Unknown Transmission Problem

[Riley N]

Hey, so I’m new to own a old dodge my car is the 1948 D-24 Dodge Deluxe, it’s 3-on-the-tree and when I was driving it one day I shifted from first into second and when I took the clutch out after putting it into second nothing happened and it seemed to be low on power on the ride home right before this happened. I have tried adjusting the linkages and I’ve talked to family and friends who are very knowledgeable in old dodges like mine and they aren’t sure either, there wasn’t any grinding sounds it just wouldn’t shift and it won’t go into gear I tried starting it in first to see if it would lunge and it didn’t and I put it into first and it rolled no problem. I’d like to get my car up and running again. Does anyone have a better idea of what it would be? I can give more info if needed

 

****edit

Thank you for everyone who gave advice, after looking at it and checking it out more and just overall giving it a once over, the clutch has just completely went, but thank you to everyone who helped

Edited March 14, 2023 by Riley N

[nonstop]

Forgive me if this sounds like I sound like I am talking down (I really am not), but is your car a Fluid Drive?  That would explain some of the symptoms…..  Is your clutch slipping?

[Doug&Deb]

I agree. Sounds like the fluid coupling may be low.

[Cannuck]

Hi  Welcome to the forum . You will find lots of people eager to help .

I have the exact same car 1948 4 door D25 Deluxe 

Your car should have a manual transmission  not fluid drive you car is basically a Plymouth with Dodge badging.

 So you were adjusting the linkage before this problem happened it sounds like its now out of adjustment But I am no mechanic Good luck.

[Sam Buchanan]

You do have a shop manual, right? 

 

In case you don't here is one source:

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=417636&cc=1331862&pt=10335&jsn=414

 

The manual details how to adjust the linkage. Here is info on adjusting the linkage on my '48 Plymouth with three-speed trans:

 

 

 

Congratulations on your new toy and wishing you many happy miles of Moparing. 

[Bob Riding]

Check for looseness of the bolt at the end of the column.  On my '40 Plymouth (same as Dodge, pretty much), every once in a while the adjusting bolt at the end of the gear shift control rod loosens up and I can't get in or out of reverse. If I tighten it back a couple of turns, reverse magically returns!  I plan to drill a hole in the square end and capture it with a wire so it can't vibrate around.

[Bob Riding]

.

[DonaldSmith]

How do you tell a postwar  D24 from a D25? 

 

(Dennis the menace says that his father can tell a boy kitten from a girl kitten by looking at its feet.  It's something like that.)

 

So how can you tell a D24 from a D25?  The Plymouth's hood extends past the fenders, so that the grille has a bit of a prow.   The D25 Dodge has to have a grille with  a prow, to match the Plymouth sheet metal. 

 

(Someone will come up with appropriate photos.) 

[kencombs]

18 hours ago, Riley N said:

Hey, so I’m new to own a old dodge my car is the 1948 D-24 Dodge Deluxe, it’s 3-on-the-tree and when I was driving it one day I shifted from first into second and when I took the clutch out after putting it into second nothing happened and it seemed to be low on power on the ride home right before this happened. I have tried adjusting the linkages and I’ve talked to family and friends who are very knowledgeable in old dodges like mine and they aren’t sure either, there wasn’t any grinding sounds it just wouldn’t shift and it won’t go into gear I tried starting it in first to see if it would lunge and it didn’t and I put it into first and it rolled no problem. I’d like to get my car up and running again. Does anyone have a better idea of what it would be? I can give more info if needed

Can you clarify the red statement for me?  Does that mean it is in neutral and can't be shifted into any gear?  If so, first go over all the linkage attachments to be sure everything is connected.  Then check for looseness at all pivot points.  Lastly adjust as described by another poster. 

 

The low on power may mean that it was not in the expected gear due to misadjustment.

[Riley N]

On 1/19/2023 at 12:20 PM, kencombs said:

Can you clarify the red statement for me?  Does that mean it is in neutral and can't be shifted into any gear?  If so, first go over all the linkage attachments to be sure everything is connected.  Then check for looseness at all pivot points.  Lastly adjust as described by another poster. 

 

The low on power may mean that it was not in the expected gear due to misadjustment.

 
So when I was driving when it first wouldn’t go into gear it happened while I was trying to put it into second, thats when it first happened 

[Dan Hiebert]

Looks to me like the clutch is out of adjustment, not the linkages.  Or, the clutch could be kaput altogether.  After all, the clutches do go out on these cars.  The car not seeming to have power can be attributed to the clutch as well.  Actually, diminishing then no power (assuming the engine is running as it should) is symptomatic of progressing clutch problems, not linkages, especially given how you described your issue.     

[vintage6t]

16 minutes ago, Dan Hiebert said:

Looks to me like the clutch is out of adjustment, not the linkages.  Or, the clutch could be kaput altogether.  After all, the clutches do go out on these cars.  The car not seeming to have power can be attributed to the clutch as well.  Actually, diminishing then no power (assuming the engine is running as it should) is symptomatic of progressing clutch problems, not linkages, especially given how you described your issue.     

 

This is the first thing I'd check as well. You can maybe try a simple test. Put the rear end on jack stands so the rear wheels are off the ground. Start the car and go through all the the gears. If the wheels spin that would indicate the clutch has enough clamping force to do that but not enough to move the weight of the car - clutch is slipping. Also if you have to really rev the engine to spin the wheels that would also indicate the clutch is slipping.  It's not a definitive test because if the clutch is really worn or out of adjustment it may not not spin the wheels at all.

 

If you don't want to run the car on jack stands, you can jack it, put it in gear and try to spin the rear wheels by hand. If the wheels spin and the pressure plate rotates with them that would indicate a clutch problem. If the wheels spin and the pressure plate doesn't then probably something to do with the transmission. If the wheels don't spin, at least you know the transmission is going into gear.

[kencombs]

10 hours ago, Riley N said:

 
So when I was driving when it first wouldn’t go into gear it happened while I was trying to put it into second, thats when it first happened 

It's still unclear to me exactly what the symptoms are.   Did it not go into gear or the lever moves properly but it won't move under power?  Is it in gear now?  Will it roll in gear not running?  Lots of unknowns.  The others may be right about the clutch, just too many questions open to give decent advice.

 

If the lever is in the correct position for any gear the car should not roll when pushed, engine off clutch out. 

[Cannuck]

The difference between the D24 and the D25 are as follows You already mentioned the pointy grill and then the D 25 hood is a plymouth hood not a butterfly . Then the D25 fenders don't extend into the doors they are the same as a plymouth  Next the dash on the D25 is the same as a plymouth . that is how to tell at a glance .