QuestionI read with great interrest Bill M's question and your solid answer. I own a 1949 Packard serie 23 Club Sedan. (One of the very few i Scandinavia, perfectly restored to original condition).
The solenoid does sometimes function perfect (strong click sound), and sometimes not. Sometimes it does not funtion when I start driving, but after a while OK . Sometimes OK the first hour and then locked to overdrive level. Today I had 2 hours drive and the overdrive did not function at all. I heared only a weak click from the solenoid when the speed was reduced to 15-20 mph.. I have opened the solenoid several times and cleaned all parts. Have also checked the grounding wire.
I have never managed to pull out the knob to lock out the overdrive, - it seams to be completely locked, but will try to follow your instruction with use of reverse. So, in Norway with high mountains and steep roads, the breaks becomes sometimes extremely hot.
Will be thankfull for advise of what to do.
Best regards Arne
AnswerI also live in a mountainous area with steep hills and and narrow roads (near mount San Jacinto, just west of Palm Springs, California). The mountain is 11,000 feet high and the road down the hill is 11 miles long, with very sharp curves. I would not be able to drive down the hill safely if I could not lock out the overdrive, so I know this is a serious problem for you.
It seems that your overdrive is mechanically OK, but that the control is very hard to operate to lock it out.
Jack up the car and put it on safety stands so you can safely work under the car. Shift the transmission to reverse gear (engine off, of course!).
Check the grease level in BOTH housings (the transmission and the overdrive are separate housings), fill to the bottom of the opening of both upper fill plugs, with GL-4 SAE90W grease.
Now, disconnect the cable from the overdrive lever on the side of the case, and try to operate the lockout lever by hand. - if it won't move, there is some problem inside the unit, and you will have to take the car to a shop which is willing to work on it.
If the lever will move by hand, then inspect the cable over its full length, checking for kinks or sharp bends, or any other damage to the cable. Lubricate it with oil, and if you can get the knob to move at all, work it back and forth over it's full range to work the oil in and get it working smoothly again. You will have to have a helper in the driver's seat to pull on the knob, and you under the car with a pliers to grab the end and pull it back out again - just get it to move back and forth and it should be OK when you hook it up again. You might have to start with a penetrating oil if the cable is rusty or stuck from lack of use.
If that doesn't make it easier to operate, you will have to take the cable off the car and work on it to free it up with lubricant. Make sure there are no sharp bends or damage to the cable.
People who live where there are no hills may drive for many years without ever using the lockout feature on the overdrive- so the cable may have been stuck for years before you got the car.
If your overdrive does not always engage, check the contacts inside the governor, and also the ground wire to the governor. Sometimes those ground wires are missing - as the governor should be grounded by the mounting threads, but often this is marginal and an added ground wire can solve the problem of intermittent operation.
I hope this helps you, and I would like to hear back from you if it does.
Dick Benjamin (I have 3 Packards with overdrive - my 47 Limousine, my 48 Convertible, and my 55 Constellation).
