Hydra-Matic won’t shift

[Fleetwood Meadow]

 In my ‘52 Cadillac, Hydra-Matic, I have a problem getting it to shift. The fact is it won’t shift. I just replaced the valve body and I’m suspicious that it may have been dirty even though it appeared very clean. It reverses fine and takes off without slipping. I took it apart and found that the T.V. couldn’t go in all the way because the piston inside was stuck. The bands were also just adjusted. But I can’t get it to shift into second. I get up to 15-20mph and the governor won’t let it go faster and it doesn’t shift. I’ve driven it with the T.V. rod connected and disconnected and still the same situation. Before I changed the control panel it didn’t have a T.V. rod and shifted 1-4. I had to replace it because the rod lever had snapped and wasn’t applying pressure to the T.V. I don’t know what else to try and really don’t want to have to take the transmission out and rebuild it just yet. 

 

I appreciate any help. And please don’t say the transmission is trashed like I have seen in every transmission thread I’ve read. Thanks!

[Fleetwood Meadow]

[PONTIAC1953]

it is time to open up and rebuild your 52 dual range hydra-matic trans. 

[Fleetwood Meadow]

I cleaned the filter and the sludge from the bottom of the pan. I have cleaned the control body and the governor. I have blown out all the lines under the control body. What else can I do? Everyone on these forums loves the idea of rebuilding everything but what would that actually do? What makes that different from isolating the problem and repairing the specific item? 

[Fleetwood Meadow]

I cleaned the control valve body and now it shifts to second gear. Will not shift to third gear though. I'm assuming that is linkage that has to be adjusted. I can feel it clearly shift into second gear.

[Fleetwood Meadow]

I forgot that I had this thread open ended. In July I sent the car to a mechanic that deals with these cars. Instead of rebuilding it he took the time to look inside and figure it out. Unfortunately even after fixing a couple pistons that were backwards it didn’t shift. He called a friend of his who had a rebuilt control valve body and swapped it out. It then shifted 1-4. I got it back in October but the windows don’t work so it has been parked since November until it warms up. The only problem I have is that when the car first starts and you drive it, for the first 1/2 mile it won’t shift past 2nd. Then once it shifts to 3 it has no problem shifting correctly for the rest of the drive. I believe the fluid is draining out of the torque converter. 

[PONTIAC1953]

a very experience and knowledge hydra-matic expert and rebuilder has told me, you can't just go changing parts especially like the valve body, sounds like now you may have a cold sticking valve in the valve body or sticking governor that frees up has the trans warms up, letting the engine and trans warm up might help two things, 1-the sticking valve or governor, 2-gives the front pump time to fill the fluid coupling (not a torque converter) please don't ever use silicone sealant as pieces of the goo can break off and cause even the front pump to break. perhaps the fluid coupling valve is also sticking allowing fluid drain back when the engine is turned off. regardless of the quirks these hydra-matics sometimes have, they are my favorite automatic transmission. have you tried a product like justice bros or seafoam that will free up sticking trans valves ?

[Fleetwood Meadow]

Before I sent the car out it had seafoam trans tune in it. But as he was working on it he replaced some of the fluid so it’s probably not really in there. It got pretty cold and the windows don’t go up so I have to wait until March or April and then I’ll take it out more often and see if it gets better as it gets used. Then I will try to put some stuff in it. I’ve let the car warm up but it still did it. I am thinking I’ll start the car then put it in gear and keep it in place for a minute or so and then take off and see if the converter has filled up so it shifts. 

[Fleetwood Meadow]

I agree with you about the transmission. Everyone said that the 2-3 is rough but this one is pretty great. It doesn’t snap my head or anything. And the downshift to 1 when stopping is almost nonexistent feeling. 

[PONTIAC1953]

i'm waiting to feel what it will be like to have a B&M hydro-stick hydra-matic being fed rpms from a warmed up 1959 pontiac 389 four barrel V8 after i install the two into my 1953 pontiac chieftain custom catalina, far as i can tell the hydro-stick is still brand new since B&M built it back in the 1960s, the trans is rated to handle up to 800 horsepower, and the 59 389 engine will put out 315 to 330 horsepower. 

Edited February 3, 2019 by pontiac1953 (see edit history)

[Fleetwood Meadow]

Are you planning to race it?

[PONTIAC1953]

8 hours ago, Meadowfleet said:

Are you planning to race it?

no, i just plan on driving the pontiac normally, don't know how much torque the original ten spline rear axles can take, have another ten spline that has been gone through and held up to a 347 pontiac engine with tri power. the hydro-stick still performs as a fully automatic transmission, or you can manually shift all four gears.