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D 24 Fluid Drive Versus Standard Dry Clutch


larryconnors

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I used to think all d24's were fluid drive but Now I know fluid drive was an option that almost everyone bought. How many d24's were sold without fluid drive and does anyone have one? How do you like it? Has anyone converted a fluid drive car to a standard dry clutch? How did that work out?

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I don't remember. I recall reading that "fluid Drive" was embossed in the rear bumper for cars that had it and the bumper was plain for those without it. I'll post again when I find the source of this info. Am I mistaken?

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Remember that at this time in history it was completely a sellers market. So it was in their favor to build the majority of them with the more expensive fluid drive option. My Grandpa was on the waiting list and traded off his 39 plymouth business coupe for a brand new 47 dodge. He had to get on a waiting list and I would guess the only really choice you got when your name came to the top was what body style you wanted.

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I used to think all d24's were fluid drive but Now I know fluid drive was an option that almost everyone bought. How many d24's were sold without fluid drive and does anyone have one? How do you like it? Has anyone converted a fluid drive car to a standard dry clutch? How did that work out?

My 1947 Chrysler Royal Club Coupe, was modiifed with a dry clutch and 3 spd standard trans. This is what is needed to undertake this change. 

-pull out trans and fluid drive and it's clutch housing

-move rear clutch housing mount forward, this is to accomodate donor shorter regular clutch housing and dry clutch and flywheel.

- use the same shifter linkage for 3 spd trans, may require some adjusments

-same clutch pedal linkage, except the clutch rod to throw out fork, needs to be shorter, either with a donor or cut the longer FD type to fit.

-ebrake cable should be the same, and fit without problems

-speedo cable should plug in no problem speedo drive gear may not be the right tooth count throwing off your speedo accuracy

 

You will need to get all donor parts from a P15 or similar Plymouth or Dodge without FD, your FD 3sp trans could work, but you will need the shorter input shaft for a regular clutch setup.

Not a Saturday afternoon job, but not a major deal either.......good luck

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WHEN u say move the clutch housing mount forward  are you talking about the cross member that  the bell housing bolts to ? how did u move it ?  ,did u use  the Plymouth bell housing ? if so the mounting holes are closer together on the Plymouth cross member than the dodge ? how did u deal with this ? or did u use the Plymouth cross member ? thanx

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WHEN u say move the clutch housing mount forward  are you talking about the cross member that  the bell housing bolts to ? how did u move it ?  ,did u use  the Plymouth bell housing ? if so the mounting holes are closer together on the Plymouth cross member than the dodge ? how did u deal with this ? or did u use the Plymouth cross member ? thanx

 

what he said...have discussed this with folks..I personally was thinking that the rear mount ears were x distance from the the engine /bell dividing line like all the other Mopar trannies be it auto or standard till the first a500/a518 automatic where the rear mount went to a new location..but the bell ears are not following this protocol

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WHEN u say move the clutch housing mount forward  are you talking about the cross member that  the bell housing bolts to ? how did u move it ?  ,did u use  the Plymouth bell housing ? if so the mounting holes are closer together on the Plymouth cross member than the dodge ? how did u deal with this ? or did u use the Plymouth cross member ? thanx

Hi Chance, yes did we once talk about this on the telephone? On the 47 Chrysler, the factory rear cross member that bolts to the clutch/bell housing was moved forward, thus allowing the regular dry clutch  shorter/smaller housing to mount onto it. That is exactly how it was done on my car, and it worked just fine. This could even be reversed back for fluid drive if someone wanted to return to fluid drive.... 

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Larry OP, any comments, as per How my fluid drive was converted to regular clutch and 3 spd trans. Was wondering, as you asked the question, but did not comment afterwards.......Fred

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So Fred..I get the picture you did not do anything but transfer a dry clutch from a s similar model  to a engine with fluid drive and all parts for the swap was in hand ..ie one car to another..finding a dry setup may be a problem for most folks and the trend to transfer alternate components mainly from the Plymouth was the general thought I think behind the second part of the thread..how to do it....

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Fred,

 

When I was in college my 48 Plymouth made a bang when I was starting it and the oil fill cap blew off and made a dent in the underside of the hood. This made me decide that I needed a new engine. I had ambition but no money. My younger brother lent me $35 to buy a car to get me back and forth to campus from my off campus farmhouse rental in South Hadley Ma but I had to promise on a stack of bibles that I could buy a car for that amount and that it would be reliable. My landlord's son who was not old enough yet to drive had his grandfather's 49 Dodge club coupe. He agreed to sell it to me for $35. It had been running and yard driving but would no longer start. It was a beautiful car. I had opened the hood and was scratching my chin when the older brother told me he thought that his brother had moved all of the sparkplug wires one position over from the correct position. I corrected accordingly and the engine sprang to life and purred like a kitten. The younger brother burst into tears and ran into the house. The father came out and made me number of attractive offers to buy the car back which I could not accept due to the conditions of my loan. I liked everything about the Dodge except that I could never get it to shift as smoothly as the Plymouth had. I think the fluid clutch let the spline from the rear transmission slow down too much and the spline from the rear wheels was turning faster allowing for a little bit of a grind when I shifted.  Maybe I was just a lousy shifter. I have always liked Dodges and Chryslers but could never warm up to the fluid drive. This is the reason I posted my question about the fluid drives. I was so broke that year that I never bought anifreeze for my car. I drove my car home at night and parked by the outside spigot and drained the block and radiator. In the morning I would fill the radiator and two bottles of water that I would keep in the back seat. When I got to school I drained the radiator and block. After classes I filled the radiator with the back seat bottles to drive home to park by the spigot again. 

My aunt found me a rebuilt 54 plymouth engine. I bought it and the  seller put it in the trunk of the 49 coupe for me with the hoist on his tow truck. I rented an engine hoist and installed it in my 48 Plymouth and went back to driving it and ending my fluid drive experience.  

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Enjoyed your story Larry, fluid drive was an improvement in a time when folks were looking to not have a standard trans, but could  not have a true automatic I suppose.

The fd and 3 spd trans could be driven around town a lot in 2nd gear, only shifting to 3rd at higher speeds. but you could stop and start like an auto trans.

If anybody wants t to convert your dodge to dry clutch, you could get all you need from a Plymouth or Canadian built Dodge also came a lot with a regular clutch and 3 sp trans. This job is not a small to-do, but not that huge either.......take care

Fred,

 

When I was in college my 48 Plymouth made a bang when I was starting it and the oil fill cap blew off and made a dent in the underside of the hood. This made me decide that I needed a new engine. I had ambition but no money. My younger brother lent me $35 to buy a car to get me back and forth to campus from my off campus farmhouse rental in South Hadley Ma but I had to promise on a stack of bibles that I could buy a car for that amount and that it would be reliable. My landlord's son who was not old enough yet to drive had his grandfather's 49 Dodge club coupe. He agreed to sell it to me for $35. It had been running and yard driving but would no longer start. It was a beautiful car. I had opened the hood and was scratching my chin when the older brother told me he thought that his brother had moved all of the sparkplug wires one position over from the correct position. I corrected accordingly and the engine sprang to life and purred like a kitten. The younger brother burst into tears and ran into the house. The father came out and made me number of attractive offers to buy the car back which I could not accept due to the conditions of my loan. I liked everything about the Dodge except that I could never get it to shift as smoothly as the Plymouth had. I think the fluid clutch let the spline from the rear transmission slow down too much and the spline from the rear wheels was turning faster allowing for a little bit of a grind when I shifted.  Maybe I was just a lousy shifter. I have always liked Dodges and Chryslers but could never warm up to the fluid drive. This is the reason I posted my question about the fluid drives. I was so broke that year that I never bought anifreeze for my car. I drove my car home at night and parked by the outside spigot and drained the block and radiator. In the morning I would fill the radiator and two bottles of water that I would keep in the back seat. When I got to school I drained the radiator and block. After classes I filled the radiator with the back seat bottles to drive home to park by the spigot again. 

My aunt found me a rebuilt 54 plymouth engine. I bought it and the  seller put it in the trunk of the 49 coupe for me with the hoist on his tow truck. I rented an engine hoist and installed it in my 48 Plymouth and went back to driving it and ending my fluid drive experience.  

Edited by 55Fargo
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