd with the OD i didnt hear to much about that i might have to look into that..That might be cool <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> to do the change 1 keeping it period correct plus really having something different then the run of the mill trans..Does anyone know whats involed in doing the swap? and what would the price range be? thanks again...

[joe kastellic]

Brain, i don't think that the cash outlay for the 700-R4 and your labor or outside labor to perform this modification justify the amount of gas you save in the long run. If you use the car on a daily bais then maybe it works out in the long term. Joe.

[55PACKARD]

Well you probably right on the cash outlay but i want to see what happns first with the stock trans..I heard to have them rebuilt they were a little exspensive...i think if i was going to spend 2 to 2500.00 on the rebuild i might want to go ahead and transplant in a 700-R4 i think in the long run it might help out alot of ways..longer life for the engine,not reving it to 2500 or so on the highway with OD it would be more like 1500 so that means less wear and tear on the drivetrain i think???

[WCraigH]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well you probably right on the cash outlay but i want to see what happns first with the stock trans...</div></div>

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you just cruise your 55 Clipper, then the T-U should last many 10-K's of miles.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I heard to have them rebuilt they were a little exspensive...i think if i was going to spend 2 to 2500.00 on the rebuild i might want to go ahead and transplant in a 700-R4 i think in the long run it might help out alot of ways..longer life for the engine,not reving it to 2500 or so on the highway with OD it would be more like 1500 so that means less wear and tear on the drivetrain i think??? </div></div>

Exactly.

When I talked to Packard-buddy Paul in 'Vegas about this conversion the way I thought about doing it (machining the block), he agreed that it probably would work and he might even be interested in doing one himself for an upcoming project for his wife, Sue Ann, i.e., a 1956 400 he picked up recently that is very restorable--even runs. WRT purchasing a specially machined 700R4 or buying a conversion kit...that is not in Paul's vocabulary; check out his pneumatic-actuated manual transmission on my website for details.

Unfortunately, there is NO [color:"red"] SIMPLE AND CHEAP conversion for Chrysler 727, GM TH-400 or 700R4 for the stock Packard block. So, either you're converting (machining) or adapting the tranny or converting (machining) the engine block. It's probably a wash on the other aspects of brand-X tranny in your Packard (shifter, driveshaft, etc), but it's work and $$$ in any case.

I suggest you drive the T-U until it fails (and get AAA tow service). Then figure out what you're going to do. You might never reach that decision point.

[ChicagoPack]

Craig is right. I drove my Exec in H for three years (D was shot), then the leaks got worse and worse and I you had to slam it into reverse to get it to catch, so I bit the bullet and went for a total rebuild. Four months and about 3 bills but I have a tranny running like the day she came out of the Packard factory in Detroit. I made the decision to keep the twin Ultramatic rather than go for a conversion, because there truly is something magic about that that half ton of transmission.

[joe kastellic]

Brain, did it ever occur to you that Twin-ultramatic still gets the "bad hype" after all these years, I guess people forget that for 1956 the T-U transmission was just as GOOD as the brand X trans. I think , that T-U trans. was the "only trans. at the time that had an aluminum case . In 1956 the automatic transmission was not perfected as it is today, if people would try to REMEBER that NO automaker at the time had a " bullit-proof" automatic and ALL transmissions suffered the same problems, leaks, durability, because of the technogy that was AVAILABLE, my dad had a new 56 cadillac at the time(1956) and all the trans. oil leaked out!!! GM really had the MOST problems at the time considering the fact that they had the 66 percent of the new car market! Packard actually produced a BETTER trans. because of the numbers , but as we all know a few bad apples ( the EARLY 55'S ) RUINED the barrel. GM today still has problems with the 700-R4 today in some aplications because of bad quality control, so I guess I will have to leran to live and ENJOY my T-U . JOE