Desotodav Posted March 31, 2016 Report Posted March 31, 2016 I was visiting my friend (Ian) out west a few days ago and he asked me to look at a MOPAR transmission which he picked up a couple of weeks ago as it was one he had not seen before. He pulled the top cover and it seems that it is a 2 speed. It has a vacuum solenoid, and appears to have a high/low range. He said that it also had an overdrive handle and cable attached when he got it. The fella he got it from told him that it was from a 40's MOPAR car. Any ideas anyone? (pics attached)... Quote
mopar_earl Posted March 31, 2016 Report Posted March 31, 2016 Real early semi auto trans. Maybe vacuum shift. Earl Quote
moose Posted March 31, 2016 Report Posted March 31, 2016 The solenoids make it look kinda like the Prestomatic in my Chrysler, but yours has a really short tailshaft. Quote
dpollo Posted March 31, 2016 Report Posted March 31, 2016 It is what was called a Vacamatic (spelling ?) and would be found on 41 Chrysler and Desoto. The control cable varies the time at which the shift takes place although when I last drove such a car, I could not feel any difference with the control in or out. It is not an overdrive control. Quote
Dodgeb4ya Posted March 31, 2016 Report Posted March 31, 2016 The transmission is a 1941-early 1942 diaphragm shift M-4 DeSoto and Chrysler two range underdrive transmission as already mentioned. Chrysler called it called Vaca-Matic and DeSoto Simpli-Matic. The control cable ( button) is only used or pulled out when towing or pushing the car to start it. The early style as shown uses a six sided diaphragm to auto upshift it. The second or later up dated style was a solenoid piston type up-shift unit. Quote
Andydodge Posted April 1, 2016 Report Posted April 1, 2016 Thanks guys, Dav had asked me and I was also at a loss, its good to learn something new every day...............1941- early 1942 makes sense as there was apparently 10-12 1941 Chrysler Windsor RHD 4 dr sedans imported for official Govt use in 1941, I've seen one in western NSW in original condition many yrs ago but had more or less assumed that these would have been just a 3 speed manual to allow ease of servicing, however its quite possible that this gearbox is all that remains of one of these cars.............thanks......andyd Quote
Desotodav Posted April 1, 2016 Author Report Posted April 1, 2016 Thanks for the replies gents. I will call my mate Ian and give him the news. He was thinking that this transmission was rare here in Oz.... perhaps he's right! Quote
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