Hot Rods 1955 Buick with good low gear, good reverse, but bad Drive

I've been restoring a 55 Buick special with a automatic and it works great in park, neutral, Reverse and Low. However when i shift it into drive i can't get much out of her. Now in drive only, I will put my foot on the brakes and press the gas only being able to achieve around or less then 1200 rpms, If i do this for about a minute it will smoke a little from the exhaust and motor, also there is next to no move ability with the foot off the brake. All other gears are great with no smoke and great rpms. I been restoring this car for 2 years, and i need to take if for its first ride, besides just in the parking lot. Im open to all suggestions with easiest first. Please help this old guy out.

 

fluid check?
fluid change.

 

Fluid has be checked but not changed it was low and i topped it off. Very red. To give you an idea of how powerful it is. I can get up to 20 mph in low. But i can barely and i mean barely climb the 1.25" lip to get in my garage. It does shift/jerk hard when i switch to reverse. Also some time when i back out of the garage and out it park it rolls a couple times, i put it in low and it usually will work next time i put it in park. I do have a very light incline to ky driveway

 

GoldenARM55, Your descriptions are a little vague. Did the trans ever work right when you first bought the car? Does it move normally in reverse? Are you saying it wont always lock the wheels when placed in park? Is the shift linkage sloppy? Is the carb opening fully when the pedal is to the floor? The Dynaflow only has to apply one clutch to move forward in "D", or a band in "L". Most of the Dynaflow's function is in the 5 element converter.

 

Quote: The Dynaflow only has to apply one clutch to move forward in "D", or a band in "L". Most of the Dynaflow's function is in the 5 element converter.
Sounds like a bad forward clutch then.

 

Anyone able to give me a measurement in inches how long their trans dipstick is from top of inside cup to full line? my dipstick is not original to the motor.

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You might have to do this , like I had to do when I had a bad transmission on my 56 buick station wagon.Bruce.

 

would the 57 manual be the same?
https://www.teambuick.com/reference/library/57_ch***is/index.php

 

Direct clutch is probably shot. High ac***ulator could also be shot.

 

Those transmissions were never very strong to begin with. Worked real nice as long as you didn't beat on them..
I killed the one in my 55 and rebuilt it when I was in trade school. It was the first auto trans I ever rebuilt.
As the said the band controls low gear and the clutch controls high gear.
Master kit is 281 from this outfit found in a quick search and it has the clutches and steels in it. http://www.fatsco.net/store.html#!/1955-1960-Buick-Dynaflow-Kits/p/51562999/category=18246069
No low band though
They also list it on Ebay 280080395544
That's just a source for the parts as most of the time you will get a blank stare at the local parts house but can probably source the kit though a good auto trans parts house.
Finding someone to go though it might be a challenge though.

 

Were your symptoms simular to what in experiencing

 

English please.