Engine oil/ How to shift a fluid drive

[brian hood]

Hey,

Does a flat 6 run better with heavier oil like 30 weight? I am running 10 W 30 in there now.

Also,

Does a fluild drive shift like a 3spd? I am not sure how to work mine. It probally works, but I dont know how to drive it. Do I put it in 1st and forget it? I know this probally sound silly, but I just dont know how to play with my newest toy. If I shift it like a 3spd, does it shift using an H pattern?

Brian

[socalkevin07]

hey brian..i just took a ride in my 52 b3b with 3 speed fluid drive..and i figured it out finally...WEll you shift just like a regular 3 speed column shift....Here is the difference with the fluid drive..(hope I make sense)..ok i can let out the clutch in any gear with the truck running and it wont die..and i can take off in any gear ( 3rd is very slow) 2nd or 1st...and then shift accordingly using the clutch..

I think the advantage of the fluid drive is that when you're driving around town maybe..you can leave it in 2nd and take your foot off the clutch and just drive without having to push clutch in each time you stop at a stop sign or light.

It seems kinda weird to me as I just now took my truck with the new master cylinder installed on its real first ride since i installed the new engine..and here is what I noticed.

Well the 218 is new..and runs great but..kinda slow on the get up , but once in 3rd rolls down the road pretty nice actually..I'm thinking the rear end is low geared etc..but its fun to drive. Hope this helped..i'm sure someone more technical will jump in.

[greg g]

So 10w 30 oil is 30 wt when it hot so watsa difference???

Depends on the typr of transmission you have. If its fluid drive backed by a three speed,, you can drive it like a regular three on the tree, 1st toward you and down, second away and up, thrid away and down. reverse is toward you and up. Or you can leave it in any gear of your choosing, using the clutch to select the gear, then drive it using the gas pedal and brake.

If its a semi auto matic reverse is toward you and up, low range is away and down and high range is away and up. After using the clutch to select the gear, again you can drive using the brake and gas pedal. Normally with the semi, high range is selected for normal driving, accelerate to about 15 let off the gas and it should shift up to high. The clutch is used for selecting betweent he gears, driving is clutchless.

Remember to alway apply your parking brake as with either set up you have no engine braking. If you park on a grade in gear w/o the brake the vehicle will roll away.

[Dodgeb4ya]

In 1953 Dodge trucks came out with a rare option called "Truck-O-Matic. This was the Dodge/DeSoto/Chrysler M-6, Hi/Lo 2 range- semi-automatic transmission coupled to the heavier Chrysler straight "8" fluid drive coupling. The more common option was as previouslly mentioned Std. 3 speed coupled to the Fluid Drive coupling. This coupling is not a torque converter- just a fluid coupling. Though it looks like a automatic transmission converter.

Bob

[Phil Martin]

Low range is away and up. High range is away and down.

[greg g]

oops

good thing i got reverse correct.