I just got my first car, its a 1956 Cadillac sedan Deville, it has a 365 cubic inch v8 and a 4 speed hydromatic transmission the engine runs really well but while it was on the flat bead it leaked a lot of transmission fluid. The leak stoped once the car was of loaded and it still has trans fluid, should I be worried about the transmission? I know this year hydromatics can be problematic. The previous owner didn't use the car much and I think for the most part it just sat in his garage but it was registered in 2015 and has 79,940 miles now. The interior and body both need a little work, the paint looks good but has a lot of chips and scratches and the interior fabric is ripped in places but not terrible. I'm planning on going to the DMV today to get plates. If you look under the car you can see the leaked transmission fluid
Congrat's I love to see young people get their first car. There are worse things to do with your time and money. I sold one of my cars to a first timer last year At the LSRU and saw him last week down there, He still has a big smile on his face. Enjoy
I had a 47 ford with a turbo 350 that would leak out of the dipstick tube when it sat over the winter. Im thinking the convertor must lose fluid and fill the case (I could be wrong). Where did the fluid exit the transmission? I guess I would make sure the trans has fluid, start the engine check for leaks, drive it and check fluid frequently.
KOOL Old Caddy ! I like them ! On the ****** deal, IMO top off fluid level and drive some short runs and check level, watch under car, never had a hydromatic, but have had TH350 convertors drain out through vent from sitting, maybe ? the flatbed ride caused that with yours. If the car sat a long period, seals can dry up I'm told, maybe try some Lucas magic in the bottle (tranz conditioner) before pulling tranz. Welcome ! Good Luck ! Have Fun !
Killer car, love those beautiful Caddy's, you will need a big stick to keep the girls away. Best of luck with a super sweet ride.
- low mileage downfall - best repair leak, and any others & check all brakes, etc before doing much cruising around
That's a lot of car for a first car but kudos to you for having the guts to take it on. Love the old Caddys. Good luck.
Neat car.... first thing might be to find some info about how to check the fluid levels, and what fluids to use to get them back up to where they need to be. Not just the transmission, and the brakes, but also the rest of the things that hold fluid--engine oil, rear axle oil, coolant, power steering, etc. Once you get it so the brakes work well, and you have plates and insurance on it, then drive it around carefully, and see how it does. If it does leave puddles, then you'll have to find the cause, and fix it. A few drips are normal for old cars, but puddles are a problem.
Actually, a relatively easy car to work on. When I was an apprentice, I worked on nearly new Cadillacs. Customers my boss had appreciated personalized service, so my head was in the Motors Auto repair manual daily. In 1962, I went to work for the Cadillac dealer, as their carburetor-electric mechanic. I've owned more than 6 Cadillacs, from a '48 series 62 to a '52 Coupe DeVille, to a '55 C.D.V., then a '56 C.D.V., finally a '57 Eldorado...and a '60 Coupe DeVille, for a week. (sold it for twice what I paid for it) These '56's are simple, unless major transmission problems are existent...but I fixed torus converters and front pumps, bands and clutches. I was 17. My boss said, "You can't learn any younger..." Just consider this: The car is worth it. And the lesson is, too.
Awesome car. I love it. Caddys are my #1 fav. I dig survivors, that's a nice one. Looks like it's in awesome shape. I have a caddy (just a few years later, not too different mechanically) I've been wrestling with the ****** for years, especially leaks. Even now. Since your new to this, if the car is running and driving, take your time. I mucked up a perfectly running Jetaway by dropping it to change seals, if I had just done them with the ****** on the car, I might have saved myself big headaches, (but that's not how I roll), when I re-installed it, it no longer functioned. The internal seals were old, and just jostling it around broke something in there. A. Long shot: Did you/or the seller add ****** fluid? There's a small vent tube , and when it's overfilled it will shoot out of the vent. Buy a big drip pan from Pep Boys and park over that for awhile and see if the leak decreases/stops. B. If it doesn't, park it up on ramps or jack stands, wipe off the ****** best you can, wait a day or two and go under there, it will be pretty clear where on the ****** the leak(s) are coming from. Rear seal/tail housing gasket/speedo O-ring can be replaced with ****** in car Pan gasket/O-rings around linkages can be replaced with ****** in car If your leak is coming from between the front inspection plate and the ****** body (plate is held in by starter), then you probably will need to drop the ****** to do a front seal up. There is a very slim possibility that you can tighten the bolts on the flywheel to squeeze the spaghetti gasket without dropping the ******, but that's more likely if the ****** was rebuilt lately. (Very slim) The parts to either do a front seal job or complete rebuild are relatively cheap (under $300 for the full rebuild seal kit). Either www.AutoTran.US or www.Fatsco. I rebuilt my Jetaway myself twice (because I mucked up the first time). The way this transmission works involves lots of rubber seals inside of it keeping the transmission fluid in one place or out of another to maintain internal pressure. Once the seals get old, they become brittle, and eventually let the fluid by and thus losing pressure so the fluid can no longer push things around in there. If the ****** is still shifting good, then it means it's maintaining pressure. The best possible thing you can do for yourself is get the shop manual. It will literally tell you with words and pictures how to tear the entire car down and rebuild it, including the transmission. I have owned many many cars that had sat for awhile, that ran awesome when I drove off from the initial purchase. Since it's a survivor, many things may not have been rebuilt lately, many seals and gaskets are aging, and will be brittle/deteriorating. As you drive it things will break down, and you will have to learn to fix it, that's just how it is. That's 90% of the fun of it. The Cadillac manuals are exceptionally good. Great 1st car. Congrats. Please keep posting updates.
I met 56caddillackid yesterday at a local cruise. Great to see a young person with an old car! I voted for it to be best in show!
If you haven't already, check out the YouTube videos by TheCorvetteBen about his red '56, a twin to yours - a wealth of information there plus he's also a H.A.M.B. member.
Thanks I actually ended up wining best original / unrestored, this is the first show I have taken it to so I really didn't expect to win any thing Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
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