Robin (UK) Posted June 4, 2008 Report Posted June 4, 2008 Guys, My friend has a 50 Dodge with a fluid drive that is giving some trouble. Is a manual trans a straight swap? What about gearshift linkages, driveshaft, etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Robin. Quote
Jim Yergin Posted June 4, 2008 Report Posted June 4, 2008 I don't know the details of the fluid drive set up but when I installed a D24 fluid drive crankshaft in my Plymouth block, I discovered that the pilot bushing opening in the crank was not machined to install the manual transmission pilot bushing. I machined the bushing to fit otherwise I think the opening in the crank must be machined. Jim Yergin Quote
Don Coatney Posted June 4, 2008 Report Posted June 4, 2008 Is the problem the fluid coupling or the transmission? If it is the fluid coupling I have heard tell of welding the coupling to eliminate that as a problem. Quote
Robin (UK) Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Posted June 4, 2008 Don, I don't know what the problem is exactly. He hasn't diagnosed it. He told me that he felt the trans wasn't right for a while and now he has lost reverse completely. He doesn't have the unit out of the car yet. But he had asked whether it would be possible to fit a manual trans, perhaps for more reliability. If I can get more info, I will let you know. Quote
wayfarerstranger Posted June 4, 2008 Report Posted June 4, 2008 u will need to cut out the rear cross member /motor mount . and weld one from a plymouth about 5 inches forward .& u will need the bell housing and 3 speed set up from a plymouth car ... the plymouth bell housing in shorter & the mounting holes are closer together .. dodge didn`t have a standard dry clutch 3 speed tranny . wish they did i`m doing the same swap .. the drive shaft will work Quote
Don Coatney Posted June 4, 2008 Report Posted June 4, 2008 dodge didn`t have a standard dry clutch 3 speed tranny . Are you sure? I believe they did Quote
Young Ed Posted June 4, 2008 Report Posted June 4, 2008 Don I think it depends on the year of the dodge. I believe there are years where you always got a fluid drive regardless of what tranny was hooked to it. Quote
wayfarerstranger Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 maybe from the 30`s or 40`s but not sure ?? if anyone with the older dodges have a standard clutch without fluid drive let us know ..i don`t think from the late 40`s to 52 there were any that i`ve ever heard about just fluid drive, gyromatic and then mid 50`s on had some automatics . if i`m wrong please enlighten me because i`ll track down one of this s.o.b.`s Quote
wayfarerstranger Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 fluid drive came out in 41 not sure if they offered non fluid drive from that point forward on any cars .. so 40 and back had standard clutches . will the 40 & back bell housing & tranny bolt up to a 50 dodge ??? if anyone has a pre 41 bell housing measure the distance between the holes where the rear motor mounts go ??? even if the older bell housing will work the cross member will still have to be moved forward ,,,, any input here would be good Quote
Normspeed Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 Why not just round up the bellhousing and other parts from a Plymouth? Same basic engine block, should bolt right up. You would need to work with the pilot bushing and maybe the crossmember. Quote
Reg Evans Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 My 42 Dodge coupe doesn't have fluid drive. Quote
green49wayfarer Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 Well, guess this can be my first post. I'm in the process of getting rid of the fluid drive in my 49 Wayfarer, which had a fluid coupling (mine was leaking), a clutch assembly and a conventional three-speed manual trans (not the dual-range 4-speed tranny with planetary gears that the more expensive Dodges came with). It's not done yet, but here's what I have so far: I picked up a 55 Dodge manual trans, bellhousing, flywheel and clutch assembly. The bellhousing appears interchangeable with (albeit not identical to) the 49 fluid drive bellhousing. I'm hoping I can just leave the 49 bellhousing on and use that and I'm fairly certain I can, although I haven't gotten quite that far yet. The 55 trans setup compensates for the lack of a fluid coupling by having an extra-long input shaft and a funky looking extra-long throwout bearing. Advantage to using the 55 Dodge setup with either the 49 or 55 bellhousing is I won't have to move the rear crossmember or modify the rear mounts in any way; I can just use the factory 49 Dodge rear mount setup. The 55 trans main case and cluster gear have the same part ## as the 49. From visual inspection, it looks to me like the gearshift levers are exactly the same, and so my 49 shift linkage should hook right up. Obviously, the input shaft and the bearing retainer are different. Also, as you can see in the attachment, the extension housing on the 55 trans is longer. What I'm hoping to be able to do is swap the 55 input shaft and bearing retainer onto my 49 trans. That way I won't have to cut the driveshaft or lengthen the emergency brake cable. I have run into the pilot bushing problem; my fluid drive crank has been drilled, but not finish-reamed for the bushing. NAPA used to offer a thin pilot bushing to use in such a crank, pn 615-1033. I've read that it's been discontinued. I'm hoping to find one; if not, I have a friend with a machine shop and we'll just turn down a factory bushing to fit. May not be ideal, but I don't want to have to remove the engine just to machine the crank for a bushing. Quote
wayfarerstranger Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 thats correct . but if i had a dodge bell housing the stock cross member would work other wise i need a plymouth cross member which i don`t have on hand but am looking for one that someone has laying around,, i have a complete rebuilt 54 ply motor & a ply tranny here with no ply to put it in so i was trying to use what i had ,i also have a second 50 ply motor & tranny waiting for a new home ,if the motors i had were dodge i`d be in business ,,, my 50 dodge convert, has a compression problem so rather than spend more money on that problem i was just going to use the ply setup. it will work just need to relocate the cross member , but like i said the bolt holes are wider apart on the dodge so a ply c.m. would be needed to bolt the ply setup to. i have one other option i have a 52 dodge big butt with a good M&T in it if i could sell the body & keep the M&T i could just drop that in the 50 convert, & be done . So before i start cutting & chopping i will try to sell that car i might get lucky & save myself a lot of work .... when u`re juggling 8 old cars u have lot`s of possibilities.. thanx for all the input MOPARANIAN`S Quote
Young Ed Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 Chance I should have one shortly. As soon (ever?) as it gets warm here I've got a p15 going to the scrap yard. Quote
wayfarerstranger Posted June 5, 2008 Report Posted June 5, 2008 by the way thanx REG thats good to know i will make a note of the 42 .. ok green 49 wayfarer may have something here .. the only reason i was going to change the bellbousing was because the throwout bearing wouldn`t line up it would be to far forward .. but with the longer shaft version of the t.o.b. the 49 dodge bellhousing would bolt up to the plymouth motor & if u had a tranny with the long shaft .. thats the way to go & not having to cut the cross member .. i knew if i asked enough ?` someone would on here would have a better mouse trap .. thanx back to the drawing board... ,,,,p.s. i did located a 55 plaza with a o.d. tranny but the car doesn`t run & it is a dog & he wants 800.00 ? & i don`t know the condition of the parts i want off of it ?? but if they were good that would solve a lot of my problems Quote
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