TRANSMISSION, Want To B&m My Hydro

[KALIFORNIAKID82]

searching for a guru who knows there stuff about old gm hydros
want to acquire knowledge on how to beef up those neck breaking old transmissions
thanks the kaliforniakid

[yorgatron]

read this if you wanna do it yourself http://www.rodnkustom.com/rocketeers/hydramatic/index.html

where in ca. are you? i know a guy in San Pablo that can help you out.

[DualQuad55]

Search high and low for a book/manual "How to beef up a Hydro" ( I think this is the actual name of it.) It was written by the guy(s) who did the Hydros for Ansen and is excellent. It offers a street/strip or full competition set up. The competition is too much for the street, way too high shift points, no parking pawl, insane line pressure, etc...
The street setup is mint though.

[55olds88]

Search high and low for a book/manual "How to beef up a Hydro" ( I think this is the actual name of it.) It was written by the guy(s) who did the Hydros for Ansen and is excellent. It offers a street/strip or full competition set up. The competition is too much for the street, way too high shift points, no parking pawl, insane line pressure, etc...
The street setup is mint though.

some one needs to find and scan that.......

[Brandy]

some one needs to find and scan that.......

Ewww yeah! Anyone finds it, you better post where!
xxx
Brandy

[WEREROD]

I have been working on this for a while myself (off and on) and there is still stuff out there!!!! My friend bought the demo hydro from the original B&M salesman it was mint!!!

Please Please Please anyone who knows anyone or more info add to this board!!!!

I need get one done for My next HEMI!!!!!

[Blownolds]

I have been working on this for a while myself (off and on) and there is still stuff out there!!!! My friend bought the demo hydro from the original B&M salesman it was mint!!!

Please Please Please anyone who knows anyone or more info add to this board!!!!

I need get one done for My next HEMI!!!!!

Funny you say that... I know who has/had the original BLUEPRINT COPY for that hydro book they are referring to...

I myself have that book. Photocopies are not out of the question. But it is time consuming, very very seriously-- and I won't do it for free. It's a 150-page book, one copy at a time...

It was written by John Rank of "Hi-Rank" transmissions. Lots of good info, including some insider info on B&M's modifications.

NOTE: there were many hydro builders back in the day and not everyone modified in the same exact ways...

[WEREROD]

I have a WWII Sherman tank Hydro it should work maybe,... for parts?

I will look around and ask my friend if he has one of thos books and,..I am in the printing business if you have negs there are ways of copying them!!!

[daveydeuce]

Search high and low for a book/manual "How to beef up a Hydro" ( I think this is the actual name of it.) It was written by the guy(s) who did the Hydros for Ansen and is excellent. It offers a street/strip or full competition set up. The competition is too much for the street, way too high shift points, no parking pawl, insane line pressure, etc...
The street setup is mint though.


They never had a "park", you just put it in reverse and it was your "park"

[Blownolds]

I'm not in posession of that negative copy. I just knew who had it. Saw it with my own eyes.

I would like to see that Sherman hydro...

[RocketDaemon]

Funny you say that... I know who has/had the original BLUEPRINT COPY for that hydro book they are referring to...

I myself have that book. Photocopies are not out of the question. But it is time consuming, very very seriously-- and I won't do it for free. It's a 150-page book, one copy at a time...

It was written by John Rank of "Hi-Rank" transmissions. Lots of good info, including some insider info on B&M's modifications.

NOTE: there were many hydro builders back in the day and not everyone modified in the same exact ways...

haha, when i first read about that book in this thread i thought to myself if someone has that it ought to be blownolds
hoho

[scottrod]

I know I haven't posted in a year, but I can help a little. If you are in Southern California you want to contact Mike at Mike's Transmissions in Reseda. He knows more about Hydros than anyone I've ever met. He rebuilt my Hydro Slant Pan stock because he said my little coupe didn't have enough weight to keep the tires from spinning and the bang-shifts would make driving around town very uncomfortable. He was right, but he knows all the tricks and only uses OEM parts for the rebuild. I also have an old magazine article that goes into detail about shimming this and rerouting that, but i'll have to find it. Meanwhile take a look at mikestransmissions.com and call Mike. Don't confuse the site with mikestransmission.com without the "s" on the end. Good luck! -Scotty

[porknbeaner]

I know I haven't posted in a year, but I can help a little. If you are in Southern California you want to contact Mike at Mike's Transmissions in Reseda. He knows more about Hydros than anyone I've ever met. He rebuilt my Hydro Slant Pan stock because he said my little coupe didn't have enough weight to keep the tires from spinning and the bang-shifts would make driving around town very uncomfortable. He was right, but he knows all the tricks and only uses OEM parts for the rebuild. I also have an old magazine article that goes into detail about shimming this and rerouting that, but i'll have to find it. Meanwhile take a look at mikestransmissions.com and call Mike. Don't confuse the site with mikestransmission.com without the "s" on the end. Good luck! -Scotty

When someone gets around to copying that book put me on the list. In the mean time I'll look for a source for the book.

There's a guy here in town that used to modify the converters. You can pull the veins and shave 'em then braze 'em back in. I won't probably need to change the stall in mine (mega torque light car), but I know it can be done fairly easily.

I'm thinking that finding a shifter with legal reverse lockout will be my biggest problem. But I'll keep everyone posted as I figure it out. I suppose you all will do the same, right?

[scottrod]

I'm not sure what legal reverse lockout is but Gennie Shifter will make a shifter for an old Hydro that has a jog at the end of its range so you don't accidentally shift into reverse. I don't think its in the catalog, but I called the guy and he made me one. The only trick is that you have to fab your own arm to attach to the shift thingy sticking out of the side of the tranny. Hope that's not too technical for ya. -Scotty

[porknbeaner]

I'm not sure what legal reverse lockout is but Gennie Shifter will make a shifter for an old Hydro that has a jog at the end of its range so you don't accidentally shift into reverse. I don't think its in the catalog, but I called the guy and he made me one. The only trick is that you have to fab your own arm to attach to the shift thingy sticking out of the side of the tranny. Hope that's not too technical for ya. -Scotty

I guess its not too technical.
I was thinking if push come to shove I'd make a new detent plate for my quarter stick. It wouldn't look period but in a pinch it'll get me through the gate.
Sometimes the tech guys are a little extreme on reverse lockouts. Sometimes they'll let some real backyard stuff get by.
I put a hasp and a pin across the console on an old powerslip Camero once for a guy and it got him by until he tried to run in a NAT.
Gawd that old hooptie brings back some memories.

[Blownolds]

The name of the book I am thinking of has a line drawing of a Corvette on the cover. It is entitled, "The Hydro: Building the hydro for Street and Strip", compiled by Paul John Rank and written by H.H. Uncapher, copyright 1963.

Many passenger cars used large toruses (I think 13"). In order to get higher stall without modifying those toruses, use the smaller 11" GMC or the 10-1/2" Chevy/GMC toruses. You can modify those further if you like.

The modifications B&M did involved cutting down the blades, but they didn't pull the blades out to do it. They used a machine that had a circular cutting blade and lowered it into the torus, then spun the torus around so the circular blade would trim all the blades equally.

I have those, and I also have a torus here that someone else modified by bending the blades over a little. They did it very neatly and evenly, so they had some sort of apparatus they were using.

The brazing may keep the blades from wiggling, but the stock blades are pretty tight. The brazing may have been for extra insurance, or it may have been to prevent fluid from seeping through the cracks and reducing the efficiency of the torus.

The drive torus fans past the driven torus, causing fluid to push on the fins. The modifications for high stall were done on the premise that the RPM will have to be higher before the fluid pushes on the fins of the driven torus. HOWEVER-- this causes more slippage at the higher end of the track... there is no such thing as a lock-up torus! I plan on trying a couple of different mod's myself to see if I can find a mod that works just a little better than others. But I will first try a stock 10-1/2" torus to see how it does behind a blown Olds engine with a ton of torque (won't need such a high stall to launch).

Good to know that Genie will make a shifter like that. How much was it?

[yorgatron]

The name of the book I am thinking of has a line drawing of a Corvette on the cover. It is entitled, "The Hydro: Building the hydro for Street and Strip", compiled by Paul John Rank and written by H.H. Uncapher, copyright 1963.
i have that book,it's a good one.
i was thinking of making some "shift kits" (page 76, fig.231.1) for those who want them.it's all you really need for a street hydro,as long as the bands and throttle linkage are adjusted properly.
the big problem for me was figuring out how to mount the linkage on my 3x2 carb set-up.
i'll get someone over here with a camera if anyone wants to see it-george

[yorgatron]

Many passenger cars used large toruses But I will first try a stock 10-1/2" torus to see how it does behind a blown Olds engine with a ton of torque (won't need such a high stall to launch).
according to my hydro guru you can run the small torus' inside the large '54-5 Olds slant pan cover.

[DualQuad55]

They never had a "park", you just put it in reverse and it was your "park"

They never had a selector position for park. When you shut the engine off in reverse, the transmission engages a parking pawl to keep the car from rolling away.

Yeah, BlownOlds that is the correct name for the book. I believe Rank worked with Ansen on their hydros.

If I am not mistaken, wasn't the tank hydro the one with the front pump that B&M used or copied? I think it had to do with a bypass valve or something.

[scottrod]

Good to know that Genie will make a shifter like that. How much was it?[/QUOTE]

It was just regular Gennie Shifter price. Maybe $75.00 but I don't remember because it was 5 years ago. They are nice because they come with a neutral safety switch built in. The thing you have to do for the shift arm is make it over the pivot instead of under like the stock shift arm. I don't remember if he gave me some dimensions for it, or I may have done the geometry myself. Its not hard.

-Scotty

[Blownolds]

I might just have them make me one.

Got some pictures of it?


Yorgi--- I don't think there is ANYTHING special about a torus bowl for a slant-pan Olds over a flat-pan Olds. But-- you must use the large Olds torus bowl (30 bolts), as the small Chevy one (18 bolts and smaller diameter) will not bolt to the Olds flywheel. So that was a given. Just use the small diameter Chevy torus itself.

Oh, and FWIW-- there are fine-spline and coarse-spline input shafts, and the torus you choose must fit those splines. I don't know if that's a difference by year, model, application, or what. I suspect it's by early and late, but I don't know for certain.

There is a LOT to know about these trannies... like, there are large and small output shafts, 3-pinion and 4-pinion. Something like 3 combo's there. I think small 3-pinion, large 3-pinion, and a 4-pinion which is large and none small.

And much, much more to know...

But for the average guy, you can just firm up the shifts by shimming the spring that's under the huge not on top. The old-timers always said to just use spark plug washers :D

Oh, so much to know though... that Hi-Rank book is very informative and shows how to make a manual valve body, etc.

[Jack "goose' Marinelli]

searching for a guru who knows there stuff about old gm hydros
want to acquire knowledge on how to beef up those neck breaking old transmissions
thanks the kaliforniakid

If you need any more , i got a couple. Theres a guy in Wichita , old time drag racer that know his shit about these . I can give you his name and number if that would help , but he would probably not want it listed, if you know what I mean.

[warbird]

Good thread, guys. Keep the Hydro info. coming!

[Rocket88]

Good post, great info!
Getting back to military hydro's, are they worth buying?
There is an eccentric rich guy up here into military vehicles.
A buddy of mine just rebuilt two military version 283's for him.
He brought my friend brand new cranks still in the army boxes for the 283's.
He got talking and he tells me friend that he has a warehouse full of that kind of stuff he bought years ago at auction, including over 100 hydro's new in the crates!
This guy is kind of odd so I'm approaching him cautiously to see if he might part with one or two.

[porknbeaner]

And much, much more to know...

But for the average guy, you can just firm up the shifts by shimming the spring that's under the huge not on top. The old-timers always said to just use spark plug washers :D

Oh, so much to know though... that Hi-Rank book is very informative and shows how to make a manual valve body, etc.

I'm thinkin' that the manual valve body is the way to go, at least for my specfic application. That should do away with the the throttle position rod I suspect.

[BigJim394]

Good post, great info!
Getting back to military hydro's, are they worth buying?
There is an eccentric rich guy up here into military vehicles.
A buddy of mine just rebuilt two military version 283's for him.
He brought my friend brand new cranks still in the army boxes for the 283's.
He got talking and he tells me friend that he has a warehouse full of that kind of stuff he bought years ago at auction, including over 100 hydro's new in the crates!
This guy is kind of odd so I'm approaching him cautiously to see if he might part with one or two.
According to an old Hot rod magazine article, B&M used one of the pumps from the tank hydro transmissions in some of their built hydros. I've got the article, somehwhere.

[DualQuad55]

I'm thinkin' that the manual valve body is the way to go, at least for my specfic application. That should do away with the the throttle position rod I suspect.

I am pretty sure you still need to run a throttle position rod. I know the early drag cars used to keep them cranked up tight but they also only ran for a few seconds at a time. THey also would release the rear band when they towed back to the pits. You can run an adjustable choke cable to the lever on the trans. This will allow you to have some control over the line pressure. I don't think full line pressure at all times is really something you want if you plan on driving the car. Just my opinion, no harm done I hope.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Darkharts
Metal shapes as a tech mod can you add this to the post please!

Hi, sorry im late but i have a contact who makes the book everyone is looking for, but cannot add to the post now in the rech section.

Contact info for copies of
'Building THE HYDRO for street and strip'

http://www.autotran.us/

David Edwards
56 Dale Street, Dept. A
Needham Heights, MA 02494-1218

PH: 1-781-449-2065 evenings (5:30 PM to Midnight) from
Monday thru Friday, or you can call weekends by chance.
Fax: 1-781-449-2065 Midnight to 6 PM
E-mail : info@autotran.us or order@autotran.us

MASSACHUSETTS Residents Add 5% Sales Tax
Tkaes paypal- call or email to make sure he has some made up.

Got my copy from him bound in all, Some images are hard to see but the info is all there. I think it was about $25 shipped, i figured it was worth it for his time and info he was nice enough to share.

Good luck all, Danny