Wife Question on 218ci Transmission

[Labrauer]

Ok Guy's is there a automatic transmision that will bolt up to a 218ci engine that still has a positive ground. My wife would like to know so she can take over my 48 Plymouth four door sedan and drive it as an everyday car. She learned to drive on a stick shift oh about 40 years ago but now that she is used to an automatic she wants me to change the trans. to automatic. I guess that would mean I will have to change the stering coluom out too so she could tell what gear she is in.

Any suggestions what I might do to make this change without changing the motor or any other part on the car?

I guess I have made a mistake when I bought it some years back that I got it for her.(?Dummy) oh well she loves both the 48's and I guess that is a blessing.

Thanks in advance for any feedback,

Larry:rolleyes:

[Plymouthy Adams]

no not really a direct bolt in..you an use some aftermarket adapters for later model trans or you can use the 230 and 2 speed tranny that debuted in the 54 Plymouth..crank must have the extra holes..guess you could mount with fewer bolts..your call..

[flatheadtim]

I did this kind of swap on an old ford used one part of the three on tree linkage to operate the auto trans and worked great. Glued an old PRNDL indicater to the stationary part of column and needle to the movable portion but the PRNDL had to be backwards :-)

[54Illinois]

Could you put in a Hy Drive? I pulled one off a 1954 218ci.

[White Spyder]

What about a fluid drive?

[Rusty O'Toole]

They used the same motor up to 1959 in Plymouth and Dodge cars and Dodge light trucks. 54 up were available with 2 speed Powerflite automatic and 57 up 3 speed Torqueflite was available. So it is possible you could find a used trans that will fit your motor.

The alternative is to buy an adapter and put on a better, more modern trans but this is expensive.

At times like this you might think about swapping in a 3.9 V6 or a 318 V8 with matching automatic. Would probably be about the same cost and not much more work. But at this point I would be thinking about trading for a newer car with auto trans.

By the way in 1948 there were hardly any automatics. Old ladies and grannies used to drive cars like your Plymouth with no trouble. They were made to be very forgiving of unskilled drivers, and require minimal skills. Your wife might not mind driving a standard if you give her a lesson, or get someone else to. Might be worth a try.

Edited April 18, 2012 by Rusty O'Toole

[pflaming]

Labrauer: Now I may be totally out of line, but may I suggest: I would roughly estimate that it will cost you $200 CASH plus labor to change that tranny to an AT. So I suggest you take you wife out in the country, on a quiet road and stop on a hill with a slight slope.

Then place 2 $100 bills on the dash and kindly inform her that if she learns to drive the stick shift, the money is hers. It's always easier to learn to drive with a clutch if you start on a slope. I am interested to see if you are a bonified Texan or a transplant!

[54Illinois]

You guys are nice, I figured by now someone would tell him to find a new wife!

I would sell my pulled Hy Drive and linkage for $200. Not sure what shipping would be though...

[Labrauer]

How does a hy drive trans work? Does it work on the same as an automatic? I have no idea and it would be all new to me. I have given it a thought of changing the engine to a 318 but the wife and I would like to keep it as much orignal as can under the hood of the car. Does anyone have any information on how the different trans work and what would be the cheapest and easitst way to go besides a cluch shifting wife.

Larry

[BobT-47P15]

This is what the gear selector looks like on a Powerflite automatic

trans in a 54 Plymouth. There is no Park. Only Reverse, Neutral, Drive

and Low.

[Plymouthy Adams]

going to high drive would be almost a step backwards..not worth the trouble to convert to in my opinion..of course a high drive car is a great donor for a better rear gear ratio due to the multiplication of the torque with the convertor..the tranny is also a better gear ratio setup also again due to the extra torque..but the shared engine oil that the convertor requires with the hy-drive block and such..just not a retrofit one usually would consider doing..

[54Illinois]

I thought the Hy Drive was called a "semi automatic." Meaning a "step up" from the previous shift models.

As far as engine conversion, the adapter plate bolts on to the back of a 218, remove the plug in the motor, so oil will flow, and insert the oil tube from the block to pan. The oil pump would be changed as the Hy Drive has a pressure switch.

Not a piece of cake in my book. But what is someones time and money worth?

[Plymouthy Adams]

in a way, it was just another form of hydraulic coupling whereas in this case the unit is a true torque multiplier..thus generating a lot more twisting force thus the better gearing both tranny and third member..each shift has to be physically thrown..not a automatic low to high as the clunk-o-matics were known for...it was basically a stop gap for the new 2 sp. powerflite that eventually became available in 54

[TodFitch]

This is what the gear selector looks like on a Powerflite automatic trans in a 54 Plymouth. There is no Park. Only Reverse, Neutral, Drive

and Low.

I didn't know that they had a column selector back then. I know the '56 my family once had was equipped with push buttons and there was a block out plate on the dash of the '63 manual transmission Plymouth for push buttons. I assumed they had push buttons from the beginning of automatic transmissions on Plymouth.

[Young Ed]

That picture Bob showed is 54 only. The 55s had a dash selector and then 56 went to pushbuttons. 1965 saw the return of the column shifter.

[claybill]

i would say that power brakes and power steering would make driviing better before auto/trans.

[Frank Elder]

i would say that power brakes and power steering would make driviing better before auto/trans.

Not if you don't like clutches.

[wayfarer]

Ok Guy's is there a automatic transmision that will bolt up to a 218ci engine that still has a positive ground. My wife would like to know so she can take over my 48 Plymouth four door sedan and drive it as an everyday car. She learned to drive on a stick shift oh about 40 years ago but now that she is used to an automatic she wants me to change the trans. to automatic. I guess that would mean I will have to change the stering coluom out too so she could tell what gear she is in.

Any suggestions what I might do to make this change without changing the motor or any other part on the car? Thanks in advance for any feedback,

Larry:rolleyes:

There are only two adapter packages that I am aware of; one for Mopar Torqueflights and one for gm stuff...

TF adapter info here: www.qualityengineeredcomponents.com

Site also has some info on other needed changes.

Changing the steering column would be the easiest way to gain the auto shift mechanism with the proper detents although it would also be possible to use a 1964 904TF with pushbutton drive (273 Dart-Valaint).

The guys over at http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/ have said this is a one-year-only transmission so it could be a challenge to locate. I would not use the 727 as it has a much higher parasitic losses.

As to the positive ground issue, the gear reduction starter doesn't care.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Hy-Drive is an option you don't want!

[mach0415]

You guys are nice, I figured by now someone would tell him to find a new wife!

I would sell my pulled Hy Drive and linkage for $200. Not sure what shipping would be though...

I think because another trans is cheaper than finding a new wife.

[Plymouthy Adams]

now that the info has hit the forum..inquiring minds are awaiting to hear your choice and will the new wife be able to use the present wife's golf clubs..

[Labrauer]

Well guy's after all the discussion on trany's and all the look ups I have done to please the wife into driving the sedan she has read all the information and has decided that she will do the clutch. I have never been so worked up over this little disision to make things easier for her she now said she guessed she could learn the clutch all over again. I think she doesn't want me to spend any money on the conversion but that suits me just fine. She say's that will be a lot more work changing things than it will her learning the clutch. With my fingers crossed and legs crossed we'll see how it goes. And by the way she thanks all of you for the information you have all spent time on for this.

I guess I have the luck running in my ball park this time.

Thanks guys for saving me a lot of headack over this you all are the best,

Larry:D

[Rusty O'Toole]

I think you should give her the $200 bucks or at least treat her to a nice night out! She saved you a lot of money and work.

[pflaming]

Money and shoes! Works every time. Drive with her out into the country on a wide empty road. Show her what to do, then get out of the car and let her do it. It will cut the learning time in half! Trust me, that is how I taught my daughter. My daughter asked if she could damage anything on the vehical, I said NO! and that was that.

Good luck and happy motoring.

[Captain Neon]

I won't teach my wife to drive a stick. That way I know that there are at least two vehicles that I own that won't present me with any surprises the next time I get in them.