[PITTSBURGH 64]

Steve P
I had my car out today after adjusting the TV and walla!
First to second 4500 rpm, up from 4000.
Second to third 5300 rpm, up from 5000.
Third to fourth 4700 rpm, never got that far before on this section of road! My car has a faster acceleration rate.
I wonder how a governor swap could cause this?

[wfbarto]

Originally Posted by stevep

The 1-2 shift takes place when the multiplier catches up with the torus (or vice versa). You do not feel a gear change, but a gear change does occur. So when you feel a Roto upshift, you feel 2-3 and 3-4.

Steve....somewhere I think I remember reading that with Roto, once you get past the "slush shift" that occurs in first that you describe above, the Roto actually experiences less slippage than the other Hyrdramatics as the speed increases and you progress through the gears. Do you know if that is true? I think that is why some of the hard core strip drivers of yesteryore spoke highly of the transmission. However, as we all know, it was less than pleasant for daily driving.

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by wfbarto

... Roto actually experiences less slippage than the other Hyrdramatics as the speed increases and you progress through the gears...

The Dual-Range Hydramatic has zero "slippage" once past 2nd gear. The Dual-Coupling either has none or almost none (darn foggy memory- I need to go look at a functional diagram of a Dual-Coupling!).

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by wfbarto

... with Roto... as WE ALL KNOW, it was less than pleasant for daily driving.

I'm not one of "we all"- I've never driven one. Have most of the rest of you guys driven a slim-Jim?

[stevep]

Wayne, when the Roto makes it's 1st upshift, it is linked directly with the motor. That's why it feels like it is lugging the motor if the upshift is too early. Just like you upshifted a stick shift too early, there is no converter slippage for the lugging to get lost in. That is the same reason that it COULD be unpleasant for a daily driver, But usually when that was the case, the linkage needed adjustment or the motor was skipping.
They actually shift fine when everything is OK, it's just a different feel to the 1st upshift.

I read an article in a 1961 Hot Rod about mods to the Slim-Jim. It spoke of how much lighter it was and how, if you shimmed the pressure regulator spring, it improved the ET. My thought when I read that article in 1985 was: I wonder how many runs that car made before it blew the torus apart?? Like I have said before, the Roto looked great on paper.

[Stuart]

What I recall from driving the '61 Catalina my dad had when I was a kid, as well as my first car (also a '61 Catalina) is that you get used to modulating the gas pedal to smooth out the transmission action. When driving around in the snow and ice, they liked to break the rear wheels loose if you didn't back off a bit at that first upshift.

I put my dad's car in the ditch one time when I was sixteen because of that.

[zbuickman]

was poking around and found this FYI

http://www.charlietranny.com/315parts.htm

[Bill Hanlon]

looked around and found this on the web site that ZBuickMan pointed to above. I have external band adjustment tools, so I wont need to do this, but just curious what you think?


"* Loosen band adjustment all the way. Start engine. Shift the manual lever to low. Tighten band adjustment until it stops. Turn engine off (it will loosen with engine off). Count the number of turns it takes to re-tighten and back off 1/3 that number of turns"

[stevep]

Originally Posted by Bill Hanlon

looked around and found this on the web site that ZBuickMan pointed to above. I have external band adjustment tools, so I wont need to do this, but just curious what you think?


"* Loosen band adjustment all the way. Start engine. Shift the manual lever to low. Tighten band adjustment until it stops. Turn engine off (it will loosen with engine off). Count the number of turns it takes to re-tighten and back off 1/3 that number of turns"

I'll bet that it works on the front band, but the rear band is spring applied and is on with the engine off (that's why you can put the trans in reverse for park, because you lock the ring gear and the rear band is holding the drum) so when you put it in low, you put on both bands. At that point, the rear band is already on. So when you shut the car off, the rear band is still on. I'll have to try it to see the next time I get one in.

He also calls the rear band "reverse", but the rear band has nothing to do with reverse, the front one does.

[PITTSBURGH 64]

I was wondering what fluid you guys use in your hydros?

I had NAPA Dex III without any leaks and then switched to Amsoil but it kept bleeding around the reverse clutch housing so I switched back to NAPA Dex III. That Amsoil is too expensive to watch go down my garage drain!

What do you guys think of Lucas transmission additive?

[stevep]

Lucas makes great additives. We use Dex III here.
I would suggest a bottle of Red Lubeguard as a good additive. I added it to my 60 Bonneville because when we were rebuilding it, all I had in stock were the early (two tone) clutch plates in the rear clutch. This caused a slight grunt on the 2-3 shift. When I added the lubeguard, the grunt went away.

[PITTSBURGH 64]

Thanks Steve!
I bought a whole case (12) of NAPA Dex III for the price of three bottles of Amesoil!
I always add the Lucas. Its been a habit for years. It must be ok, that weak 200r4 in my Olds has over 100,000 miles on it sice its rebuild.
I met a guy in the summer with a 61 Bonneville, he swapped out the 4 speed hydro for a 200r4 because somebody told him Slim-Jims are bad trannys!

[stevep]

I met a guy in the summer with a 61 Bonneville, he swapped out the 4 speed hydro for a 200r4 because somebody told him Slim-Jims are bad trannys! [/QUOTE]

WOW! That was good advice. But Slim-Jims are bad trannys. Too bad he didn't have one.

[421mike]

I don't know if you guys are as old as me, but if you can find any of the old films made during the gasser wars, the 4 speed hydro stick was the trans to have. If you have ever seen those old gassers or early olds cars launch then you will remember they left the line like a bullet. Great old trans, but heavy as hell.

[PITTSBURGH 64]

I always wanted to put a 462/4 speed hydro into a 64-65 Tempest.

[WDCreech]

I'm willing to be the guinea pig. If you want to put one in my 64, I'll give it a try! I might have to change to a taller gear than 4.29s, but I have a set of 4.10s and a set of 3.89s to try.

[zbuickman]

Originally Posted by PITTSBURGH 64

I always wanted to put a 462/4 speed hydro into a 64-65 Tempest.

I was going to ask about the feasability of this. would it fit in the tunnel? I have the shift mech, indicators and such for the console. yes they bolt right in. I think out of a 63'? chome ball on shifter with chrome button??not really worried about the tail body body wise how much bigger than the 300-2 speed?

[PITTSBURGH 64]

It appears that the 4 speed hydro isn't much bigger then the 400 turbo.
Here is a photo of a 64 Catalina that had the slim-jim but the owner went to a super hydro.

[zbuickman]

Im actully thinking about this..... In doing some research Im coming up with more questions. the biggest being do I want a Modified Dual Range Hydramatic or do I want a Dual Coupling super hydramatic. Im almost leaning towards the the dual range Hydramatic. But at the same time Theres alot of information about them and very little about the super hydramatic. what do you all think. Here is one of the big sources for the dual range. very good read
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...7409&showall=1

[stevep]

The Dual Range is a stronger trans than the Dual Coupling as it does not have the internal fluid coupling, which was it's major source of failure.