Well, Honestly, I'm a little nervous telling ya'll the truth about that one... I know the rules here are pretty specific.... Mainly the reason is because I wanted to keep everything minimal and clean looking. But the other big factor is that We're setting this truck up as a right hand drive...So, thats where the challenge comes in.. I've found web sites that sell NOS or repro right hand drive parts. But they're in New Zealand or Europe. And even then I haven't really looked to see if there is even anything available that would fit this set-up.
you will find more info on that one by looking for hydra-matic insted of hydro. Completely different animal. http://fatsco.com/ www.areds.com
If it is anything like my truck transmission, the inside lever is the shift lever. All the way back will be R which is park using a big detent in drive gear when there is no fluid pressure, then 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, then Neutral. First gear lasts momentarily and is used just to get moving with the fluid coupling designed torrus instead of a torque converter. Very small changes of the other "throttle pressure lever" makes huge changes in the way it shifts. It can go from slipping and running through all 4 gears within about 8 feet to not downshifting when you lslow down in a heartbeat.
Thanks Greg. Yeah, I may have mis typed at some point and used the term hydromatic.. But the term Hydro does refer to the hydra-matic, right? I've been doing a lot of reading on these trannys. I keep seeing links to the rocketeers web site. It sounds like that WAS the place with all the info one could hope and dream for....but the threads I see it linked from are old, and when I click on the links, the site is gone? Has it moved to a new URL? Or where did all this info go?
When searching for parts, hydro will lead you to the modern transmissions with a torque converter. Hydra-Matics were used bt Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac, Rolls Royce, GMC, Chevy trucks, and probably others. Leon at Areds told me that the hydra-matic put B&M on the map with their hydra-stick conversions. The plant that built them burned to the ground I think in 1953. Look up "the great hydra-matic fire". I have accumulated a few extra valve bodies and misc parts buying "grab bags" of parts. I have no idea if they are Pontiac, Olds, or what. http://www.autotran.us/TheGreatHydraMaticFire.html
Thanks that was allot of sleepless nights hahahahahahaha The cable might work but you gonna have to have a way to adjust.. there is a certain amount of slop in the linkage that has to engaged right hense the 3:1 ratio.. so its allot of adjusting to get it right and I don't know how the cable to pedal will work..worth and shot.. with my set up I have a total of 9 adjustments points and its still a pain in the ass..there also bands that need to be adjusted as well..
Evel, speaking of slop. The tv arm itself seems to have a bit of "free play" before you can feel it engage. Is that normal? When I measured the 1/2" of movement in it, that was while it was engaging. It has another 1/8" of slop at the beginning..?
Yeah I encountered that as well.. it all has to work perfectly with the throttle and Carb...the leave has to positioned to the point where there is no slop and thats the starting point.. What I did was I used nylock nuts on the lower bell crank and left them a little loose so when I give it gas..the throttle pulls pulls the bell crank and its loose bolt and thats where it makes up the 1/2 on the trans lever.. I don't know if that makes sense but it seems to work..ahahha..
Yep, thats what I wanted to know! Thanks man. You're helping me a ton! Just wasn't sure if the slop was there so that it didn't activate until you got a little deeper into the throttle. But yeah, I think that makes sense. I'm thinking now that a barrel adjuster on the cable housing that is easily reached, would be a good idea. This way I should be able to loosen or tighten the cable tension "on the fly" to fine tune it once its moving? The bell crank part is what has me wondering though. I'm not familiar with them to be honest. I know what they are..but isn't a bell crank also used to provide a progressive rate? As in, as it rotates, it will start to pull more, or less, depending on the set up? I'm gonna google them now and get familiar. Thanks again to everyone
The LaSalle is a manual trans right? Never gonna work. I'm already having to look at modifying the hydros fill tube just to fit 2 pedals in there! A third pedal would have to be hand controlled or something...Now theres an idea.....not
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