This link has GREAT info w/ old article on the hydramatic. Thanks for posting George. Being a Caddy guy, im a user of the hydra..... and with info like this, maybe now a fan club member -scott noteboom
My 1950 Caddy is having problems shifting from 2nd to 3rd. This happens only for a few minutes after the car is warmed up (but it seems to be getting longer and longer every time I take it out for a drive). I have already tried adjusting the bands and checking the linkage (thanks George for the tools), but the problem still exists and seems to be getting worst. Any advice would be appreciated.
Yes, I know it's a really old thread but rather than create a new one... What year did Olds go from a under the tunnel dipstick to moving it under the hood? Was the under the hood unit adaptable to the earlier design? This taking up carpet to check trans fluid is a pain. Also have a query in to Lokar to see what if any of there stuff might be adaptable. Got a reply from Lokar. No such luck.
Nice deep 1st gear in them but.........they use a taurus convertor, they leak, their heavy, they leak, very hard to find replacement parts, and they perpetually leak. Been there and done it, never again.
Actually alot of this thread is right, and some wrong. My two cents: The single and dual range hydramatics are setup in such a way that in 4th gear is really mechanically coupled right to the flywheel. The designers made the torus cover drive the front planetary that in turn drove the drive torus, which in turn drove the driven torus. So in 1st and 3rd the front planetary is in reduction, and in second and fourth the front planetary is in direct. Now if you go to fourth gear, both front and rear planetaries are in direct. So no need for a lockup clutch, it does the lockup via the front and rear clutches. Next up: (Single and dual range) When in Lo, the transmission will shift up when governor and TV pressure maximize. But will shift down when one or the other becomes less than it's counterpart. dual range only: The same thing happens in S (super) or DR3. It will shift up to 4th, but will shift down. Really nice for drag racing. Just start in LO (assuming you don't have the 2nd gear start LO range), then bump to S and get to the 1/4 mile. Slow down and it downshifts. Two not so good things are mistimed 2-3 shifts, mainly due to TV pressure setting, and 2-3 big ratio change, which drops RPMS hugely. Pontiac units were much better with closer ratios between 2 and 3. These transmissions might be very heavy, but oh were they great for their time. I, personally love these old beasts, and believe me they are not that complicated. Just heavy! Don't forget to put your hydro in R with the engine off. (That's where Park is on these)
--------- Yep....the notorious, so-called "Slim Jim" tranny. Not only are they not a dual-range hydro and "not a good hotrod tranny", they were/are not a good tranny, period! Mart3406 ==========
Good idea starter on the flat head trans. My filler hole is about where the horizontal boss is located above the filler pipe. Given the correct pipe ID dimension and a dipstick long enough to be modified there is nothing to prevent me from fabricating or modify an existing piece.
my freind bought 49 lincoln flathead...4 speed hydromatic GM transmission built for lincoln division.... http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manuals/trans/49-50LincolnHydramatic/
Every time there is a posting on the old Hydro's, I kick myself for GIVING all my Hydro's, and spare parts, away. Three complete transmissions, extra flywheels, several stock and modified torus assemblies, shifters, and TV/kickdown linkages. From time to time, I even think about giving them a go again. It's always kinda funny to talk to a modern day trans builder who can't get past the TH350/TH400 models, and they think you're crazy. Then, when you find someone who knows anything about them, they'll talk both your ears off. An early Olds motor with a Hydro IS it. The old Junior Stock Class Sedan Deliveries, that were allowed to use them for a time, are what really tugs at me to get back with the Hydro. It'll probably never happen for me, but I sure do like the threads that deal with them. There is also a Hydro Sticky (NO pun intended there!), and Hydro Group here on the HAMB, check them out. Butch/56sedandelivery. All I have left of my Hydro collection, is a 1965 edition of a Hot Rod Magazine publication, a little book called "Clutches and Transmissions", that has a couple of Shift Master Hydro's on the cover. I'm hanging onto that!
I brought a B&M for my '55 Pontiac with a pumped 389 (out to 403 or something). I loved it but had to keep after it for the shifts or if I lifted (in traffic) after rolling out in first, the damn car would shift/bang so hard I thought the driveshaft was gonna drop out. I think I brought their "Competition" version, just trying to be cool. It wasn't what I needed for street driving. But damn good trans in my opinion. No cooler required like many auto trans of the era. This was back in mid '60s. Funny somebody just mentioned the "Slim Jim" in the later Pontiacs, etc. Anybody I ever knew that had one complained what a POS it was!
TSi in addison used to build the racing units for the big names in the 1960's ( beswick , creasy ) too bad my car doesn't have its original trans as I would like to see how they would be .
Try Speedy Canuck (on the HAMB) for a lot of discussion on the "Hydro"! I have a Trans Oil Temperature gauge on my Hydro - the needle has never moved off the low reading pin, which is less than 150 degrees. These trannies are rebuildable, replacement parts are available, but the band adjustment gauges are not that easy to come by. Your typical trans repair shop won't have these gauges. A supplier in Ohio (can't remember the place or name) will lend you his gauges (for a substantial fee - he wants his gauges to come back!).
Probably not what any of you guys are looking for but there's a '56 Pontiac Hyframatic manual on www.pontiacsafari.com
I'm not sure about Ohio, but I know that David Edwards from AutoTran in Massachusetts has some tools that he rents out. If you recall the name of the supplier in Ohio, I'd love to know it!
I wonder why some aftermarket tool company has not reproduced the special tools for adjusting these transmissions
These days, there is a very limited market for those tools. I would expect that the number of tools sold would never come close to justifying the tooling costs.
Search the tech archives I know there's been a lot of really great stuff about B&M and other hydro trannys in the past
The Jetaway from 56 to 60 is not a "slim jim" but a dual coupling 4 speed trans. The "slim jim" was introduced in the 61 Olds and the short wheelbase full size Pontiacs of that era 61-64.
^ SPam^^ You may try to look a couple guy from the piston jammers. I think they work at the hydromatic plant. Also Tom Langdon worked as a design engineer at GM as well
Still have all 15 of mine. Some are in cars that run. Only weird thing is my 50 Olds 98 starts in 2nd when in DR or Lo. I believe they left the G1 spring out of the governor to allow this. Mainly done for plainland cars back then. One day I will remove governor and put the G1 spring back in for a nice first gear start. Really would like to update to 1951 single range, or newer dual range unit. That reverse mechanism on the 50 unit is clumsy as it is all mechanical, not hydraulic like the 51 and newer units.
Amen to that. Too fast an idle and you don't get it in gear. I resurrected this thread to query the possible adaptation of a later under the hood dipstick/filler to the under the floor '50. So far I think that I found that the dual range parts won't work and Lokar has nothing usable. So what year did the dual range start 1953?
Can somebody explain the copper pipes that seem to connect the transmission to the engine? They didn't share a common lube, did they?
That's a flathead Caddy motor and Hydro used in WW II tanks, they had TWO of them! Those are cooling lines to circulate coolant from the engine through the trans also. Those tank Hydros also used brass lined friction plates. Every so often, a tank Hydro comes up on E-Bay, and usually NEW, as in not been used. Butch/56sedandelivery
I search that site from time to time. Speaking of tools though, I forgot to include you on a PM I sent out to a couple of guys today. I'll resend it to you now. That 'spam' is a dead link that was posted back in 2005... There used to be an article hosted by Rod and Kustom at the end of that link. Website is gone now though.
The Caddy engine and Hydro tranny in that pic is the version used in WWII Sherman tanks. The tank transmissions had a cooler that used coolant routed from the engine. It was a 'tank item' only ..not used on cars. Mart3406 ==============
I have a ton of magazine articles on these things. Most all are for building a racing trans though. If I can come out of my stupor, I'll scan 'em if anybody want to see them. IF I can........
The Jalopy Journal
