May be a dumb ? but. I bought my '54 Mainline Ford a few months ago. I'm no mechanic, but poking under the hood I noticed a fluid reservoir and when I unscrewed the cap the dip stick is marked "AUTO TRANS FLUID A". The car is a 3 speed manual. So why is there a reservoir marked auto trans fluid? And the level is way below the low mark.
I'd like to see a picture of the reservoir that someone added to your car. I have a 54 that my grandpa bought new.
yes it has power steering/power brakes and that was my 1st thought it was for power steering but when it said auto trans fluid I was confused. I'd better fill it to the full level. Thanks
yup, that's the power steering pump....notice how far it is from the manual transmission. You check the transmission oil using the plug on the side of the transmission. They used ATF for power steering because they're both hydraulic systems, and ATF type A was the readily available hydraulic oil.
Because that's what was used in power steering back then, they were just making sure the right stuff was added. 'Specialty' power steering oil was still in the future. Check the level hot, it will expand a fair amount with heat.
Where does it attach? Is it obviously missing on mine? A picture please. My grandfathers car is a Mainline, cheapest model of all.
The PS caps that had the short dipstick had a hook in the center of the cap for it to attach. The dipstick sort of dangles from the hook. That's the way it was on my 57 T-Bird.
Yuppers, that was for the power steering, 54 Fords that don't have a reservoiur probably do not have power steering as it was an extra cost option and cheap grandpas didn't order it. In other news, That car's three speed that looks pretty much like this one has a fill (and check) plug on the side (orange arrow) that you put 80/90 gear oil in. On the question of ATF in manual transmisisons, many of the far more precision built manual transmission from later model Cars use ATF because of the tight clearances. Honda manuals have since the 80's and I know of one Honda mechanic who made a living off guys who put 80/90 in Honda transmissons.
I recall ATF in a '63 Valiant manual transmission. I thought some bonehead did this by mistake, but that's what was called for in the shop manual. The transmission looked pretty similar to all the other three speed manuals that specified 80W90 gear oil.
The 4 speed manual gearboxes that Holden used from 1969 till 1982 were prone to be a bitch to change gears especially when cold. My rebuilder told me to use a 50/50 blend of 80/90 and ATF. Worked a treat and I still do it today. Nowadays you just use 75/80 smooth shift which is specced for Toyota 'boxes.
Mopar did indeed use ATF in 3 and 4 speed trans. It was permittable once trans got worn and noisy to add 80-90 weight gear or change it out to 80-90' Dave
Pre 65 mopar 4spds, Ford dagenham 4spds spec'ed ATF. The t-10 BW I put together for my '65 Comet 6L I used ATF all year round and eventually in my D Nash ot 5speed.
I thought it was a mistake when I found ATF in the four speed of my '72 Dodge Demon. I put 80/90 gear oil in it, and it never was able to power shift it worth a dang after that
I tried that in my T10 upon a recommendation after the rebuild but it leaked that stuff out pretty good. Went back to gear oil, no leaks... It appears all the new manuals use some sort of ATF.
Yep, ATF in the power steering, my ‘54 Country Squire is the same. Onetime I used actual power steering fluid and it all leaked out. WC T5 manual transmissions also call for ATF. I use more ATF in manual transmissions and power steering than I do in automatic transmissions
A lot of older 4 speeds, MoPars in particular, could be a bit "balky" to shift in cold weather until the lube warmed up a bit. It was common to run a 50/50 gear lube/ATF mix in them. Or straight ATF, at least in the MoPars.
Well, I was young and stupid. This was back in 1976. I just couldn't square myself with ATF in a manual. Too stupid to make the connection between the different in oils. But's its stuff like that that made me the wiser old man I am today. At least, that's the story I'm stickin' to!
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