Transmission Fluid?

[crazycasey]

Hello Everybody!

Well, my old Dodge is almost back on the road. I just need to go through all the fluids. Curious what type of Transmission Fluid/Oil I should be using? The car is a 1953 Meadowbrook with a 3 Speed Standard Transmission?

I was surprised to find that my original owner's manual lists rear axle oil, but not transmission...any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Casey

[BobT-47P15]

I believe regular 3 speed manual uses 90 weight oil, such as can be

purchased at Wally World and other places. (Or, seems like the bottle

says something just a little less than 90 wt.) (CRS, ya know)

If there is a fluid drive type clutch, that's another matter.

[crazycasey]

As far as I know there is not a Fluid Drive unit on this car. Somebody told me that all Meadowbrook cars had it, but this car doesn't have any of the badging that I have seen on others and it is all original. Nobody has been able to tell me a definitive way to tell with the car not driving, and I don't want to try with this 50 year old oil in the trans.

[Niel Hoback]

If you can put the trans in any gear with the engine running, let the clutch out and not kill the engine, you have a fluid drive.

[greg g]

Don't forget to put th brake on when you try this. Also if you park on a slight grade with the car in 1st, release the clutch, if it starts to roll when you release the brake, it's fluid drive.

[48mirage]

Lift the carpet on the right side of the hump in the front. There will be a little panel that opens up. Beneath it you can get access to the fluid drive unit. Roll it around until the plug is accesible. If it has a plug it has fluid drive, if it doesn't the transmission has been changed at some time in the past. Use a 10w hydraulic fluid in the fluid drive. Napa has a tractor fluid, I used Valvoline tractor fluid. When I freshened mine it made a significant difference. It took almost 2 gallons to fill the fluid drive. Do not drop that plug. After the plug is out roll the fluid drive unit until the plug location is on the bottom, it will drain out the vent of the bell housing. After empty roll fluid drive back to the access hole and refill. It is a very slow process to fill.

Read the technical tips section on the fluid drive.

http://www40.addr.com/~merc583/mopar/framesets/techtipframeset.html

[PatS....]

I think by '53, if it was fluid drive, it would have a shift indicator on the column like an automatic.

I don't think they were putting regular 3 speeds behind fluid drive that late.

[greg g]

Nah Dad had a 54 Meadowbrook that was three speed fluid drive.

[PatS....]

I'm surprised, I've never seen one...ya learn something every day.

[B-Watson]

I'm surprised, I've never seen one...ya learn something every day.

Probably because most of the cars you have seen equipped with Fluid Drive were Canadian.

In Canada the 1952 Dodge Coronet was the last to offer Fluid Drive (which was standard equipment) with the 3-speed manual. Gyromatic semi-automatic was optional. Canadian Dodge Custom, DeSoto and Chrysler models had Fluid Drive standard since 1946 and the semi-automatic transmission since 1946 on DeSoto and Chrysler Windsor models.

For 1953 all Canadian-built Chryslers, DeSotos and Dodge Coronets had Fluid Drive with the semi-automatic transmission as standard and Fluid Torque Drive optional.

And in Canada for 1954 Powerflite was standard on all Chryslers, DeSotos and Dodge Royals.

But the easiest way to determine whether the transmission is a 3-speed manual or the semi-automatic is to try to put it into 1st gear. If you can, it is the 3-speed manual. If the gearshift lever will not go below the neutral position when trying to engage 1st gear, you have the semi-automatic which has low range where 2nd normally is and high range where 3rd is.

Bill

Vancouver, BC