Power-shift, shifting sluggishly

[Kennie B.]

Here's the latest on 63R-2962.

For the last month she's actually been a daily driver!

Over the last few months she has been shown at the Pasadena Art Center's annual car show, had the opportunity to meet Bob Caser and others. It's been well received at the cars for coffee meets around Pasadena as well. To get her to this point I have had the carb and distributor rebuilt by Dave Thiebault, I have had the radiator recored and naturally all the hoses I replaced, even to the heater. The motor mounts are all new and even hot tanked the fuel tank. The one thing I sublet the labour on was mounting up the dual circuit master cylinder and bleeding the brakes. We found the rear cylinders were rusted up and rebuilt the slave cylinders as well as replaced the hoses. And yes, I did figure out what was wrong on my power steering rebuild. Put the pressure valve in backwards in the pump

Now for the next problem. The trans doen't want to shift from second to third until the car has gone for about a mile and a half when the least bit cool. Once it makes the shift, all is well. The same for engaging reverse.

I have tried changing the fluid and even trying both Lucas' and Prolong's miracles in a bottle. No joy.

Now, I have never worked on an automatic transmission. Pulled apart and rebuilt Vickers Fluid Power transmissions, never an automotive automatic though.

As I read the service manual and look over the parts manual, I think I am up to some of the diagnostic work and remediation. If I read right, the likely candidates are sticking valves and/or o-rings in the modulators. Perhaps (but I doubt) a sticking governor but that can be plan B.

Any suggestions? Have any of you attempted working on a Power-shift?

[dynolou2]

Did you drop the pan when you did the fluid change? Was there debris in the pan? Was the fluid any color other than red? Did you clean or replace the screen? Several possibilitys come to mind, sticking governor or shift valve,hardened o rings and seals in the clutch drums and servos. After warmup seals soften and expand to do there job. The only way around this without doing a rebuild is to let the car warmup before driving it. Did you adjust the bands? during the service. Lou Cote

[Kennie B.]

When I first revived the car, I started by just getting it running since the fluids all smelled and looked good. Once I could actually drive it safely, I then got everything good and warm before dumping the respective fluid. During that stage was when the trans started to act up but I had not yet changed the trans fluid. When I did make the change, I also drained the torque converter and dropped the pan. While there was evidence of metal fines on the bottom it was very little, just what a 90k mile car should have. Keep in mind, the car had been laid up for a decade. Fortunately I really do think the fluids were fresh at that time but I agree that they would have lost their additives and oxidized and I didn't try driving any distance until changing fluids

I do think that the problem lies in the internal rubber and possibly varnish build up in the control valves. Once warm the unit works lovely. The shifting is smooth but strong. Nothing jerky, just very positive. My intent is to just do this service as a stopgap until next fall, allowing me to better firm up the game plan for this car. By then I am thinking of pulling the engine and trans to better detail the engine bay and take care of all the oil leaks from both the engine and trans and so forth.

[Kennie B.]

Well, let me start by thanking all who have weighed in and given their advise. I think my solution is essentially a blend of most all of it.

I spent a good bit of time pondering my options (while recuperating from a nasty cold) and spoke with Jon Myers as well.

When the parts come in next week, basically I'll be rebuilding what can be pulled from the bottom (control valve, servos, governor etc.) adjust (it's almost on now, I want it dead on) throttle control of the pressure valve as well as servos and top up trans with an appropriate amount of Seafoam trans tune or Lubriform.

The goal is to hold off upgrading to a 200R4 auto until next year. While I intend to keep the car as original as I can, this is one mod that is pretty low key and easy to return to stock at a future date. Eventually I want to take this car on long tours, the 3.73:1 rear axle, well it gets tiresome when 70 mph requires 3,500 rpm indicated. And my commute takes nearly 10 miles on the fwy...going in the reverse direction of traffic. Most of time I can run between 65 and 80! While don't run the car for any great amount of time above 70, I have seen nearly 90 and frankly her chassis likes it there but her heart sounds likes she'd rather not be so hurried. I will let you all know how it works in the end.

Hopefully I won't screw up the control valve like I did the power steering pump's pressure control valve. I got it figured out but there's a whole lot more options on that dude for screwing up.

[lschuc]

If you're going to go to the trouble of cleaning the valve body, pressure regulator and replacing servo from under the car, if I were you I would remove the transission and take it all apart so you could also check the bands and replace them if needed and also replace the clutches and seals inside the front and rear drum assemblies. From age and heat, those rubber seals inside the clutch and drum assemblies are most likely hard and could be the reason that your transmission is shifting sluggishly when cold. Once the seals warm up, they are probably working a little better.

It are able to remove and replace the transmission from under the car without too much problem.

[Kennie B.]

Well, after all that work two weeks ago and...it did help a little. Slowly it continued to improve, and then the fuel pump failed so the car has been dead for 4 days due to the urgency of the holiday. The fuel pump,wasn't the correct one to start with. When it failed, instead of filling the crank case, the gas came out a vent on the top. Initially, I thought I had an oil leak as the gas was washing old dried oil and grease off the cross member. As the leak worsened, there was an intermitent, overwhelming odor of gas and then the day after Christmas there was a minor flood running from the front of the car. Since the hoses were fresh I could easily clamp them off, slip the hoses off the hose barbs on the pump and plug them. One of the FLAPs I use could get me an Airtex 4227 so all is well for now.

As for the long term, between talking with a local transmission builder and Jon Myer, I'm looking to get through with this trans as is until next fall. By then I should have a 2 post lift in my garage and then I intend to upgrade to a 200R4. While I have the trans out, I want to pull the engine and get it painted, when it was rebuilt in '78 the guy hot tanked the block and heads but didn't paint afterwards. While out, I'll also pop the freeze plugs and make sure the cooling passages are really clean. Also, I want to detail the engine bay and clean as best I can without damaging the original paint. Having a lift will be key to success.

[lschuc]

Don't keep the Airtex pump on the car. It will probably eventually leak engine oil out of the vent on top of the fuel pump, and/or from the end of the pump arm pin. You'll probably eventually have a gas leak with this too.

Better to use one of the real Carter performance fuel pumps sold by several of our Studebaker vendors. They are the same brand as originally equipped and will hold up for many miles. They are also compatible with the ethanol found on todays fuel.

[Kennie B.]

Thanks for the heads up Lew.

The old pump was identified by Dave Thibeault but I couldn't find my notess from that phone con. It is definately a Carter, with 8 screws holding it together and Dave was of the opinion that it was a better pump. While searching around, I found Mancuso racing has a variety of rebuild kits meant to deal with ethanol corrupted fuels. Before I go that route, I want to get back with Dave and make sure I am ordering the right one if he doesn't have one himself to sell me. During holidays, you sometimes have to use something less for the short term.