Thread: Hello everyone My name Is Kevn, I need advise...

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Hello everyone My name Is Kevn, I need advise..
I have just purchased and new half build project and as I have been involved in many VW projects I want to get into a real American project....
I have purchased a Rat Rod and the as it is made up of many many different parts the eng. and trans are an Olds.
the eng. is a 371 and it is attached to what I think is the orig. trans, I was told it was a Hydromantic 4 speed.

So what is your question?

Welcome to the forum

I am trying to put a shifter on the trans and how do I know where Park , Drive and Reverse are at to know where to mount the shifter and design a linkage

There's a fellow in Salinas, California named Gene Berck. He specializes in rebuilding these old transmissions and may have a line on a shifter. Phone is 831-320-2726.

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thank you I will give him a call

BTW there is no park and you have a lot learn if your going to use that trans .....ted

Originally Posted by ted dehaan

BTW there is no park and you have a lot learn if your going to use that trans .....ted

I think if you shut the motor off in reverse, that's park.

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NO Park .....come on now I have never heard of a auto trans with NO Park..... How does it work then

Ted I called Gene Berck, very nice man Lots and lots of info, but sounds like he is getting up there in years and gets a little confused but he gave me a lot of info. but in some ways confused me even more, never mentioned the No Reversed thing......
and I don't think I got the answer I need to figure out where the reverse, neutral, drive is
He told me there are two kinds of trans that came that year a Roto and a Genaway ( but it was hard to understand him and im not sure I got the 2nd name correct,, Genaway) I cant find anything on that so im spelling it wrong or I heard him wrong)

"......NO Park .....come on now I have never heard of a auto trans with NO Park..... How does it work then ......."

The world is full of stuff you youngsters have never heard of
but thankfully this site is full of "da old guys".

In the 50s automatic transmissions were just coming into use. As most people were use to driving manual transmissions and setting the parking brake when leaving the car some manufactures did not feel the need for a park position.

Here's a link to the Hydramatic. GM 1946-63 Hydramatic transmission


Chrysler was of a like mind and the 2 speed Powerflites and 3 speed Torqueflights did not get a park until 1962.


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The other name is Jetaway.
I strongly suggest that you purchase this reprint of the factory manual for the 1958 Oldsmobile. It will contain all the info on the 371 motor and the transmission. This is a reprint of the ORIGINAL FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL, not some fosdick Haynes or Chilton manual that will teach you little or NOTHING.
http://www.faxonautoliterature.com/1...nt-P23831.aspx

Using the gear selector designations of N-D4-D3-L-R and visualizing how the linkage might work, I would suggest that the selector on the transmission being all the way forward would be neutral, all the way toward the back of the transmission would be reverse. And as I said in post #7, shutting the motor off in reverse would be the same as having a Park position.

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thank you that is what I wanted to know and I will buy the book today thank you..

Ok I understand now the outside lever on this photo of the trans when it is all the way forward ( toward the eng.) it is in Neutral and pulling it back, first click is D-4 ( or normal driving ) next click is D3 then drive 2 then d1 ( I was told it was a 4 speed) then R is all the way back ( AWAY FROM ENG.)
OK NOW What is the other lever for it moves back and forth ( the lever closer to the trans)

I'm only guessing the second lever is for throttle pressure so the trans can adjust line pressure when more throttle is demanded?

If my memory is not failing the last 4spd. hydro was 1956 and it went to what was called a slim jim alum. 3spd. in 1957 I know in 1952 the hydro plant burned down and olds and cad. and buick and pont. came with dynaflow trans I bought a 53 olds.in about 1959 and pulled the motor and trans and rear end to put in my chopped and channeled model a coupe and making the trans work right was a night mare because the detents were in the steering column and of course I had already scraped it along with the rest of the car (lesson learned the hard way seems that's the only way I seam to learn ha ha ) any way that other lever is throttle pressure or tv valve ....ted

Originally Posted by ted dehaan

If my memory is not failing the last 4spd. hydro was 1956 and it went to what was called a slim jim alum. 3spd. in 1957 I know in 1952 the hydro plant burned down and olds and cad. and buick and pont. came with dynaflow trans I bought a 53 olds.in about 1959 and pulled the motor and trans and rear end to put in my chopped and channeled model a coupe and making the trans work right was a night mare because the detents were in the steering column and of course I had already scraped it along with the rest of the car (lesson learned the hard way seems that's the only way I seam to learn ha ha ) any way that other lever is throttle pressure or tv valve ....ted

Ha thank you for the info ........ I have never heard of a TV or throttle pressure .... what do I di with it????