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1952 New Yorker


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I am wondering what I can do to get the transmission, which is a fluid torque drive. The car has a clutch pedal, but I only use it to shift from drive to reverse or from low to high.

The transmission used to shift into high when you let off the gas pedal really fast and firm and now it is taking longer and longer to go into high gear.

What fluid do I put in the transmission? Is there a filter or something to clean when I change the fluid?

Is the 1951 and 1952 different from the 1954 and up transmission.

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Zues:

I got your private message as well as seeing your post in the forum, and I'm sorry it's taken me a few days to answer you. Been busy.

It sounds to me like you have a very simple problem with your New Yorker. I would bet money your idle speed is too high. When you let off the gas for it to shift, the engine has to slow down enough for the gears to synchronize. If the idle speed is too high, the engine won't slow down enough, and it'll either take a long time to shift or not shift at all. Try lowering the idle speed first.

Does the transmission downshift OK? If it's downshifting roughly, this is another sign of the idle being too high.

I know the Fluid Drive units took a low-viscosity mineral oil, which today would be the "tractor fluid" used in hydrualic equipment, but I don't know what the Fluid Torque units took. Dextron III transmmission fluid in the torque converter would be the safest bet and would certainly not hurt anything. Some of the guys in cooler climates are using 10W motor oil in their Fluid Drives, but I absolutely would not recommend that for a Fluid Torque unit.

Yes, the 1953-'54 Fluid Torques are radically different from the '51-'52 versions, because the '53-'54 torque converter, believe it or not, shares oil with the engine. It took something like 12 quarts of oil to do an oil-change. While it wasn't especially troublesome, it was a reputational disaster for Chrysler just for being so silly. Your '52 is the simpler, wiser version of Fluid Torque in which the torque converter is filled separately from the transmission or the engine.

As for the transmission gearbox itself. The manuals called for 10W motor oil, which is getting a little hard to find nowadays, but don't sweat it. I've been running 30W NON-DETERGENT motor oil in these transmmissions for 20 years, and my 1950 DeSoto in particular has been running on it for 13 years and 130,000 miles. On the other hand, I live in a very not climate. Chrysler power steering units in the '50s called for 10W as well, but there were service bulletins to the dealerships that recommended 30W oil for hot climates, and I'd bet my last dollar there was an identical service bulletin for the automatic gearboxes in the Fluid Drive/Fluid Torque era. None of these transmissions are new anymore, and it sure doesn't hurt anything to have a little heavier oil taking up the space for wear.

I'm betting the idle speed will take care of your shifting problem, and once you're past that, I'll talk you through cleaning your governor switch. It's really easy, and it's amazing how much better these transmmissions operate with that switch clean even if they're running well to begin with.

Tell us more about your car.

JON

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