Part 1 - 1953 Chrysler Fluid Torque Drive - How To Operate
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- A quick description of how to operate the Mopar Fluid Torque Drive Powertrain in my 1953 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe. For more details on the differences between a fluid coupling and a torque converter see Part II of this video series. Comments are welcome and appreciated. Thanks. - K
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The 1953 Chrysler is the first car that I remember our family owning. It was even this shade of green. No kidding on how easy it is to release the parking brake. Dad would back the car into our inclined driveway with the nose of the car about 5 feet from the street. There was no sidewalk. Across the street was a stand of trees and a sharp descent into a field.
My earliest memory was of a 4--year old me in 1959 playing in the car and somehow releasing the brake. The car began to roll toward the street with me in it! I knew that nothing good was going to come of this, so I put my foot on the brake pedal and yelled for help! The car did not roll into the street, I was rescued, and am here to tell the tale!
The brake on my 49 Dodge had a handle shaped like the handle of a sickle. I think there was a release on it that allowed it to drop down. You pulled it up to release. Clumsier but effective. Chrysler didn't use a park gear until about the mid 60s. My 61 Chrysler didn't.
I learned to drive a '49 DeSoto, same transmission, then we had a '53 Desoto which shared a lot of parts with your car. However, we did not have the RLND indicator on the column. Same pad on the clutch pedal though! So the first two cars I drove a lot were "normal" to me. And note the '49 had a push button on the end of the shift lever which would, without much interval, put you one gear below if you were in 2nd or 4th. Also on the '49: Get in at night, put the headlights on "park" and a small bulb would shine on the ignition lock so you could see where to insert the key.
Those sixes were incredibly smooth. I have wondered about the power to weight ratio; perhaps that's why not many have made hotroddish use of them. Thanks for your nostalgic video.
I loved my 53 New Yorker. It was my first car. We always carried an " emergency brick". Many great memories.
My father had a '52 Dodge Coronet Club Coupe. With a Fluid Drive trans. Semi- Automatic. You would start off in 2nd gear, shift to 3rd. There's no 1st on the tree. When you stopped completely there's an ever so slight "thunk" as she automatically dropped into 1st gear.
Hence the semi- automatic feature. I learned to drive in her.
Thanks Dad, rest in peace. I love you ♥️
Keith didn't really say it this way, so I want to add this: You only needed to push-in the clutch to move the gear shift lever.
Also, not mentioned, is that all of the clutch pedals since the first fluid-drive in 1939 were embossed with "Safety-Clutch" visible on the pedal. The reason is that at the time people were afraid of a car that had the ability to move on its own and "Safety-Clutch" gave them the confidence that they were indeed in-control of the car.
My Father had a 1951 Dodge Diplomat 2 dr hardtop with Gyromatic, the same transmission described her. At least in 1954 they began to provide Poerflyte a true automatic with only 2 speeds. No Park. Chyrsler had industry leading 3 speed Torqueflyte fomrm 1957, but still no park. You had to rely on a driveshaft mounted parking brake..
In 1962 I pulled a u-haul from Nebraska to Washington with a New Yorker. It had a Hemi v8 and this transmission. Got along fine. Had the car several years (wish I still had it) and don't think I ever used low range.
In low range, these cars COULD DRAG A HOUSE!
You only needed Lo for going down steep hills.
Around this time Chrysler Company used this transmission in Dodge cars and called it the Gyromatic in Dodge Cars.
Next door neighbor was a Chrysler Plymouth dealer, had a son my age, we were best buddies. So kind of grew up with these things. Adding that gear display was new, but actually starting off with the 1946 units was called a tip toe shift. Reverse was like any conventional gear shift up from neutral to the top, and also putting the gearshift lever on the steering wheel column was a brand new thing, well some 40's and 41 cars had this feature.
2nd gear in a conventional was 1 and 2nd gear, needed to step on the clutch for any shifting. but after in gear could release it with the fluid coupling. Step on the gas, release it, would shift into 2nd gears. Conventional 3rd gear was 3rd and 4th, same deal.
Could speed shift, hit the clutch, jam in conventional 2nd gear, floor it, hit the clutch jam into neutral would be installing in 2nd, jam the clutch again, instant in 3rd, again, from conventional to neutral back to 3rd would be in fourth gear. Fluid clutch also gave about a three times multiplier. Ha, even with a 1948, we left a rich kid driving his old man's 54 Buick in the dust.
Price? In 1957 purchased a beautiful 1948 Chrysler in Lake Forest for only $65.00, was in the military, gave me 6 cents a mile for my next base 1000 miles away. That was 60 bucks, plus had another 20 bucks, but needed 15 bucks for gas. I really loved these cars. I did pick up a 49 Olds for 30 bucks, no clutch with a four speed hydramatic, no clutches in these, Chrysler was behind. Chevy, believe this was in 1951 came out with a 2 speed powerglide transmission, we called these turtle torque. Buick had four holes in the front fender, that is where dyna flowed.
Very cool video. Thanks for showing it. When I was 15 years old and had my learners permit about 1 month, I was visiting my great grandfather and he had me drive him from the farm into town in a car just like this one. I was familiar driving both a stick or auto trans but I really didn't understand this one. He tried to explain it but he was about 85 years old by then and we had a bit of a communication gap. I just remember getting it out on the highway up to about 65 mph and he laughed and said "she still goes pretty good doesn't she". I'll never forget that time.
Cool story. Great memories Richard. How long ago was this drive with your Great Grandfather?
My Dad had a 1953 Chrysler as his daily driver for te first few years of my life. I seem to remember it being a Fluid Drive like yours. I believe his was a V-8 engine, though.
The longtime babysitter that came to sit my sister and me back in the day drove an old 1949 Plymouth with a straight 6 and thee-speed shift. Her mother, who she lived with, drove a 1948 Chrysler. I'd walk from my piano lessons up on the hill above my hometown. My sitter and her mother lived a few blocks down the street I'd walk to get downtown. That Chrysler had a very distinct roar when it was pulling up that hill; a very aggressive exhaust note.
Dad bought a new 53 Desoto - my first memory! I drove it in high school. We took many family vacations in it, drove in all weather. Dad took meticulous care of all his cars, the only problem I remember was with the heater - probably just a hose. I had forgotten it was a 6 volt system.
Dad sold it to a cousin in 69 for $100. Thanks for the video!
My father told me about owning one of these, and how it worked. Until today, I didn't know what the car looked like. Thank you.
My dad told me the same thing. Yes, thanks for posting how it worked.
My dad had a ‘53 New Yorker. It had a semi-automatic transmission like this. I remember the scratchy cloth interior; I believe it was called mohair but could be wrong. Nice video and brought back memories of the car’s interior.
Thank you for explaining Chrysler's Fluid Drive transmission. So many have tried but my thick skull just couldn't comprehend. Your explanation was clear and perfectly understandable. I feel as if I could sit in that car and operate it perfectly now.
My parents bought a 1953 Windsor convertible new and that was the car I grew up in until they traded it in on a 1964 Chrysler station wagon. It had the same motor and transmission. They loved it.
As a young kid very much into cars of all kinds - in the late 50's-1960s, I remember seeing 1948-53 Chrysler products (Dodge, DeSoto etc) that were still in regular use and used to wonder what a "Safety Clutch" was.. and some of the new cars like your 1953 Chrysler had the gear selector like a regular automatic and a little clutch... really weird. My dad would just say it was "fluid drive" but didn't know how it worked. I recall that some of the Chrysler cars of that same period had regular standard 3 on the column. Fluid drive was probably an option. Chrysler got a fully automatic trans a little later than GM and Ford. Thank you for your video. It sort of solved a 60 year mystery as to how it worked.
Dad had one back then. It was the talk of the town GREAT CAR. (RIP DAD)
I recently bought a '50 Windsor and had no idea how the transmission worked. Also there was no car manual and the 50 has no gear indicator on the column like yours does so it was that much harder. The guy I met with with was selling it for someone else and they had driven it, he didn't even know there was a 1st and 2nd just thought it was kinda gutless ha ha. I watched this video a week or so before buying the car. It really was helpfull, thank you very much
Awesome. So glad to hear that the info helped you out.
Thank you for this explanation. I'm toying with the idea of buying a collectible post-war MOPAR. After some research, I've learned of several different transmissions over the years from right after WWII until the true automatic was introduced. I appreciate your clear and concise lesson.
Best demonstration of Fluid Drive I've seen. Thanks very much for clearing up that mystery!
I want this car mister! I remember these cars in Sydney when I was a kid. Here's a bit of trivia: not just Chrysler, but also the GM and Ford cars imported into Australia in those days were the Canadian models. Might be because Canada produced the right-hand drive models for the big three? Major markets would have presumably been UK, Aus, New Zealand and South Africa. Not sure. The Europeans were never big on "American" cars. Even in Australia they were derided as "Yank Tanks" (not by me, of course).
I had lots of them (later models), including a candy-apple red pillarless 4 door sports Belvedere which I transplanted a 440 CID into back in '74.
Souped 'er up a little. It was a "Christine" way before the movie. It also appeared in an Australian movie called "Shout", which was a telemovie about Aus rock & roll singer Johnny O'Keefe.
For something a little different, check out Chrysler Royal (Australia) on Wikipedia. They ran from '57 to '63, biggest donk being the 313 CID. They came in Station Wagons and "Utes" - which you might know as "pick-ups". An era gone by.
But I really want that car mister! You'd better lock 'er up...
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Canada and all the countries you mention were all part of the Commonwealth, so there were no tariffs or duties involved with cars from Canada.
To my understanding Hudson had a similar system called the Drive Master. It had a clutch pedal and a normal three on the tree shift pattern but it also had a switch with three drive modes: conventional manual, clutchless manual and "fully automatic". If you selected the automatic mode you had to move the gearshift lever where third would be then it worked like the Chryslers. The car would start in second and after you speeded up and let off the accelerator, it shifted to third. Slow down and it shifts back to second.
My father had a 1952 Dodge Coupe Coronet. Flathead 6 cylinder 160 hp with the Fluid Drive semi automatic. She dropped into 1st automatically when you stopped. Then you shifted into 2nd and 3rd. Really nice looking car. Long hood with a big ol ram's head on it, split windshield and a cowl vent that you opened by pushing down a lever under the dash. I learned to drive in that car at 14.
Very nice, probably the best explanation of this product and procedure for use that I’ve ever heard. My dad dragged home a 50 Desoto with this transmission. Someone had put a rod out through the block from not letting it shift and pushing it hard. We started a restoration but someone came by with an offer we couldn’t refuse. So, I never got the chance to drive one. Yours is a great example. Thanks for sharing. 😎👍👏
My dad had a 1953 DeSoto with this transmission arrangement, it still confounds me to this very day.
I had a 1951½ DeSoto with what my dad called a "fluid clutch automatic". It did not have the automatic-type of display on the column. I drove it for many years here in Manitoba and its gearshift arrangement was similar to a true three-on-the-tree standard. It had the throttle/gas, brake and clutch pedals just like your Chrysler. Left-Up on the tree was reverse of course. Left-Down was Low, only used for steep hills and pulling heavy loads. When starting in Low, one could shift through the positions manually, with the clutch, just like a full standard, but we rarely did that. Right-Up was First and also rarely used. Right-Down was the standard drive mode with the release of the gas pedal clicking into a higher gear. As I remember, there were two release-and-clicks to get to highway speed. I think all positions required the clutch...it's a bit foggy to me now, though. Your 53 Windsor looks like an upgrade to that system, bridging the gap further toward fully automatic transmissions. It's a beautiful car and thanks for the nice reminder of the memories!
You only need to clutch to select a range from Neutral, or to change to Lo or Reverse. Normal driving is indeed clutchless.
My 50 Dodge Coronet is like that
This was interesting to watch. Had heard about Fluid Drive but never understood until now how it worked. Thank you for demonstrating.
Thanks. I have been studying the mechanics of how this semi-auto transmission works. Its unique, very interesting, and a well engineered design.
Thank you Keith for the excellent demonstration.
Yes, GM did offer a similar transmission in 1938, but I don't know for how many years. Oldsmobile had it under the name of Automatic Safety Transmission and Buick sold it as the Self-Shifter. It operated the same way: it had a foot operated clutch for start and stop and a RNLH shifter. Clutching was not required to shift from Low to High, but manual shift was necessary. Both L and H had two gears (1&2 and 3&4 respectively). It did not have a torque converter.
My family inherited a 1952 or ‘53 De Soto from relatives around 1960. I was around nine or ten but I remember being so fascinated by that weird transmission. Seems we didn’t keep it very long. What a collector it would be today.
Thank you so much for sharing! I just picked up my 53 ny in a baby blue with a white top! This is the first time I've driven a classic car with this type of system in her!
Beautiful car. I got my grandfather's 49 Dodge Coronet in 1964 when I was 17. Loved it. Same transmission but called Gyromatic in Dodges. 230 engine I believe. Yours may be larger. No power steering. Built up your muscles parking it.
Hi David. Thanks. My Chrylser has a 265 C.I. engine in it. Yes, it is larger. Manual steering too.
@@keithsgarage5831 I had a 236 cid. in my De Soto Deluxe.
Thanks for this. Neighbors inherited an immaculate 1948 upscale Chrysler, I seem to remember it was a New Yorker. This was in the late 1960s - clock worked, radio worked with the face changing colors depending on the tone and volume. I believe the speedometer changed colors too depending on the speed. 3 speed Fluid Drive but an earlier setup without the indicator. Still wonder what happened to it after all of these years. Great memories.
Sweet n smooth, thanks for taking us along for this ride. Almost like being there! Don't sell here. Enjoyed vid very much :)
Similar to the Wilson pre-selector and fluid flywheel used by Daimler from the mid 30s until late 1950. The 'gear change pedal' changed between the 4 gears and the fluid flywheel meant there was no gearbox to crash through so it was very smooth for the day and simple to drive.
Thank you that was great, I love how much you have to work the steering wheel in the old cars. Car is definitely a beauty.
I heard of these transmissions and always wondered for how they were operated. Thanks!
Excellent explanation! I have a 1948 version that is the same but the shift quadrant is a little different. There are a number of incorrect youtube tutorials on this so it was great to hear and watch your accurate description. Beautiful car too!!!
Yikes! I am near 85 and remember this car was nearly exact to my father's car including the color! I learned to drive on a fluid drive. Thanks for posting
Automatics were fairly cheap, but Chrysler felt that they took too much control away from the driver. Their answer was Fluid Drive with the Vacamatic transmission on the Chrysler 6 and DeSoto, replaced with the hydraulic M6 after the war on both 6 and 8 cylinder. Dodges had just the fluid couple with a 3 speed manual until 1949, although earlier models have been found with the semi automatic.
Fluid Drive was one of the first automatic transmissions, in 1939. They were used in Chrysler DeSoto and Dodge cars until 1953. So this is one of the last ones. Starting in 1954 they got the Powerflite, a conventional automatic.
The Fluid Drive plus self shifting M6 transmission was one of the simplest most trouble free automatics ever made. But they still had a clutch pedal, called the Safety Clutch. I believe Chrysler's engineers could have eliminated the clutch pedal. But since all drivers back then were used to a clutch pedal, they may have been afraid drivers would hit the clutch by reflex action in an emergency or maybe they thought their customers would not accept too radical a change all at once.
The transmission is a 4 speed. You have a choice of 2 speed ranges, High for all normal driving, Low for starting off on a steep hill, pulling a heavy load of passengers and baggage, or driving in sand snow or mud.
Normally you would start off in High range, lift your foot off the gas at any speed over 14 MPH and it shifts into high gear with a soft *click-clack* from under the floor boards.
If you want to go in Low range do likewise, except it will shift into high gear (of low range) at any speed over 6 MPH.
A lot like driving any automatic except you need the clutch to shift into gear.
From what I've heard they were hard to stall and quite popular among women as well as cab drivers.
I think it would not be possible to stall the engine in my Chrysler. I have not found a way to stall it. The fluid torque drive eliminates any chance of stalling.
That's right. My favorite technique is to shift into gear with the hand brake on and release the clutch fully. Then release the brake and drive like an automatic. Once it is in gear you don't need the clutch unless you want to shift into reverse.
Mr Danforth 374 hydromatic was in my 52 hudson. Ford had a auto behind the flathead in 50, my car to. I can't remember more right now.
When the term "semi-automatic" is a perfectly well defined word, then Use it. Fluid Drive was a useful transmission that was appreciated after many years of grinding gears in conventional gearboxes. It was not an automatic. Ask the designers of the PowerFlite and Torqueflite.
Instead of offering the advantages of both manual and automatic transmissions, it gave you the disadvantages of both.
Disagree. The semi-auto tranny in use here is very robust and still works reliably 67 years later and on. It's easy to use and adequate for the power the engine makes, and the weight of the car.
Different strokes for different folks.
Beautiful condition
Yes, thanks
In the late 70s / early 80s Honda Civics were available with a dual-range automatic transmission. Low was for stop-and-go traffic around town and High was for higher speeds out on the highway.
I had a 1954 Plymouth.You could just put it in high with the clutch and stay there or you could work the clutch through 1st,2nd and high.I loved that car.
That's the standard Fluid Drive. Fluid Drive was nothing more than a fluid coupling between the engine and clutch. It was mated to a 3-speed gearbox. This was your basic powertrain in both Plymouths and Dodges. But in Chryslers and Desotos, they got the more complicated "Gyro-Matic" (one of it's many names) which was a 2-speed manual transmission with an auxiliary planetary gearbox with under and direct ratios exactly like what's in this Chrysler here. It's the auxiliary box that's doing the shifting here.
It was an ingenious device but, far too late if you ask me. Heck, even Studebaker and Packard had developed their own automatics by 1950. Well, Studebaker bought autos from Borg-Warner and Packard had developed their own 2-speed UltraMatic. Chrysler was caught with their pants down and didn't debut the PowerFlite until 1954!
Plymouth called that Hy Drive. That came out in 53, but I have seen at least 2 different 55s with it.
My 1948 Dodge Coupe 218.7 has the 3rd gear fluid drive. Basically while in 3rd gear. U don't have to downshift at a stop! Green light go or take off slowly! Not a lot of power during takeoff!
Thanks for find! Very rare where did u get detailed info? I did get a set of Dykas! By the way Dodge wad way ahead with brake light mounted on the center of the trunk! Turn signals on fenders!
Richard from Pasadena California 91107
There is guy in Murietta California who has quite a selection of Chrysler Dodge Mopar parts n stuff ! Pricey but available!
What are Dyka's?
I had the opportunity to drive one of these recently. For a car without power steering or power brakes it was sure easy to drive.
I agree! It is a pleasure to drive.
Grew up with older, cheaper used MoPars from the late '40s-mid "50s (Plymouth, Dodge DeSoto, Chrysler) AWESOME VEHICLES! This was back when "American Exceptionalism" WAS EARNED...NOT A STUPID POLITICAL SLOGAN!
Nice car. We have a ‘48 Dodge. Also fluid drive, but it’s a three speed. Just a little earlier in the evolution of the fully automatic transmission
Nice job on the video .
I believe your Dodge has the three-speed manual with fluid drive. That's a nice and somewhat rare set up.
a guy at an auto show had a 39 Olds with a semi-automatic, drove smooooth, he pointed to a gizmo under the hood right behind the radiator fan, it looked like a small paddle and bet me I couldn't figure out what it did...won that bet, I guessed it controls the radio volume, as engine rpm increases or speed the air flow moves the paddle and increases the volume on the radio
Interesting design, reminds me of my grandfather ( The Elderly man look).
W😎 W what a friggin wonderful ride 👍‼️ My 53 had a 2 speed PTO rear end gear with Fluid drive, 100 mpg on the freeway, in 3rd ,p the technology for less emissions is through the gearing up/ down p on engine RPMs Via the transfer case, posting an honorable memories of Karen Dodge, Palm Beach FL ♥️🙏♥️‼️
The fluid drive was used in 2 speed Westinghouse centrifugal hi speed air conditioning compressors….taken over McKay…now Diaken…great compressors……great machines…..glad I’m retired and living Panama
Absolutely beautiful car sir.
That was very interesting, I always wondered how it was to drive one of these. And it's a lovely old car too. Cheers.
I appreciate your content thanks 👍
We had a '52 DeSoto Firedome Fluid Drive in 1965 when I was 12.
My first car that licenced for the road was a 1952 Chrysler Windsor coupe with fluid drive at age 15 it was a fun car always started even at -35
General Motors pioneered the Automatic transmission dubbed the "Hydra-Matic" in late 1939 and 1940 specifically in Oldsmobiles. Later on, it branched out to other divisions like Cadillac and Buick. By the '50s, other car makers like Nash, Hudson, Kaiser and even Lincoln (!) were buying their automatics from GM as it just seemed too costly to engineer their own. But the writing was on the wall by that point and Chrysler desperately needed a fully automatic. Back then, Chrysler was known as "The Engineers' Company" and they were losing major face by not having a fully automatic of their own. They briefly flirted with the idea of buying Hydramatics from GM but it didn't last. Eventually, Chrysler engineered their own - the two-speed Powerflite; appearing in Imperials & Chryslers in 1954, branching out to Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth in 1955.
There are two main types: Fluid Drive and the other Semi-Auto systems. Suffice to say that the original Fluid Drive of the 40's was not a semi-automatic - it was simply a fluid coupling that connected the flywheel to the engine. It did not do away with the need to shift, but it did alleviate the need to learn how to use a clutch. One could leave the column stick in first with the clutch out at a full stop. To take off, all one needed to do was simply press on the accelerator. Shifting still required the clutch.
In your Chrysler, it's probably the "Presto-Matic" which is a half semi-automatic/ half fluid drive system. It retains the fluid coupling ahead of the clutch like Fluid Drive, but the transmission is a 2-speed manual coupled to an Under/Direct auxiliary box, some might refer to it as an "overdrive" box. Which, it really isn't. It's more of a Direct/Underdrive box. You control the two-speed, a complicated series of gyroscopes and relays controls the aux box.
Chrysler and it's various corporations had a myriad of names for these transmissions: PrestoMatic, GyroMatic, Torque-Drive, Tip-Toe Shift, Gyro-Torque and Plymouth's version I think was called Hy-Drive.
I think in this version you have here.... probably the M6, you have free-wheeling in 2nd and 4th, am I correct? You can only use engine braking in 1st or 3rd. I might have those backwards. It's been ages since I tinkered with one of these.
If you really have the Fluid Torque Drive, and not just the fluid-matic, then your car is a very special animal. You have a true torque converter, not just a fluid coupling. You can start off in high range (3rd gear) with plenty of torque--like a Chevy with Powerglide, only better. This was a MAJOR improvement in the old Mopar semi-automatic transmission. Too bad they only offered it as an option (mostly on Chryslers) in 1952 and 1953 before they went to all-automatic transmissions
Jon Yinger.
You are correct Jon. I really have the Fluid Torque Drive with a full torque converter. Actually an engine fed torque converter. The torque oil is shared with the engine oil. A full engine oil change requires the torque to be drained as well.
My Grandma used to drive a 52 Plymouth Special Deluxe with same tranny. She called it a "clunker transmission."
Alfred Neuman b
Calendar year 39, but model year 1940. In 39, they still offered the Automatic Safety Transmission. It shifted automatically, but you still had to de-clutch at stops. Did not have a fluid coupling. Had a regular clutch.
I always said that the semi-automatic transmissions Mopar went to in 1941 had all the liabilities of both automatics and standards with none of the advantages of either. One advantage of a standard is being able to lock it in gear when stopped--this is impossible with a semi-auto. Another advantage of a standard is a direct hook-up to the transmission with no slippage--this is impossible with a semi-auto. And to think Chrysler had overdrive available with their standard transmissions from the mid-30's to the 1940. When they went to the semi-auto, they lost overdrive and added much higher axle ratios in the process. Chrysler wouldn't offer overdrive again until 1952. GM had by far the best full automatic right out of the door in 1940 with four forward gears with very little slippage and positive shifts.
Thanks for showing us how it works.
Thanks for this video, always wondered how it worked.
You're welcome!
Ok now I want one Keith. Love your car!
I think we know where to find an exact twin. ;)
there are a couple of slips-of-tongue or terminology refinements I can point out -- you said "flat 6" at one point where you meant "flathead 6". A flat six is a horizontally-opposed engine, a V6 with a 180 degree V angle, like Porsches, Corvairs, and Subarus. Flathead 6 refers only to the cylinder head(s) not having overhead valves, could be on any configuration of 6 cylinder engine. However I can't think of any flat flathead engines ever having been made, can anyone else? -- the other point is that a fluid coupling and a torque converter are not quite the same thing. The first GM Hydramatics, Chrysler FluidDrive, and 1960s Mercedes-Benz automatics had fluid couplings. FCs do not multiply torque on their own, so fluid coupling cars need to have quite low ratio gearing available in order to handle steep hills and etc. A torque converter has an extra internal element -- I believe, a stator in addition to the rotor and turbine, so it can multiple torque just like reduction gearing, all by itself. Buick Dynaflow is an example of a torque converter transmission, which they were so excited about that in early years Buick expected ordinary driving to be done nearly all the time with what was essentially a one-speed automatic transmission. Very smooth, and very inefficient in terms of MPG. Fluid couplings held out for a while because they had lower losses and provided better economy. How'd I do? Critiquing welcome.
I think you did just fine. Flat six , you are correct I am referring to the flathead 6 in mine.
Great video..
I see you have the Air conditioning window turned on there. I have a 1953 Yale forklift with the Chrysler flat 6 and a fluid coupling. 2 forward and 2 reverse, no auto shifting. It does work NICE!
Chrysler was the last to have a fully automatic (June 1953, most went on Imperials) which no doubt hurt sales. Sure like the instrument panel (mostly the same from 1949-53) This car obviously has power steering.
Crazy to imagine Chrysler so far behind - even behind independents like Studebaker and Packard who both had an automatic by 1950.
@@That_AMC_Guy Chrysler who was always trying to chase a luxury market (which Cadillac had in the bag) still had too many 6 cylinder cars in 1950. No doubt that probably made affluent buyers look somewhere else.
@@That_AMC_Guy Studebaker and Packard both bought their automatics from Borg Warner
@@MrLESiPhone Oh wait, are we splitting hairs now?
Sure, the Studebaker-engine, Studebaker-bodied "Packards" of 1957 and 1958 used Borg-Warner autos but we can hardly call those Packards now, can we?
REAL Packards had the Ultramatic which was a wholly-Packard engineered device and was the only automatic transmission developed by an Independent car company.
@@That_AMC_Guy Chrysler products at least had electric windshield wipers long before GM & Ford (surprisingly the independents had electric wipers early too) Vacuum wipers were unsafe if you had to climb hills in a thunderstorm as they would just stop until you let off the gas.
I drove my 53 dodge with this trans. It was the first run down Detroit dragway for me. Funny it was X-stock stock. For all vehicles slower then 20 seconds.
hahahahahahahahahaha
First car Harry Truman bought upon leaving WH. He and Bess drove to NYC and DC and back to Independence.
He was the guy who said that anyone who got rich while holding public office was probably a crook. He was a man of his word.
@@pcno2832 Yeah, give 'em hell, Harry. He was surely right about that!
I hate to say it but there unwillingness to develop a fully automatic and the upright boxy style of the 49-54 Chrysler products lost them the # 2 spot to Ford motor company. Unfortunately they never fully recovered, staying third well behind GM and Ford and leading to eventually being almost bankrupt by the late 70s. I think if Walter P Chrysler had lived longer you would have seen a different company postwar.
Walter directed the company very well. Under his ownership the company flourished. Sadly, as all people do, he passed. Corporate culture took over the Chyrsler Corp. Then it was likely all about profits and everything else became second. Without Walter's direction and foresight, the path forward changed forever. We see this happen over and over in corporations. The good old days are today. Enjoy them.
Keith, we just picked up a 1951 Saratoga, can you let us know where you get your parts from to restore your car? Also, who re-did your chrome, THANK YOU!
Chrome was already done when I acquired the car. I get parts from multiple sources. Try Bernbaum’s. Engine parts, Vintage Power Wagons. EBay is quite good. Also suggest you join Vintage Mopar Facebook Groups.
@@keithsgarage5831 Keith, we REALLY appreciate that info!!!
In 1953 I was 6, just getting ready to start first grade in school. Now I’m 72, starting to think of retirement, and this transmission system seems so complicated to me! No wonder it did not catch on!
03Venture lol. No, Its easy!
It lasted in this form for 1946 through 53, with a few 54s and 55s assembled.
I try to be synthetic. I'm Italian from Milan, I'm 53 years old. At the age of 12 I have a passion for automatic transmissions, here in Italy they are a rarity. I can get the workshop manuals and study them. In the 80s in Italy the automatic transmission was a rarity and there was a lot of ignorance. Unfortunately, there is no meritocracy like in the United States, I would have liked to work in this area. In any case, the Hydraulic coupling has made us understand the qualities of the 'stator' inserted in the torque converter. The first were manual gearboxes supported by a torque converter; interesting and imaginative the acronyms on the time selectors. Here in Italy there are many cars with the converter but it is the dual clutch system (lighter) that is giving excellent results: DSG. It works in the same way as a hydraulic automatic, but it is much faster and lighter. Fuel costs are a problem here.
Thank you for your videos and for the interesting channel.
Wow, me too. I write from Santiago de Chile, and I remember in 1977 first automatic japanese cars available, Hondamatic on Accord and Civic, Mazda 323, Subaru 4WD automatic. In 1980 arrived Italian Fiat 132 (woof, pretty nice car) automatic transmission, (kick down system sticker on rear glass), and American Dodge Aspen assambled in Chrysler of Chile with automatic gear box.
My passion was/is automatic cars. My first auto was an Oldsmobile 88 1952 hydramatic. 😊
This was a big improvement at the time.
The M6 semi auto tranny had been used in Mopar since for a while by 1953. It was very reliable and not too expensive to manufacture. It was considered easier to drive than a manual tranny. I have seen vintage ads targeted towards "women in high heels" headed to the grocery store with ease.
By 54 all chryslers and even plymouth you could get a true atomatic. It was a 2 speed like the chevy powerglide but alot better.
Ahh the old whiney power glide lol
How was it "a lot better "?
Pretty car, my aunt had an earlier model in black. Gas mileage could not have been great but at @15 cents/gallon . . . .
I see now. This practical demonstration really clears up a few things I was shown as a child and wondered for many years! It lacks torque multiplication but does have behavior very similar to buick's 2 speed fully auto. I would imagine starting out in high range isn't really an issue, as it seems to be geared low enough to not cause problems either for reliability or performance.
wishus knight it offers 2.6:1 torque multiplication.
@@keithsgarage5831 Ohh interesting! I didn't think they did. Maybe that was a different variant. I was thinking of.
wishus knight watch video part II.
@@keithsgarage5831 I will do so. Thankyou
@@keithsgarage5831 That is very interesting! It seems like maybe they started to outfit some cars with them through 1953 as they were transitioning to fully automatic drivetrain. I am learning more every day!
I like the old Chrysler.
..... and it's got VENT windows in the BACK doors! Hooray!!
It might be simpler to drive if it had a plain old 3 speed stick shift on the column. This "hybrid" transmission is a bit confusing.
'51 Dodge had this arrangement, 3 on the tree with clutch to shift gears.
I always wondered how those things worked!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a 42 Chrysler business coupe with fluid drive
Powerflyte was excellent
5:10 Beautiful car and kind of an interesting concept. My father had a car with a transmission like this in the 1950s. But that shift from D to L looked pretty scary with R so close by. I wonder if that led to many accidents.
Probably, otherwise we would have kept that design
My transmission will not easily slide into reverse while traveling forward. It takes a concerted effort to put it into reverse while at a stop. So no, I would not say it led to any accidents.
The transmission design was not kept as new fully automatic transmissions were in demand by the public. The 6V system was on the way out. The flathead engine was past its prime. You can't stop progress that consumers demand.
Not many.
@@demagab I think it became law that Reverse be next to Neutral.
I believe that there is fluid coupling between the flywheel and the clutch assy.
very cool..thanks for the tour
Knew very little about these. Thanks!
Fun! My first car (1959 for $90.) was a 1949 Dodge convertible with the 6 cylinder engine and fluid drive. No power but a comfortable ride. Probably due to the worn out suspension.
Mafia 2 looking good
love your car man I have a !950 plymouth myself but no fluid drive :(
Would any of the gears in L and/or D provide engine braking going down a hill or does it just free-wheel? Is there any mechanism to prevent over-revving the engine in L? Thank you very much for the great video!
Yes. Gears 2 and 4 provide dynamic engine braking. By way of a ramp or sprag one-way clutch gear. In reality there are only two gear sets in this tranny. You are just going in and out of a extra gear for more or less reduction as wanted. Effectively producing 4 gear ratios.
Thank you Keith!
You put it in Lo for engine braking, just like a modern automatic. Most people knew better than to over-rev then. We didn't need computers to tell us not to.
That’s really interesting. How would you shift down to third if your already in fourth? Say to pass or approaching a steep grade?
You just floored it and it would automatically downshift into 3rd.
Great video! My Great Uncle left this exact car in great shape (Windsor Deluxe) to me in his will. I have since sold the car. I retained all the shop manuals as the buyer had a complete set as well. Great old car. However, have you tried going in reverse and use the two speed switch? It surprisingly worked. I’m not sure if that was supposed to happen.
Yes, it really would!
Dodge had this. They called it the Gyro-matic
Very interesting, the clutch is more to select gear then to drive.
True. As there is a fluid coupler used, the car will idle in gear. However power flow must be interrupted to select either of the gear ranges, or reverse. Pushing the clutch in accomplishes this. You do not ride, or slip the clutch. It will quickly fail if the clutch is used like a traditional standard, manual transmission.
@@keithsgarage5831 clever it makes it so anyone can drive. Most people have trouble slipping the clutch in a normal manual transmission.
Earliest I remember, but never drove, was Mom's 65 Impala SS, which my second cousin managed to kick from drive to reverse at 45mph while climbing between the seats. Prior to that she said her first car was a 52 Chevy coupe with an "automatic". I'm wondering if it was something like this as her dad was sure it would eventually roll down a hill on her. She did roll it, but it was on a corner, nobody got hurt because the car was packed like a sardine can. Her dad was so proud that he was right.
I believe that Studebaker introduced their automatic late 1950...it was available across the line in 51 for sure...
Borg Warner unit un reliabl le with the v8 in 51 ok with 6 . had hill holder nice feature .similar to fordomatic trans of 50s
So it has a clutch and a torque converter?
Yes.
Like every JD or Case backhoe since 1970.
Yes,
My Parents had a '49 Winsor with this transmission and flat head six.
I was a child,and my mom would drive this car all over the place.
REAL NICE CAR AND VIDEO ENJOYED IT
This is a complicated version of the Wilson Pre-Select gearbox used by Daimler