Technical Anyone with a Step-Down Hudson?

Are there any Step-Down Hudson folks around that can help me with a few pictures? I bought a 1950 Commodore with Drive-Master. And first off I am curious if a Twin-H air cleaners setup will fit with all the vacuum pot and transmission stuff on top of the engine? was that ever an option? Both DriveMaster and Secondly, can anyone help me out with a Twin H? I am also trying to figure out some vacuum routing. There is a vacuum fitting on the side of the carb that needs to be hooked up to something I am sure. And on the passenger firewall a vacuum line (the fuel line in the picture sitting there that I am sure needs to go somewhere too. Should that go to the fitting on the carb or is there something I am missing. I can t find a vacuum diagram anywhere. I’ll get a picture posted as soon as I figure out how. The fitting behind the carb is in the picture and wrapped in electrical tape

 

look inside the car and see what the "vacuum line" connects to. My guess is that it's not a vacuum line.

The only vacuum lines should be one to the distributor vacuum adavance, and another to the vacuum wiper motor, which is under the hood, in the center of the firewall. The line for the wipers may or may not also go through the top half of the fuel pump, on it's way to the intake manifold. Some cars had the vacuum pump on the fuel pump, others did not.

there were a couple windshield drain hoses, and a heater drain hose, which might get confused for vacuum hoses?

and there might be some other funky accessories like a vacuum ashtray, you never know!

and with drive master, there are probably lots of vacuum lines all over the place. What does the shop manual say? google hetclub manuals to find it

(I have a 51, which as the 308 from a 54 with two carbs, but I don't have the original carbs or air cleaner)

 

Hudson stopped building the DriveMaster or SuperMatic Drive in 1951. Hudson used both names but its the same basic system. DriveMaster allows you to choose off - vacuum clutch - vacuum clutch & automatic shifting between 2 to 3 or 2 to 3 to overdrive. SuperMatic Drive was vacuum clutch & automatic shifting or off. In 1951 it was only available on I believe the Super Six line of Hudson cars. It was never on the 308 engine and never on a Twin H engine. My 50 Pacemaker shown as my atavar had SuperMatic Drive when it was brand new. The trunk lid emblem was the only part of it left when I bought it.
You really need to find a factory shop manual to figure these out. They are the most Rube Goldburg type of system you will ever see in your life. It basically tried to make the car act like it had an automatic transmission. I know of Hudson club members that spent years on their DriveMasters and never could get them to work correctly. Once they get a little ware on the electrical contacts, or on the linkages for the shifting they get sloppy and will not shift smooth.
The only Guy in the world I would trust to get one working and might be able to get one to work right is Doug Wildrick of Wildrick Restoration in Shelbyville Indiana. He specializes only in Hudson automobiles. You might search his web site as he can get the shop manual for your Hudson. Good Luck with your DriveDisaster!

 

I’ve got the Body and Mechanical Service Manual. Neither are very forthcoming about vacuum diagramming. Here is the mystery
Module. The hose is definitely vacuum. It will give you a hell of a hicky if you let it get ya. Haha.

 

oh, that pictures makes it much easier to see what you're talking about.

it looks to me like a vacuum pump.

 

I did a little bit of looking around, it appears to be a Trico accessory vacuum pump, might be good to make the wipers work better, or the shifting stuff. Although the shifting stuff is probably better off being removed, unless you are into fixing old typewriters and pinball machines (I am)

 

Hahah thanks a ton. I may give it a quick once over and see how the drivemaster runs or if it’s an easy fix if it isn’t. At lunch I took a look and it looks like the air filters won’t fit unless the Twin H intake manifold pulls the carbs to the passenger side a bit. If they don’t, I may have to go with some other air cleaners or fab up some shorter lookalikes at some point. (If I install the dual carbs. And it looks like the drive master and 262 Twin H were never produced at the same time and thus would not have originally been on the same car. This is turning out to be kind of a strange car. Maybe it was some kind of dealer sample. It’s kind of an interesting story which I’ll start a new thread about.


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They started the Twin H on production cars in 52, and they started installing Hydramatics in some cars in 51 and all cars in 52, so it makes sense that twin H and drive master would never be on the same car.

I'd be happy with a single 2bbl carb on my 308, actually....since I don't have the right carbs for the Twin H.