looking for some advice! I am running a 331 Caddy engine in my 31, engine came with the hydromatic transmission but I hear that I shouldnt run that transmission, can anyone advise as to which i should run and go look for? I am building the car to drive, not gonna be a rat rod at all, so am looking for something to compliment the 331. thank you!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a hydromatic if you have one and it works. Think B&M here and you will understand what I am saying, the slant pan hydro is what put them on the map, yours should be a slant pan if it was built before '56. You used to see lots of them coupled to '39 Ford, or lincoln and Lasalle transmissions. You could also adapt it to a ford toploader 4 speed like out of a galaxie or a mustang. Or even run an old saginaw 3 speed behind it if you were looking to go cheap. OK then enough options for you?
Kirk Hanning had a Muncie 4 spd behind his in his '34 truck. Don't recal which adapter he used but it was dead reliable and easy to do. Maybe he'll chime in or throw him a pm for more info.
hydros work fine. kind of a crude trans, but tough as nails. you just need the proper adjustment on the throttle pressure rod between carb and trans.
I grew up around these early Cad OHVs but I don't remember hearing the term "Extended Shelf." What does that mean?
Yep. That's what I recall my '49 and '50 looked like. I just never recall hearing the term. Thanks again.
I stacked my adapters 1950 331 Cad Cad to Flathead adapter 1949-53 Flathead Ford Hogs head Flathead Ford to T-5, Home brew, commercially available. S-10 T-5 4WD T-5 to Torque Tube, Crazydaddio here on HAMB. Lots going there, but do-able. You just have to think about it!
Don't run the Hydro... Trust me I went through it for 3+ years trying to get it to work right.... 37 La Salle is the hot set up... thats the shit but can be expensive.. But T-5 is great for driving too.... I'm currently swapping my Hydro out for a 39 Ford top loader looking forward to finally driving the car like a normal person... with a clutch
I happen to have a T-5 with an S10 tailshaft that would work good too... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=759479
I vote t-5 all the way. i had a 4 speed toploader behind my 390 for several yeas (same basic block as the 365) and you won't regret the 5th gear--especially if you plan on highway driving. 700r is also a good highway option and adapters for both are readily available (have this setup going into my 34 pu). that said, if the hydromatic is still good there's nothing wrong with it--they're great tranny's. but if you're going to have to have it built you might aas well swap to more readily available and cheaper stuff--imo. but budget drives a lot of what I do. if you go with the t-5 make sure it's a v-8 tranny. torque rating dangerously close to the cad motor and if you have a heavy foot...
Cadillac wisely never used the slim jim. They went from the iron old Hydra-Matic directly to the Turbo-Hydramatic.
Sounds like you're open to either stick or auto, so my choice is the 200 4R. I put one in Faye and it's been a great trans. I'm old and want to save my strength for the go peddle and not have to shift all the time. It's behind a 406 w/ 268extreme Comp Cam and a 3:89 posi. In the Phaeton it will scar the HELL out of me. Super nice gear ratio between 1st & 2nd, will handle the torque, which is what really kills the trannys, not horsepower. Just my 2 cents.
When the plant burned in '53 Cadillacs got Dynaflows. The new trans in '56 you are thinking of was a modernized/improved version of the iron Hydra-Matic.
evel Just because you can't make one work or find someone who can does not make a hydro a bad tranny. I have had several some B&M versions, some I modified with B&M pieces myself and some stock and never ever had a problem with one aside from needing to learn how to adjust one. I had a 331 caddy in my '46 coupe that I ran a Ford top loader (like the FE Galaxie used) behind. I loved that setup. I have driven early caddy powered cars with *'39 Ford trannies, as well as Lasalle trannies behind them that were pretty nice drivers as well. Traditionally there are limitless combinations that can be run behind a little caddy OHV. * Side note, the '39 ford tranny stuffed with Lincoln innards is a real fine tranny and a less expensive substitue for the Lincol or the Lasalle.
there is no better vintage automatic than a 4 speed hydro period !! if my 56 Olds I switched carbs and all the throttle pressure linkage to a simple cable set up and took it for a ride adjusted it one time and never had a problem. I've owned 5 cars with 331 cads four with dual range hydros and can honestly say the only problem I can see using one in a light car is the stupid looking High Backed Seats you'll feel like installing after some neck snapping shifts under full power just read my post and thought I might add that my expierence with hydro goes back 55 years so I might be biased. among the 200+ cars I've owned I have run Hydros in lincolns, hudsons, a nash, Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs, Chevrolet trucks, Pontiacs, even had a 48 plymouth cad/hydro. the trans has never let me down and got good gas miliage. the worst one I've owned was a 1953 Coupe de ville with dual quads that only got 17 mpg highway. the trans was even used in Tanks. in cars they were designed to get a big assed Cadillac moving briskly and still cruise all day at 80 mph
I decided to trick out the hydro in the shop truck when I was in highschool (olds instead of caddy). So I purchased some B&M pieces and went after it one night after the shop was closed. I got everything adjusted just right and then went home. The boss came down to the high school and got me out of class so I could change it back, I guess he hammered it at a stop sign and banged his head real hard against the back glass.
This is a difficult part to find. It adapts a 55-up Cad motor to a 49-54 Cad bell pattern. This one shows a stock 49-54 Cad bell on it, to use a Cad or LaS stick trans. ..Or, you can swap the 49-54 Cad bell for a 51-up Olds bell to use the 37 Buick trans with Olds guts. Then it won't break No, I don't have this anymore.
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