Right place?

[Englishbob]

Don't know if this is the right place but i've just aquired a 1948 Windsor 4 door

It was delivered by trailer and now i have a stupid question and a more sensible one

1st and most stupid--how do i drive a fluid drive? i've read so many conflicting methods so not sure,is it 3 spd and where are the different gears on the tree or is it 4 speed? and same question.

2nd, the gas gauge,interior light,brake lights and radio don't work...could this be connected?

thanks for you time

Bob

[Normspeed]

Hi Bob, it's the right place. I never drove a fluid drive myself but I'm sure you'll get some good advice from others here. You might even find some handbooks if you click on "return to p15-d24.com" at the top of the page.

I don't think those different things would all stop working from one single cause. 6 volt systems are more sensitive to bad grounds so you may need to do some checking on those.

BTW, I drove my 53 Plymouth wagon to Glendale this morning, about 25 miles away. On the Ventura freeway a guy passed me in a beautiful black 46-48 Chrysler coupe, all nicely restored. Nice to see the old ones getting driven.

[randroid]

Englishbob,

First and foremost, welcome to the correct forum! I have a #2 '48 P-15 More-Door and although I once owned a '51 Cranbrook with a fluid drive (the Ram's Head hood ornament from which now graces my Lady Wife's 2004 Dodge Stratus) there are many very knowledgeable members here who will walk you through everything you need to do, which isn't really that much. A whole bunch of small jobs which can be done one at a time, rather than a huge time-consuming act of unrewarding labor. If your odometer works somewhat accurately you can guess at 10 mpg on an 18 gallon tank (US gallons, not Imperial, but that doesn't really matter) and fill it when you think you're getting to about half. This will give you a better "guesstimate" and you won't need to worry about the gas gauge immediately. Wally World sells a mechanical temp gauge for about US$10 that fits the engine but needs a remote location, like under the dash.

The brake lights are the same as any car's brake lights - make sure the bulbs are good, check the continuity of the wiring, and if those check out then the worst that can happen is you replace the switch.

Good luck! (You shouldn't need much of it.)

-Randy

[BobT-47P15]

Hi Bob.....welcome. I think the standard 3 speed fluid drives shift in the

same pattern as a non fluid drive. The fluid drive is simply a fluid clutch.

There are some variations using fluid drive that are semi automatics, and

they do shift in different patterns.

Will the car run so you can try to experiment with the shifting?

[B-Watson]

Fluid Drive is a fluid coupling between the engine and the clutch. The starter ring gear and the clutch face plate are mounted onto the fluid coupling. The big selling point with Fluid Drive is that you cannot stall it when you are in gear. You can come to a stop with the car in gear just as you can with an automatic. The clutch is needed on all transmissions to shift between the gear ranges.

When the car has a 3-speed manual transmission, it shifts just like any other 3-speed manual transmission and has the normal "H" shift pattern.

If the transmission is the 4-speed semi-automatic, the shift pattern is basically a upside down and reversed "h" pattern. Reverse is the same in both as is high gear. The second gear on the 3-speed unit is where the low gear range is on the 4-speed. The lower left spot is 1st gear on the 3-speed but there is no such position on the 4-speed.

With the 4-speed, to start off place the car in low gear and release the clutch. You will take off in low gear of low range (1st gear). When you reach about 6 mph, lift your foot off the accelerator and wait about 4 seconds for a clunk (Chrysler's copy writers used claim it was a "click", but it is really a "clunk".)

At that point the car is in high gear of low range (2nd gear). When you get up to about 15 mph, depress the clutch and shift into high range. After hearing the "clunk" you should be in high gear of high range (4th gear). If you shift into high range around 8-10 mph, you will be in low gear of high range (3rd gear). When you get up up 12 mph, lift your foot off the accelerator and wait about 4 seconds for a clunk. You will be in 4th gear.

Or, you can skip the shifting and start off in high range, shifting at 12 mph. You can stop and go as with any automatic, just remember when to lift your foot.

The transmission will downshift automatically and, when in high range, can be forced to downshift to 3rd by flooring the accelerator, provided you are not over 42 mph.

It is really quite simple, but acceleration is sluggish due to the Fluid Drive. In 1951 Chrysler came out with Fluid Torque Drive which replaced the fluid coupling with a true torque converter. That improved acceleration, but the 4-speed transmission attached to FTD was the same unit attached to FD.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[Brendan D25]

Welcome Englishbob, good answer from B-Watson as always. You certainly found the right place to get info on your Chrysler here, there are a lot of good people on here with a lot of knowledge. Don't forget that if you park on a hill with a fluid drive it will not hold in gear, make sure you have a good emergency brake. There is also a Yahoo Group for 46-48 Canadian Chrysler. Good Luck with your car, Brendan.

[busycoupe]

I have a 48 Dodge with fluid drive. It works a little differently than B Watson described. Mine is a 3 speed on the column. I usually begin by using the clutch to put the car in second gear, then with my foot on the brake I let out the clutch. The car will not move until you step on the gas. Once up to about 15 - 20mph use the clutch to shift to 3rd. Once in 3rd you can drive all day. You can come to a stop with the car still in third. You can start from a stop in 3rd, but it is painfully slow. I usually use 2nd gear to start. You can of course use 1st, but it is not synchromeshed, and on my car, it is geared fairly low.

My car does not shift automatically at all, perhaps the Chrysler does.

I hope that this helps.

[Englishbob]

Yes the car runs and all i know for sure is reverse is back and up i guess like 1st in a normal H

I had it in whatever gear forwards and up is and let my foot off the clutch and it didnt stall until i gave it gas???although i ahve to admit i was 'light' footed'

one other question...does anyone have a part # for the rear lamps? and where to buy them. it looks like someone has retrofitted 12 volt lamps,which is maybe why they don't work:)

Thanks

Bob

[Normspeed]

Good looking Chrysler you got, Bob.

[BobT-47P15]

Nice looking car, Bob. Are you sure someone has not tried to convert the

electrical system to 12 volts???? Does it have a generator or alternator?

Positive or negative ground on the battery??

[Brendan D25]

Nice car Bob, and looking in the background of the second picture I am thinking you might have something a little older, maybe an International truck.

[Don Coatney]

  PatS.... said:

Hey Bob...I'm in Calgary and can come out to show you in person if you like...I'll even bring a Timmy's

psatchwill@hotmail.com

Pat

Near McKnight and Center St

I will bite... What is a Timmy's:confused:

[Brendan D25]

Hi Don, the " Timmy's" Pat mentioned is Tim Horton's coffee. As far as I know the franchise is only in Canada and is very big across the country.

[Don Coatney]

  Brendan D25 said:

Hi Don, the " Timmy's" Pat mentioned is Tim Horton's coffee. As far as I know the franchise is only in Canada and is very big across the country.

Got it. They have moved south as they are now in the states.

[Young Ed]

Yup we stopped at one in the UP on the way to detroit. We had Lanny driving with us(he's from Canada) and he said he wanted to stop for a taste of home.

[Englishbob]

  Brendan D25 said:

Nice car Bob, and looking in the background of the second picture I am thinking you might have something a little older, maybe an International truck.

Thats parts from a 37 chevy and a 37 gmc

i also have 2 model A's a model T rpu and a 54 mordoor belair (all in different states of disrepair)but i'm all mopar at heart

Bob