48oldsguy

Test drive went well

My speedometer cable order did not arrive on time so I decided to modify my old cable using a nylon coupling from a 1992 Plymouth Laser. Just waiting for the rain to stop for test a drive

I have ordered a new speedometer cable and will re-magnetize the speedometer head if necessary.

I have replaced my original speedometer with a newer Ford unit that I converted to fit my car.

I will try draining a couple of quarts of oil each time until I get a positive oil level reading.

The transmission is NOS with less than 500 miles and shows no signs of sludge or gumming up.

Looking for complete speedometer or parts. I understand that GM may have used the same internal parts on other GM cars (Chevrolet, Pontiac, etc.). In particular I need the inner rotating and outer hair spring and spindle cups. The hair spring (balance spring) must still be attached to the spindle and the cup as it came from the factory. The rotating magnet if available must also be in good condition. I also need the speedometer needle. Please provide photos if possible.

I have driven the car to warm up the oil, parked on a level surface, and pulled the dipstick out, wiped it clean and forcefully reinserted it all the down as far as it will physically go many times and have never gotten a clear indication on the dipstick of the actual oil level. The oil is always smeard over the dipstick from top to bottom with splotchy less oily areas areas in between..

I wish there was someway you could get good fluid level indiction without having to run the engine. Thanks for your comments.

I tried replacing my speedometer cable using a universal speedometer cable kit. When I test drove the car I got a lot of squealing noise which I first thought was from the cable binding up with the outer cable sleeve, so I shortened the cable slightly. Still the same results and erratic needle swings. I sprayed graphite into the back of the speedometer which did lesson the squealing noise a bit. I than pulled the speedometer out of the car and disassembled it for further lubricating. The lubrication seemed to end the squealing noise so I reassembled the speedometer and put it back in the car after bench testing it to assure I had needle movement. Now I can't get any needle movement and Im not sure if the problem is fixable by me so I am soliciting for information. Finding a reliable replacement unit or other alternatives on the web so far has not yielded any sources.

I get no indications of foaming (overfill) and some of my dipstick readings appear to be low. The transmission also leaks quit a bit. I understand that the transmission holds 11 quarts oil. If I remove the transmission pan drain plug will I still have residual oil left in the torque converter. If so how much, and how do I drain that oil to insure the transmission is totally empty.

That would be easy if you could tell what the oil level was each time. In my case as stated before, I have not been unable to get a definitive oil level indication.

I just tried to check my transmission oil level again today. With the car in neutral, warmed up, I removed the dipstick, to wipe it clean and stuck it back in all the way and quickly removed it. The oil level was almost to the top of the stick. I tried again several times and got various high and low oil level readings, none of which where very definitive. Question: If the oil level is low how would know how much to put back in?

If you have a floor jack you can wire the spring to the floor jack and expand the spring enough to stuff large washer between each coil than release the jack and the spring will remain stretched for easy mounting in the car. When you have it connected to your hood spring mounting brackets, remove the washers with a pair of pliers, with the washers out the spring will collapse with tension restored. For new springs go to Fucsick.

This is part of the confusion, others have brought up the matter of GM bulletin that later specifies that the car needs to be in the drive selection mode. In either case trying to get an accurate oil level check by reading the fluid level on the dipstick with engine running has not been very reassuring for me. I understand why that by design that GM engineering determined that the only way you can get an accurate oil level check is to warm the oil fluid under pressure from the torque convertor pump. However, the agitation of the oil ends up splattering against the dip stick making it difficult to determine a precise oil level on the dipstick. Thanks for your response you may be correct, at this point Im just not sure which is the correct transmission setting, drive or neutral. Again, in either case the dip stick oil level indication has frustrated me many times and I think I may have overcompensated my transmission oil servicing on some occasions.

Does anyone have a good way to check the oil level on a 1940's Oldsmobile hydramatic transmission. The manual says to take the check with the dipstick when the car running in the drive position. With my foot on the brake to keep from moving forward in the Drive position, I REMOVED THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK TO READ THE OIL . The dipstick reeding is not very practical in this situation because the hot sloshing oil is all over the place and trying to get an accurate oil level check from the dipstick is not very practical. I certainly do not want to overfill the transmission nor allow the oil to go below. the manufacturers recommendations. In particular I am referring to my 1948 model 66 Oldsmobile Station wagon {woodie)

I was looking through my old photographs the other day and came across two old photos taken back in 1965 of my surfing trip to Mexico with two friends in my 1946 Ford woodie. The first picture was taken of me brushing my teeth in the morning after spending the night in Rosarito beach. The second photo was taken with the hood up on a desolate Mexican road after experiencing a puff of smoke under the dash when we went over a hill. No problems were discovered and we traveled on without further problems. With no inside storage and working nights at Douglas Aircraft Long Beach without a car heater, I sold my woodie to a neighborhood kid for $250 and bought a new Volkswagen bug. I would have loved to still have everyone of my past woodie wagons including the first one that I paid $5 dollars for before I was old enough to get a drivers license, it was a1949 Ford with the wood still intact.

I remember when you could go to a garage, auto parts store, or car club and get detailed answers to almost automotive question you had. Im talking primarily about cars of the 40's and 50' on such subjects as fixing speedometer, gas gauge, windshield wiper issues, etc., or adjusting valves on your flathead motor. To this day I have still not been able to get a true oil level indication on my hydramatic transmission. The oil sloshes around so much that trying to read the actual oil level on the stick is not very effective. I have fully restored my six cylinder 1948 Oldsmobile Model 66 woodie station wagon with a hydramatic transmission over a four year period. I love driving this all stock car around he neighborhood and I have always managed to keep it running despite the lack technical information being readily available. If you have any good technical information sources relative my make and model car, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you including part sources.

4 years later

New to the forum, my car