Transmission locked up today
Today I had the '51 Hornet out for a spin. On the way home, just entering an intersection, for no discernable reason, the car started bucking like it wanted to shift into reverse (Hydramatic).. I was going very slow, and it finally just bucked to a stop right smack in the middle of a 4 lane highway.
The engine was running, but it would not move, not in any gear, forward or reverse... when I gave it gas, it acted as though there were some resistance, but no movement. The rear wheels were completely locked up, as though the parking pawl was in place. 5 guys tried to move the car by pushing... it just wouldn't budge.
I looked at the shift linkage from under the hood (as you know, there is no way you're going to get your head underneath those low frame members) and it seemed to be attached okay to the tranny.
Had the old gal towed and parked at an old-school transmission shop near my house, and there she sits until Monday.
Anyone experienced similar symptoms with their Hydro? Any thoughts?
Finally, I see an ad in the latest WTN for rebuilt Hydromatics by a fellow named A.J. Souza, but he neglected to include an email or phone number. Anyone know how to contact him?
email: phil at auldridge.org
The engine was running, but it would not move, not in any gear, forward or reverse... when I gave it gas, it acted as though there were some resistance, but no movement. The rear wheels were completely locked up, as though the parking pawl was in place. 5 guys tried to move the car by pushing... it just wouldn't budge.
I looked at the shift linkage from under the hood (as you know, there is no way you're going to get your head underneath those low frame members) and it seemed to be attached okay to the tranny.
Had the old gal towed and parked at an old-school transmission shop near my house, and there she sits until Monday.
Anyone experienced similar symptoms with their Hydro? Any thoughts?
Finally, I see an ad in the latest WTN for rebuilt Hydromatics by a fellow named A.J. Souza, but he neglected to include an email or phone number. Anyone know how to contact him?
email: phil at auldridge.org
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Comments
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his name is GUS SOUZA and his number is 630-231-77640
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Check the fluid level and see what color the fluid is. Might be one of the pumps has failed. Could be lots of things won't know till you take a look.0
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Chevy manual tranny's, back in the 40's and 50's were famous for that. When the shift forks got worn you could shift to neutral (say at a traffic light) and it would stay in 3rd gear - or whatever gear you were in. The shifting forks, fortunately were under the hood at the end of the steering column. You simply turned the key off (it probably wasn't running anyway since when you lifted your foot off the accelerator it would jump on you because it was still in gear), opened the hood, evened out the shifting forks, got back you your car (after giving the Italian salute to the guy behind you blowing his horn like Gabrelle), started the car and went along your merry way.
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
Hope you're able to get the critter back on the road soon ... that's one gorgeous Hornet and the public needs to enjoy it !!!0
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Thanks to everyone who responded with advice and support. I've been in touch with Gus Souza, who seems to be the recognized Hydramatic guru. He's convinced I have a broken band internally and that the tranny got locked into both 1st and reverse at the same time.
I'm going to go with that, and Gus is bringing a rebuilt tranny to swap with me at OKC. Needless to say, we'll be driving the wife's BMW instead of "Doc", but our main goal all along has been to meet all you guys and see all those great cars!
In the meantime, the yellow ghost will be lying in state!
Phil0 -
Had to chuckle when I saw Alex's post about the shift linkage on old Chevies.
When I was about 16, (about 1964) the family went on one of our fabulous "Grapes of Wrath" campouts. Dad and I drove a '49 Chev Sedan Delivery, Mom and 2 sisters followed in a '56 VW Bug. Folks had a bed made up in the back of the Sedan Delivery, sisters and I would sleep in a tent.
We had encountered the shift linkage problem occasionaly, but of course, now it happened at every stoplight. Dad was driving, I would jump out and pop the hood, fix the linkage and go back to passenger side, and on to the next stoplight.
Dad noticed that the girls were getting quite a kick out of this, so he proposed ramping it up a bit. "Next time," he said, "a Chinese Fire Drill! You get out and fix it, I'll release the clutch and get out the drivers side and run around the back of the car and get in passenger side, you run around the front and take over driving. Next light, we'll reverse it."
We did that a couple of times, each time making the maneuvers more intricate, and it had the desired effect on our audience. Mom signalled for us to pull over, and they were all laughing so hard that they had to take a moment to wipe their eyes and compose themselves.
We didn't have any money, but sure had a lot of fun.
Postscript- we finally discovered that if you clutched and shifted down into second, then went into neutral before stopping, you could then get it into first. Fortunately, we were able to sell the car before we had to actually fix the problem.0 -
Mike (WA) wrote:Had to chuckle when I saw Alex's post about the shift linkage on old Chevies.
When I was about 16, (about 1964) the family went on one of our fabulous "Grapes of Wrath" campouts. Dad and I drove a '49 Chev Sedan Delivery, Mom and 2 sisters followed in a '56 VW Bug. Folks had a bed made up in the back of the Sedan Delivery, sisters and I would sleep in a tent.
We had encountered the shift linkage problem occasionaly, but of course, now it happened at every stoplight. Dad was driving, I would jump out and pop the hood, fix the linkage and go back to passenger side, and on to the next stoplight.
Dad noticed that the girls were getting quite a kick out of this, so he proposed ramping it up a bit. "Next time," he said, "a Chinese Fire Drill! You get out and fix it, I'll release the clutch and get out the drivers side and run around the back of the car and get in passenger side, you run around the front and take over driving. Next light, we'll reverse it."
We did that a couple of times, each time making the maneuvers more intricate, and it had the desired effect on our audience. Mom signalled for us to pull over, and they were all laughing so hard that they had to take a moment to wipe their eyes and compose themselves.
We didn't have any money, but sure had a lot of fun.
Postscript- we finally discovered that if you clutched and shifted down into second, then went into neutral before stopping, you could then get it into first. Fortunately, we were able to sell the car before we had to actually fix the problem.
Ahh....that's good stuff right there. That's what life is all about...those kind of memories - thanks for sharing!!0 -
No doubt kids of today will have funny stories to tell about their cars while growing up. They probably won't have any mechanical stories though.
Used to go to the drag strip in a 51 Hudson. Five to eight people up front and a nine year old baby sister asleep in the rear window shelf.
Would be arrested today for endangering everybody. Lol0
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