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**Dynaflow not flowing....help!**

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Cody&Lauren Mohr, Jul 2, 2009.

  1. Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 211

    Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Member

    My '54 Buick has a 322 Nailhead and Dynaflow. The trans seems to shift fine in "P,N,1,R" but in "D" I can feel it shift lightly when stopped, but engine just revs when I gas it. So I've been starting off in "1" then shift up to "D" or maybe it says "2".....whichever. Point being, even then it just revs. It wont actually move in "2 or D" untill its warmed up a bit. Is this just one of those charming attridutes to Dynaflows or is my trans messed up? I've added Fluid, I don't know what the level is cause my dipstick is mysteriously missing.... hmmm......:confused:
     
  2. Abomb
    Joined: Oct 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,659

    Abomb
    Member

    My 55 special does the same thing, and hasn't let me down yet. Hopefully some dynaflow expert has a good answer.
     
  3. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    Do yourself a favor and don't run a 45 year old transmission without knowing the fluid level. You're flirting with disaster.

    More fluid is not necessarily better.

    Good luck
     
  4. american opel
    Joined: Dec 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,222

    american opel
    Member
    from ohio

    if you cant find a dipstick for it drain the pan and look in a book to find out how many quarts it takes to fill.i defanatly wouldnt just drive it with out knowing how many quarts are in it.
     

  5. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC


    That about says it all right there. If you are that clueless just find someone to take it to. :confused:
     
  6. Judd
    Joined: Feb 26, 2003
    Posts: 1,894

    Judd
    Member

    Old seals in the high accumilator (mounted on the side of the case front , big nut on bottom) leaking down is the most likely cause. PM me your e-mail and I'll send scans of 56 shop manual trans section.
     
  7. Abomb
    Joined: Oct 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,659

    Abomb
    Member


    Thanks.

    BTW, just to clarify things........my car has a dipstick, actually 2 of them, and I know how to use them.........Think with your dipstick....Cody !!!!!!
     
  8. Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 211

    Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Member

    We checked the trans level before we loaded it on the trailer a few months ago, it was a little low but not too bad. It sat for a few months with a small leak. So I figure if it was about a half quart low before, then sat dripping....one quart would be fine. I DIDN"T GO INTO THIS COMPLETELY BLIND!!!!!! It says "FNG" but I'm not new to cars. I'm just saying maybe give or take half a quart.
     
  9. BuickBorracho
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 430

    BuickBorracho
    Member

    If you dont have the buick shop manual already. please invest in one. Oh and a dip stick too. good luck. sorry I couldnt be more help
     
  10. onlychevrolets
    Joined: Jan 23, 2006
    Posts: 2,307

    onlychevrolets
    Member

    It's known as "morning sickness" any automatic transmission that does that has hard rubber lip seals in the drum. As they warm up they get softer and seal . Do not try any of that BS "snake oil" that claims to fix hard seals. Do the Buford a favor and rebuild it.
     
  11. Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 211

    Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Member

    Any info about rebuilding a Dynaflow? Links or something, I heard it was a "lost art", and parts are hard to come by.
     
  12. Strange Agent
    Joined: Sep 29, 2008
    Posts: 2,879

    Strange Agent
    Member
    from Ponder, TX

    There's a guy in my town that rebuilds Dynaflow's, it's an expensive endeavor. Well, it doesn't have to be, but once that bad boy is apart, it's apart.

    He rebuilt one and it cost about $2,000. Mine doesn't have low, but I didn't want it that bad.
     
  13. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    If you have no dipstick you are indeed going at it blind. You have no idea, a guess does not do it.

    Find an old transmission shop. look for one with some older guys around. Might be in a not so nice part of town, but that is where you will find the guy to rebuild it if it does need it. Last one I had done cost about $1400 all said and done.
     
  14. Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 211

    Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Member

    Maybe I'll just make due.
     
  15. Didn't think you were supposed to feel any shifting in a dynaflow, that was the whole point of the design? Outside of putting it into gear, of course.
     
  16. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Yeah drive is one gear with a variable torque converter.
     
  17. BuickBorracho
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 430

    BuickBorracho
    Member

  18. anythinggm
    Joined: Dec 1, 2007
    Posts: 445

    anythinggm
    Member
    from Oregon

    I was told that the Dynaflow if in "D" position does'nt shift at all because it starts in high gear. Hence the nickname "Dynaslide" or "Dynaglyde" because its in high gear it takes more engine RPM to get it going and feels like its slipping. So if you wanted to jump out of the hole faster, you needed to manually shift it from 1st to D.
     
  19. plym49
    Joined: Aug 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,802

    plym49
    Member
    from Earth

    Let's not kill the guy on the dipstick issue. The behavior he describes is not normal. It can be caused by the things already mentioned by the other folks. It can also be if the fluid level is WAY low.

    These old Dynaflows do not shift in the normal sense. High gear is high gear with variable vanes in the torque converter. Low gear is the same except that the planetary gears inside provide some reduction. The tranny will not shift from low to high by itself - again, the old Dynaflows have no provision for that.

    Sometimes it is not easy to simply drain it all and then start from scratch on the refill. There is a considerable amount of fluid in the converter and it is not always easy to drain 100%, so getting a refill baseline can be tough.

    Short of it is, you will need a tranny dipstick but I will not beat you up over it. BTW if you overfill it it will start to throw out the excess. So, in my humble opinion and based on my experiences with these trannys, you can add in the mean time just to rule out low fluid as a problem.

    You might be in for a rebuild anyway. At that time you cen find a dipstick. No harm other than wasting a couple quarts of fluid to see if the problem goes away by adding. If it was my car I would do this before yanking the damn thing out.
     
  20. Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 211

    Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Member

    Thank you Plym49. I wasn't sure about manualy shifting, if that's how it was meant to work or not. I'll keep looking around, that damn dipstick is around here somewhere. Sounds like the aformentioned "Morning Sickness" as to "D" not taking at first. I'll probably just live with it until it blows up in a blaze of glory. Not wearth the rebuild personaly. I'd probably just find a running later model donor car and pull the whole drive line. Maybe something with Overdrive.
     
  21. I had a similar issue in my 56 with dynaflow and 322....it was the fluid level. When low and cold, it was funky. My trans always weeps fluid when it sits for a while...winter storage, etc. I top her off every spring...cat litter every winter.

    The trans is a cruiser for sure...to get any jump...like said previously...manually shift it 1-D I think!

    I would love to put another trans behind the 322, but I still have the original rear end in the car (torque tube). I have yet to cut the car up...

    Good Luck! Throw some more fluid in and get'er moving a little bit. Should end up alright. If you do rebuild the trans...look into the rare parts at CARS INC...that is where I purchase my torque tube ball and seals (trans leaks into the torque tube all the way back to the pumpkin in the rear!).
     
  22. Judd
    Joined: Feb 26, 2003
    Posts: 1,894

    Judd
    Member

    LtoD shift under power isn't recomended by Buick, they claim it can break case. Buick has a recomended top speed for low gear also I no longer have my owners manual an don't remember the speed.
     
  23. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    Lo to drive under power is not a self destruct button. I ran mine for a while like this and have used it on pop's 61 LeSabre quite a few times. It may not be the best thing to do under full throttle, but should not create a major disaster for short term use, especially if not at WOT.
    However, I agree that is sounds like a hardened seal, likely in the direct accumulator. I don't think shifting from lo to drive is the big concern here, old seals are the issue at hand.
     
  24. Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 211

    Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Member

    I have no plans to be racing this thing or anything close to it. If it's not supposed to shift automaticaly, it just doesn't make sense to start in 2nd. Would it be bad to start in 1 then shift to 2 once moving? Am I understanding correctly that "D" is only high gear and does not shift from 1-2 like a normal trans?
     
  25. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    Yes, you are correct. When placed in 'Drive' the transmission starts out in direct drive/high gear. The torque convertor does all the work. They work well like this when in good operating condition.
    Shifting from low to direct once rolling will not do any harm to the trans solong as you are not constantly abusing it.
     
  26. Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 211

    Cody&Lauren Mohr
    Member

    So is it "BETTER" to just leave it in "D"? I just think that would put more wear on the engine and trans, plus gulp down more fuel than necesary.
     
  27. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    The were is relative. The torque convertor is what is making most of the torque multiplication to get the car moving.
    My 55 Special got about 18 mpg highway driving-never checked around town-in stock form. The amount of torque the Nailheads made, coupled with the twin turbine convertors made for a well thought out setup. I wouldn't worry about excessive wear on the engine or trans. However, the car definately pulls away much better when put in low gear.
     
  28. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas


    Your problem is in the high accumulator seals and/or the direct drive clutch apply seals or the clutch plates themselves.

    Two things come to my mind. Your car is a 54 and is the second year for the twin turbine converter and the first (IIRC) for the variable pitch type.

    What is not mentioned is how the converter works. When starting out (in DR), the first turbine gets all or most of the torque and is geared to the output shaft through it's own planetary reduction, meaning that there is more torque multiplication at start than when cruising. When cruising the second turbine, which is connected to the output shaft takes over and majority of torque takes that path (1st turbine freewheels and planetary is not in reduction when it's sprag starts to freewheel. So, in essence you really have a psuedo 1st gear in DR.

    Now if you have the trans in LO, you get the 1st turbine and it's planetary reduction, along with the LO band planetary reduction when starting from a stop. So you are getting a double reduction, which slowly goes to a single reduction.

    The biggest shortcoming of these transmissions were passing power. All there was was the variable pitch stator to increase engine speed when flooring the gas pedal. It gave you a little more torque multiplication but not enough at 45-60mph. By that time the 1st gear turbine was long out of the torque conversion path.

    Rebuilding these transmissions shouldn't be that expensive, but you have to remember getting these transmissions out of the car with all that torque tube stuff.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2009
  29. buckeye_01
    Joined: Jun 20, 2005
    Posts: 1,441

    buckeye_01
    Member

    That is a great tidbit of information d2.
     
  30. rhew5r
    Joined: Dec 24, 2008
    Posts: 26

    rhew5r
    Member

    Had the dynaflow in my 56 Special. Love the nailhead...hate the dynaflow. If you look at the manuals you will understand the variable torque vanes a little more. Make sure all the maze of linkages are connected to the accelerator assembly. I adapted another transmission to my nailhead and changed the rear because I got tired of the "slush box".
     

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