Hi folks. I have just joined HAMB (from the UK) and taken delivery of my first cl***ic car last week - a 1956 OldsMobile Rocket88, just imported from California recently (originally from Minnesota). 324 v8 5.3ltr, Hydra-Matic auto transmission. The bodywork and interior has been restored to a lovely condition by the previous owners (It has had 1 owner from new!!), the engine needs a good service. Attached are some photos... I'm after some technical help please, appreciate any help: 1) Hydra-Matic Transmission - No forward gears, but reverse works?? I took the car out to the filling station after taking delivery of it and filled her up, including fuel lead additive. She was driving nice - a little bit jerky as it needs a good service all-round. However when I got back home after 20miles, the transmission does not change into any of the 3 forward gears - but reverse works fine? Looking at the throttle/gear change linkages they seem fine and nothing loose there, the fluid level was ok. I decided to drop the Hydro-Matic transmission pan, unfortunately there were a few small metal filings/slithers plus looks like a small strip (1 inch long) of fibrous clutch material/gasket on the pan bottom. I cleaned the pan, the wire basket filter and changed the fluid using fresh DEXTRON 3 whilst the engine was running in Neutral, hoping it would make a difference and move forward in any gear - but nothing. Does any body have any ideas what could be wrong, many of the gearbox spe******ts in the UK won't touch or know about this type of transmission?? There is a potential company nearby who will look at it, but wanted some identification - I can't even see any ID plates or numbers on the ****** body, but looking at FATSCO ID diagrams/pictures - it's a HYDRAMATIC. (I know FATSCO will be able to supply me all of the hydramatic parts - which is some relief.) 2) Windshield Wiper Issue - Vacuum?? The dealer I bought the car from had fitted a new vacuum pump for the windshield wipers and fuel pump, but the wipers barely move. Does anybody have reference diagrams/pictures for the pipework, from the vacuum pump / throttle / wiper motor mechanism? There seems to be on top of the vacuum pump 2x pipe connections. 1x pipe is connected to the windshield wiper motor mechanism. However the other 1x pipe connection appears disconnected/nothing attached (unless it's supposed to be an air intake with a filter missing). I noticed a metal tube from the Rochester 2 valve carb, looks like from a diaphragm on the side of the body- not sure if that is supposed to link up to the Vacuum pump (hence the poor air pressure) or just left free unconnected to anything? The fuel lines and fuel delivery side of things are fine. I can wipe faster with my hand it's so so slow..... Appreciate any ideas please?? 3) Lastly I ***ume the power brake fluid pump/reservoir, is the black metal cylinder the opposite side to where the engine oil & Hydro drive dip sticks are? That appears to be completely empty, the short metal dipstick registers no fluid at all. Is there a set sequence to bleed the brakes and what type of DOT brake fluid can I use - DOT 3, DOT 4, mineral/synthetic etc? I'm ordering a workshop manual and various service items like filters, gaskets etc. - But those will take several weeks to arrive from the USA. Appreciate any help, as I would love to be able to use it this summer! Thanks in advance.
Thats a damned nice car ! Hope that helps the transmission shifting and wiper wiping. Someone should be here soon with better tech advice though ....welcome to the site !
Does your pump look like this? If so, one line goes to manifold vacuum and the other to the wiper motor. They have to be oriented correctly so you're making vacuum to the wiper motor rather than pressure.
check this site out, www.oldcarmanualproject.com , there's a lot of good info. good luck with your new ride.
I've had good luck with vacuum wiper motors by simply dis***embling, cleaning all the old gook out with solvent or gasoline and re***embling with a good waterproof bearing grease. 56 Olds' had two types of automatic transmissions. Most of the 88s with 2 barrel carbs had the old "slant-pan" 4 speed hydramatic. This one had selected by putting the gear selector in the reverse position after the engine was turned off....showed no "Park" position on the quadrant. The "slim jim" transmission was also referred to as the hydramatic sometimes and it had the park position all the way at the top of the quadrant and showed a "Park" position...it was selected by pushing the gear selector all the way up to the top position. I've always liked the old slant-pan hydro best as I've had a very bad experience in my 56 Olds with the slim-jim transmission while the cars I've had with the slant-pan were far more durable and shifted firmly as opposed the the slim jim's soft, lazy shifts...
Post some pictures of the linkages and carburetor and other stuff that you have questiona about. Makes it a lot easier to spot potential problem areas. If you tackle trying to get the wiper motor working better, clean it and re-lube it as mentioned above. But avoid using heavier bearing grease. I've done them in the past with a shmear of Vaseline petroleum jelly. It doesn't really take a whole lot. Helps to keep the seal on the paddle soft and still allows it to move without excessive drag. Check the vacuum supply at the wiper motor too. A weak vacuum pump and/or low manifold vacuum will make thing real sluggish.
Very pretty car. The best forum to get Hydramatic help is the Cadillac Forums. http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/ You may be able to get help from one of the clubs listed on this site http://www.yanktanks.co.uk/clubs_files/clubsUK.htm From your description of the debris found in the pan, the bands self destructed and the transmission will have to be removed from the car, dis***embled and rebuilt. Look on E-Bay for a shop manual for your car and purchase it. It will give instructions on the transmission.
Hi Folks. Thank you for all your responses/comments so far and very useful information, great to see the support. *Choffman41 - yes looks like the same pump as mine. Attached are some photos, the 2nd+3rd are of the vacuum pump top the missing connection also the carburettor with the vacuum pipe. Is there supposed to be a pipe linking the two together and not to the manifold? *Rocky - Looks like my trans is a 'Slant Pan - Hydramatic', as there is no 'Park' position and my bottom + side pans both have 12bolt holes to secure - also seem to match the exploded view diagram from fatsco. Apart from my bottom pan has no drain plug. Got some photos and the exploded diagram from Fatsco ----- I've been doing a load of digging and phoning around spe******t cl***ic auto transmission places in the UK- many of them won't touch the car because of the age/lack of parts/simply never touched a hydra-matic. But there is one - potentially charging in excess of £2500 (approx $4000) though for a rebuild (depending on what is broken). Attached are some photos, the 2nd+3rd are of the vacuum pump top the missing connection also the carburettor with the vacuum pipe. Is there supposed to be a pipe linking the two together and not to the manifold?
Here are some more photos of the ***umed 'Power Brake' which is empty and metal dipstick, located on the right hand side of the engine bay - ***ume this is definitely the braking system?
These are pictures of the carb + linkages, plus some of the interior... Appreciate your thoughts/comments folks. Thank you
Here's the picture of the ****** bottom pan and side pan gaskets - the side where the gear change rod/mechinasm linkage goes into the side of the ******).... I ***ume it's definitely not a jetway?
You have the grand-daddy. Dual range hydramatic, not the Jetaway. This was the last year for Olds and Pontiac to use these great transmissions. And the 56 models are the best, having better and more clutch plates. Your problem with the "No drive" could be several issues. Since you do have reverse, that means the reverse unit is working, along with the front band. These transmissions have an inherent problem. The reverse cone clutch sometimes sticks when in any drive ranges. There is a procedure to get the clutch unstuck. Start the vehicle and place the transmission in R. Rev the engine slightly (with brakes locked), then shift to LO, then back to R. Do this 5 times, keeping engine revved. This works for me and it is listed in the hydramatic manuals.
Thanks for the tip 'd2_willys' and nice to hear I've go a Dual range Hydramatic, I've just tried the procedure a few times - but unfortunately didn't work for me. I did notice though when it is in reverse and I rev it fairly hard - the car reverses back slightly..... So you may have a good point that the clutch could be the issue? or one of the bands maybe?
What is the single tube coming out of the pump attached to? If it goes to the wiper motor, I'd hook the other one to the vacuum line. Found this: 2) THE ACCESSORY VACUUM PUMP SYSTEM: Here again, think of the wiper motor as the starting point. The hose is routed from the wiper motor through the firewall to the INLET on the vacuum pump below the fuel pump. The hose then exit’s the OUTLET of the vacuum pump and goes to the intake manifold. Incidently, I have found that making the run from the firewall to the vacuum pump and from the vacuum pump to the intake manifold with metal tubing to be a good way to do this. It is impotant to note also that just like the basic system, it it easiest to think of he wiper motor as the starting point and the intake manifold as the end point.
The reverse cone clutch is the culprit. You can get to it while in the car, but there is substantial removal of parts to get the extension housing off. One of the other Hambers just finished up his rebuild on a 55 Olds and had to go back in and smooth out the reverse cone so that it did not stick. Try changing the fluid (all of it) and see what happens. It might just need new fluid to free up cone clutch. You might try taking a hammer and hitting the extension housing near the attaching bolts a few times to see if that breaks loose the cone clutch.
Thank you for all your advice folks, I have been able to download the full service manual for the Hydramatic-Dual range gearbox and also have a much better idea around the vacuum pump/wiper setup! After a lot of different attenuates and methods to get the transmission working again, it appears a lot more serious and needs an expert to look at it. So I contacted OakDene automatic transmissions in Nottingham, UK - who have experience of Hydramatics/Cl***ics, so the Oldsmobile was taken away on a recovery vehicle on Friday. They should hopefully be able diagnose early next week and fix it soon. Will keep you posted.
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