Advice needed

[Marty C]

Through all your guys help I finally got my 52 Dodge Coronet running and driving perfectly 

my only question now is do I do anything to GyroMatic?

it runs and shifts as it should 

should I check or change the fluid?

Does the Fluid Drive or torque converter use the same 10w oil as the transmission?

one more question 

what is everyone using as oil for the engine?

The break in oil is still in it 

I haven’t driven it more than a few miles so I have time before I put the regulator oil in its

[Los_Control]

Change the oil asap ....

If it is a fresh rebuilt engine, there will be questionable crap that comes out of it .... Is expected.

Will be fine metal grindings from the cast iron rings sealing with the fresh cross hatched cylinder walls. All the extra assembly lube getting sucked into the oil passages ....

 

I just bought a used engine that sat for 8 years ... off topic V6.

It did have the usual issues starting up, then ran just perfect. I drove it for 25 miles around town over a few days ..... took it on the freeway and spun a bearing in 15 miles.

I feel I should have treated the fresh oil as break in oil ... may still be running.

 

No idea about your transmission. ..... Any fresh oil for the engine will be better then whats in it now.

[Sniper]

Hopefully, this thread can answer your Gyromatic questions.

 

 

As for the break in oil change.  I usually change the break in oil after the 20 minute cam break in is done.  Then the next oil change is at 500 to 1000 miles.  As Los Control alluded to, there is going to be junk in the engine when you first start it up, no matter how clean it is when you put it together.  Since you probably don't have a full flow oil filtration setup this is important, imo.

 

[Marcel Backs]

As a rule of thumb, any fluid that you have not changed yourself is probably due to be replaced. After break in you can stay with non detergent oil or since the engine is sludge free you can use regular oil or synthetic blend. Castrol makes oil called castrol classic which has extra zinc in it for older design engines. I will be using a modern oil with superior lubrication capabilities once my motor has been broken in. As far as the tranny goes, consult someone who has done it before because I am sure changing the fluid in these early fluid drives is a little more involved than topping up a manual gearbox. M

[Doug&Deb]

For the trans I use AW32 hydraulic oil. The fluid coupling is more complicated. Search the forum for any threads James Douglas has. He knows the correct fluid for this. I change the transmission fluid yearly. 

[MarcDeSoto]

Here is the fluid for the Fluid Drive, not the transmission:  https://www.amazon.com/Mobil-DTE-Light-ISO-gal/dp/B07CSLKT1J?psc=1&pd_rd_w=7Ra2V&content-id=amzn1.sym.196c39f6-1a02-4bc2-9ca8-81b9c650421e&pf_rd_p=196c39f6-1a02-4bc2-9ca8-81b9c650421e&pf_rd_r=31CM1D3BXYE8P1B24Q0F&pd_rd_wg=7rjUT&pd_rd_r=209fe500-4bb6-4b30-b944-5495eb2abf61&ref_=sspa_dk_rhf_yoy_pt_sub_6&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExWTZNVFRIQkFDRkJGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzM0MTM0MTk3Sk41N0tKWDdHUyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODI2NDY5M0E1TklHRU5XWU00MiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3JoZl95b3kmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Unfortunately, you have to buy 5 gallons, when your FD only needs 7 qts.  If you live close to me i could sell you what's left of my bucket.  

[Marty C]

23 hours ago, Marcel Backs said:

As a rule of thumb, any fluid that you have not changed yourself is probably due to be replaced. After break in you can stay with non detergent oil or since the engine is sludge free you can use regular oil or synthetic blend. Castrol makes oil called castrol classic which has extra zinc in it for older design engines. I will be using a modern oil with superior lubrication capabilities once my motor has been broken in. As far as the tranny goes, consult someone who has done it before because I am sure changing the fluid in these early fluid drives is a little more involved than topping up a manual gearbox. M

I saw the Castrol classic oil advertised but I thought I read in this forum to use a non detergent single weight oil 

I’m not sure you can get a straight weight Castrol Classic oil 

[Doug&Deb]

If your engine has been rebuilt I would run a modern detergent oil. Anything you use is better than what they used when these cars were new. Pick a brand you’ve used before and experiment with viscosity. You’ll find the sweet spot.

[Los_Control]

You will find as many opinions on oil as you will find forum members.

 

My opinion on oil is that any oil made today is far superior to what was available when these cars were built.

 

Non detergent oil had it's own problems causing sludge in engines.

It is considered bad news to switch to detergent oil if you have been using non detergent ..... will loosen the sludge as it cleans the engine, the sludge can get picked up in the oil pump screen blocking oil flow.

 

Just saying, I want a detergent oil.  While I work on my truck I only drive it in the yard so far. I have changed my oil 3 times with 10-30 Castrol GTX.

Before I hit the highway, I will drop the pan and clean the sludge. I have no clue what the previous owner used though ... may be no sludge.

 

The past year I have stopped using Castrol oil. Seems to be a good oil. The way they make it, products they use .... the oil always looks dirty.

This pissed me off because I literally drive 4k-6k miles per year .... I change oil spring & fall twice a year, never gets 3k miles on the oil .... always dirty.

 

I switched to walmart super tech brand oil. Sounds cheesy .... super tech in my area is made by Mobil one. Exact same oil just package for walmart & sold for a cheaper price.

Real happy with it so far, been a few months since I changed oil on my daily driver & it looks clean.

 

[DonaldSmith]

Is this Gyromatic the semi-automatic version, or a 3-speed behind the fluid coupling?   If semi-automatic, It takes 10 weight oil, since the oil is pumped to make the upshift.  

If 3-speed, the conversation about brass parts is on target.  

 

[MarcDeSoto]

All Gyromatics are the semi-automatic transmission.  The FD with the 3 speed manual transmissions were on the 41-48 Dodge, and the 49-52 Wayfarer models.  

Edited February 21, 2023 by MarcDeSoto

[greg g]

My dad's 49 Wayfarer and 54 Meadowbrook were both fluid drive with three on the tree manual behind the FD.  Easy test, with engine at idle, put the front bumper against a stout tree, put e brake on. Put in 3rd, release clutch.  Car stalls, not fluid drive.  Car continues to run at slightly reduced idle rpm, fluid drive.  Another test.  Park car on slight grade, put in low or reverse gear, shut off engine, release brakes.  Car begins to roll down grade, car has Fluid Drive. Car stays put due to engine off compression braking, not Fluid Drive.

 

If any body is good with those flow chart things, illustrating these tests would help a lot of folks out...

[MarcDeSoto]

Or just look under the hood.  The semi automatics has a transmission relay on the left inside fender or on 49 and later had a circuit breaker over the engine.  And semi automatics have a clutch pedal that said Safety Clutch on it.  

[Marty C]

On 2/19/2023 at 12:13 PM, Los_Control said:

Change the oil asap ....

If it is a fresh rebuilt engine, there will be questionable crap that comes out of it .... Is expected.

Will be fine metal grindings from the cast iron rings sealing with the fresh cross hatched cylinder walls. All the extra assembly lube getting sucked into the oil passages ....

 

I just bought a used engine that sat for 8 years ... off topic V6.

It did have the usual issues starting up, then ran just perfect. I drove it for 25 miles around town over a few days ..... took it on the freeway and spun a bearing in 15 miles.

I feel I should have treated the fresh oil as break in oil ... may still be running.

 

No idea about your transmission. ..... Any fresh oil for the engine will be better then whats in it now.

Where are you located?

[Marty C]

Changed the oil today 

I used the Castrol Classic with zinc plus added STP

[Los_Control]

I hope it works out well for you. I have no bad feelings to Castrol oil.

Just not the same as other oils ..... Is that bad?

 

I always considered the high mileage, extra Zinc ...... STP was the go to oil fixer in the day ..... nothing but honey .... it was so thick. ... Just rambling on that there was so many.

Quakerstate 30 weight non detergent was the oil of choice from my Father.

 

I'm just suggesting you use the oil that works for you.. ..... They all work!

I'm just sitting here using Mobil 1 because Castrol was too dirty for me .....  Maybe stupid, but Castrol just never even shows on the list to use.

[Marty C]

I’m not a fan of Castrol either and I always thought Walmart’s supertec oil was really great oil and extremely clean too but as with everything I like they stopped making conventional oil 

I also used to buy their filters too but they also stopped making my filters I use 

so for my other classic cars I use pennsoil high mileage 10/30

not as clear or clean as supertec high mileage but was definitely cleaner than Castrol . The  Castro I used yesterday on the dodge was extremely slippery when I was experiencing oil filter top cover leakage issues. It seems like great oil as far as lubrication goes but too bad my wix filter came with a defective gasket 

I had to use my old one and the filter stopped leaking immediately 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by Marty C