I had a C4 built to go behind my flathead in my '51 shoebox about 6 months ago. After messing around with different adapters I'm now running a Flat-O-Matic. The trans has had problems since I first got it from the local builder and I'm not sure what to do. Upon initial installation the transmission had gears all over the place, like they picked wherever they would want to be. The trans would also fall out of gear, but then suddenly resume that gear if you floored it and got the RPM's up. I pulled the trans and took it back to the guy who built it (who is supposed to be the best in town) and he found that the front pump seal was torn upon installation, hence sucking air and falling out of gear. . .then when you would floor it it would overcome the air leak, build pressure and go. I picked it up about two weeks later and was told "should be fine". Ok, fast forward to this weekend. I reinstall the transmission again, fire the motor, go through the gears to get rid of the air inside, recheck the fluid, all looks good. We get it off the stands and find that I have this for gears now when I shift the lever manually (through a handy hole cut in the floor) from the front of the transmission to the rear: L1, L1, L1, N, R. No park, 2nd or 3rd. Everything seems backwards. What is going on here? Can you tranny guru's give me some ideas here? I'm really hesistant to remove this trans again, because its a pain in the ass, and take it back to the same guy to fiddle with again. He is supposed to be the best in town and I've heard nothing but good things, but honestly, shouldnt he be able to do it right the second time, if not the first?
could be a stuck shift valve in the valve body, stuck govenor ( there is a washer that can twist sideways in the gov = no shifts), broken sealing rings on the gov housing, messed up/missing seals in the 2nd gear servo will blow off pressure for 2nd and 3rd gear. "No park" indicates the park rod fell off the shift rooster inside,the linkage was NOT installed correctly, or the park pawl assembly left out. The fact that you say reverse functions , indicates that the direct clutch is working. It sounds like a govenor problem with a park rod that fell off or linkage installed incorrectly inside the tranny. I built a C4 for HAMB's own scooter... tranny worked well here. He got home and there was NO park. The linkage fell apart inside the tranny. I had to replace the piece
You should have bought the whole works from Gene. call him and ask the same questions. he has done my trans work for the last 30 yrs with no problems. some guys that claim to be experts, really know zip from past experiance. good luck .
This may or may not help you, but here was my problem. I had a C4 in my '56 hooked to a GM column with a modified GM linkage. When I put the column in park and started it, it would leap forward. When I put the column in L1-2 it would sit there. After many days of fighting this, I bought a $40 Lokar linkage (best $40 I've ever spent) I learned that C4s out of cable shifted cars(possibly others) have the shift pattern reversed, all the way forward is L1 and all the way back is park. Hope this is all thats wrong with yours. I would also like to know how that Flat-o-matic works for you once the bugs are worked out.
If I lived closer to Gene, I would have had him build the transmission as well. Just trying to support some local businesses as best I can. I'll go out and check out and see if it does have the reverse shift pattern as Eber has suggested. It very well indeed might. BTW, the Flat-O-Matic adapter does work VERY well. Best adapter I have used yet, Gene is a wonderful guy and is very helpful. I highly suggest doing business with them.
Have you tried calling Greg Powell at LowFat Streetrods in Laramie? He has built lots of cars using c-4's and everything else and he's great to work with. I know he's in the white pages of the Laramie book.
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