QuestionJust purchased a 55 Patrician. Battery was removed in trying to get engine running and the rear end dived even tho it was normal height when car rolled off transport. Is there a reset switch or protocol to get the torsion suspension operational again?
AnswerThere is no reset switch. Unless the system is switched off (the toggle switch at the left end of the dash, hard to see it because it is black, very small, and on the bottom edge of the dash almost to the A pillar) or damaged, the car should level itself automatically after a 20 second or so delay, when the battery is hooked up again.
First things to check if it is turned on but not working are two fuses. Check to see if the brake lights are working - if they are, the 7.5 Amp fuse to the control system is OK. Then check the 30 amp fuse in the cartridge holder that is attached to the starter large post - it is in the heavy wire that goes from the starter down along the chassis toward the suspension motor under the car.
If the car was chained down to the transport without turning off the automatic levelling (or disconnecting the battery), the system is probably damaged due to overload, and will require someone who knows these cars well to sort out the problem. The usual damage is that the compensator links (the lateral bars that run from the gear case to the compensator bars) wrap around the gear case and lock the motor so it cannot turn. If this has happened, you are going to need some new parts. The next most common problem is that the rear torsion levers have come unhooked from the angled trailing links that position the rear axle. If this has happened, the crank arms will be disconnected from the stirrup shaped hangers. This often happens when someone jacks up the car by placing the jack in the wrong position. This doesn't do the kind of serious damage cause by the situation described above, but it is tricky to get the hangers linked up with the crank arms again. There is a special tool to do this, but it can be done with a couple of good floor jacks by someone who knows what he is doing.
These systems are astonishly dependable, if they are not subject to mistakes in handling - I've driven these cars for over 30 years, and never had one fail once I've repaired whatever damage they had received before I bought each car. I still drive 3 of these cars frequently. These systems got a bad reputation due to incompetent mechanics trying to work on them without reading the manuals - once they are screwed up, it takes a really good man to fix them.
If you do not have the shop and parts manuals, I strongly advise you to get them. A set of "service counselors", volumes 29 and 30 is also very valuable. The Packard Club can help you get those. If you can find an original manual, it is much to be preferred over the reproductions, because the photgraphs are much clearer, but the reproduction manuals are still worthwhile, if that is all you can find.
I'll be happy to advise you further if you need help - the V8 Packards have been my hobby for 38 years, and my business from 1977 to retirement in 1992.
Dick
