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Fluid Drive unit rebuild


Harvie

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As for good re-builders???

I do know of two re-builder failures.☹

I cannot recommend anyone.

One FD was cut open and sent back as not rebuildable..???  a known good operating FD.   The owner was restoring a 48 T&C and thought it was right just to get it rebuilt during a frame off restoration...bad idea.

The other was also cut open for the bearing replacement and a new bellows and graphite seal.

The rebuilt unit had a bad vibration afterwards.☹  Not usable now.

If yours does not have a running vibration, only leaks or has that noise you mentioned I would NOT let anyone cut the FD  unit open (like a grape fruit )  for the front bearing replacement as there is no 100% accurate way of tooling it up on a lathe to accurately cut it open and weld it back closed like is done with a typical torque converter .

Modern torque converters have accurate centers front and rear.

Chrysler back in the day made these FD couplings with unique manufacturing procedures as did the re-builders.

I have dealt with this vibration issue on these rebuilt fluid drives during restorations. A bad situation to end up in.

The FD only needs to be cut open to replace a noisy worn loose front bearing.

To replace the bearing correct/safely it is removed from the front of the coupling.

There were special cutting tools to remove the 2-1/2" welded cap cover to gain access to that loose worn front ball bearing.

There also was a special made tool set to pull the bearing out and press it back in place...then weld a new bearing plug cap back in place. This way the FD balance wasn't compromised cutting the housing open/welding it closed. Finding the people to now do that...no answer.

Now on to the easier issues...

 

There are two "oilite" input shaft bushings if worn or dried up  that can cause squealing chirpy noises ..easily replaced ..use a pilot bushing tool to R&R both.

Also on rare occasions a noise can occur from(bellows seal/ graphite seal) both located under the clutch driven plate which needs to be removed for access to these seals. Special bulletin was sent out on this noise issue.

These seals which can also leak are not terribly difficult to replace if the shop has the correct special tools to do the job.

Now....

***Did your guys check the two  FD input shaft oilite bushings for wear with a inside diameter bore gauge and compare to the input shaft OD?

***Did they use a flash light to look at them, clean them and put a drop or two of oil on both the lower and upper if both pilot bushings were servicable?

***Did they check for excessive wobble of the clutch driven plate (caused by a loose front bearing) ?

*** Hopefully the problem FD coupling had been handled carefully and the bellows seal not damaged...they usually leak if so...

After all this I still cannot recommend someone but hopefully steer you to a solution to your problem Harvie!

PS...some noise issues are addressed on page 60 of the 1948 Chrysler shop manual ...

Shown is a cut open junk 8 cylinder FD..

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Edited by Dodgeb4ya
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At first that price seems astronomical, but when I compare it to comparable prices for late model cars, it isn't so high.  i think I remember when Andy Bernbaum had exchange units for about $600.  

 

Edited by MarcDeSoto
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With shipping and possible taxes...possibly $2000.00?

Way too much.

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I believe the question put forth at the first Thread was a good reliable shop to ship it to.

I provided the only one I knew of. The car without a Fluid Drive is only a 3950 LBS paper weight.

That being said $1,517 doesn't look so bad after all.

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And that is the question that needs to be answered for Harvie.... who is good and reliable?

Moparmall is a guy who just sends it out to some place to get it fixed properly..hopefully.

And of course marking it up for his time and sending it to where ever it gets repaired..... hopefully in a proper manner.

Just doing like all the other venders do.

Nothing wrong with that as long as the service repair is 100% satisfactory for the customer.

Years ago there were plenty of good qualified "MoPar" FD repair facilities...

Today not so many...if any.

So who/where  is a good competent place to send a Chrysler Corp. FD coupling to repair it properly??

Someone must have had one rebuilt in a satisfactory manner...that's who Harvie needs to hear from most likely.

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I am coming into a 1949 Windsor 251 engine, fluid drive and semi-auto tranny later this month. I have offered it to Harvie. If he passes, sounds like a good excise to dig into it and learn. Perhaps I can lean some skills and think about rebuilding it? We’ll see. Would be fun to try. Host a thread and share my findings. 

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Here is a rebuilt 1946 - 1948 C39 Chrysler straight 8  FD coupling on ebay...rebuilt under $300.00 including shipping..is it any good ?       IDK.https://www.ebay.com/i/312961645429?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=312961645429&targetid=883687709934&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9051777&poi=&campaignid=9343998924&mkgroupid=94993840979&rlsatarget=pla-883687709934&abcId=1139336&merchantid=8405854&gclid=CjwKCAiAzJLzBRAZEiwAmZb0anf300DvEmPCQd5hiGZjdPzvMvaZT9-HbeycEd1XH67kD99FlbOFsRoCDocQAvD_BwE

This seller looks like he parted out a 48 chrysler and glass beaded many of the parts?

Edited by Dodgeb4ya
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There are several different Fluid Drive couplings through all the years of production.

But as for the 1946 - 48 six and eight cylinder couplings the sixes use a 9-1/4" driven plate while the eights use a 10" plate. The eights also are vaned different internally because of the more powerful eight cylinder engine.

1949-50 six and eight FD couplings will swap with 1946-48 couplings but have a slightly narrower ring gear.

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One thing that people do not do that is a good idea...

 

If you are going to pull a trans or the fluid drive unit is to place 4 small wedge shaped blocks with a slit in the end of them between the housing and the clutch plate (mini flywheel). The take bailing wire and wrap it around the wedges and twist it to tighten. What this does is make sure that any rocking of the plate does not cause the carbon seal to crack. It has happened. In the "old days" the shops that rebuilt them all shipped them this way.

 

I had one done by Northwest many years ago and it started to leak after a 24 months. I had used Daco which is who Frank Mitchel used and I think Andy used.  But, they are out of business.

 

In the big '47 Desoto Suburban, I had the NW Trans one in it when it failed. I was in a hurry and I found a 1951 coupling out of an Imperial Coupe. I don't remember if it was a six or an eight.  I do remember that we had to move the ring gear a 1/4 inch to get it to line up. Not hard to do. I have been using it for years now.

 

I have like 4 or 5 couplings. Some I know are bad, some I have no idea.  I have all the tools to rebuild them. I just do not have a lathe large enough to hold them to cut them open. I had not heard about just cutting open the end to get to the bearing. Perhaps I will look into that.

 

James.

 

 

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I have a 1950 eight cylinder coupling with the narrow ring gear in my 1948 eight cylinder Chrysler...has worked fine for many years. No modification of the ring gear position.

I sold a 1952 FD coupling to an owner of a 1948 Windsor....the late  1950 and later couplings have a narrow ring gear too and a new design up dated seal assembly. The owner is very happy.

Fluid Drive Dodge trucks use the 1949-50 eight cylinder 10" couplings too.

The point is there are some options as to if you cannot find the original coupling for your car.

I still would always want the factory correct coupling to use.

As for N*&Tran*&^%$.....no way IMO.

 

 

 

Edited by Dodgeb4ya
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
On 3/5/2020 at 11:33 AM, keithb7 said:

Where are you located. May have a fluid drive from a ‘49 Available. 

Hi Keithb7. I have a 49 Desoto classic that is having trans problems and we are not finding the parts we need. If you have one how much would you sell it for ? I am in Utah and may need to take a road trip.  Mine is the fluid drive tip toe M6. Thanks John phone 435-262-1000

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39 minutes ago, Johnathin said:

Hi Keithb7. I have a 49 Desoto classic that is having trans problems and we are not finding the parts we need. If you have one how much would you sell it for ? I am in Utah and may need to take a road trip.  Mine is the fluid drive tip toe M6. Thanks John phone 435-262-1000

 

Johnathin my buddy lives in NW Washington state. He has a spare '49 Fluid Drive unit. I bet he'd sell it. I will ask him and get back to you. He has the matching '49 M6 tranny too. Recommend you take both pieces.

Edited by keithb7
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