1963 RIV - what transmission do I have

[TheOldMan]

Hey, I am soooooo confused  now i need to ask you experts about what transmission I have in my 63 Riviera.

 

Sorry up front but here is what I found under the car.   I have a 13 bolt pan and a metal plate on the 

passenger side with the nomenclature printed on it that reads

 

6D - 64  77536 on the plate.

 

I looked for a pan gasket and found that there are many more holes in them than the 13 holes in my gasket.

 

this is the one from CARS for a 1963 Riviera

 

 

This one looks more like the pan gasket configuration that I have.

 

  

So, what transmission goes with this gasket?       

 

.

Edited April 18, 2019 by TheOldMan (see edit history)

[steelman]

Lower picture is a Turbo 400. Should say Hydramatic on the pan.

[TheOldMan]

Please Steve, where on the pan?

here is the pan picture:

 

 

[Seafoam65]

You have a turbo 400 trans in your car. Usually the pans say Hydramatic on them like in the picture below.

Your pan is different than any I've seen......probably an original 1964 pan. The later ones have the hydramatic logo.

[RivNut]

A TH (Turbo Hydomatic) 400 will have a shift pattern that, depending on whether it's a 64 or 65 will be like this PRNDL or PRND2L.  If it's a '63 Dynaflow, the shift pattern will be PNDLR.  If you have a '63 with a TH400 (Buick called them ST400) someone has done a transmission swap.

Edited April 19, 2019 by RivNut (see edit history)

[TheOldMan]

Well thanks to Steve, Winston and Ed.

 

I have rechecked the engine block per Ed and  now things have changed.  My '63 body Riv has a '64 401 cu in engine married up to a 64 trans........

Now to see how the ST400 tranny gasket looks.

 

Thanks to all......got to keep theoldman straight......

[Pat Curran]

11 hours ago, RivNut said:

A TH (Turbo Hydomatic) 400 will have a shift pattern that, depending on whether it's a 64 or 65 will be like this PNRDL or PNRD2L.  If it's a '63 Dynaflow, the shift pattern will be PNDLR.  If you have a '63 with a TH400 (Buick called them ST400) someone has done a transmission swap.

In a Turbo 400 or ST 400, reverse is immediately after park, then neutral and drive.  

[RivNut]

1 hour ago, Pat Curran said:

In a Turbo 400 or ST 400, reverse is immediately after park, then neutral and drive.  

Thanks for the correction. I've gone back and edited my original.

[TheOldMan]

Well here is my filter for my transmission and I only have a two speed transmission. I would like more clarification......please. I still don't know what Transmission I have.

It is a 1964 trans, but what  kind I am still stumped. this a picture of the filter.

[telriv]

OldMan. 

 

   It IS an early TH400/SP400 as dictated by the filter.  IF it's a '64 trans. normally it will show on the shift quadttrent would be PRNDL. The way you can tell what yr. is the shift lever has the shifter where the linkage hooks up is welded on. Whereas the '65 & up the linkage is removable with a 9/1ths. nut.

   Also there's a tag on the r/side of the trans. that has a yr. & the number code IF it hasn't been removed.  ALSO the torque converter DOESN"T look like a switch pitch converter.

   ALSO take a pic of the cowl tag plate on the firewall,

[TheOldMan]

Tom, first thanks for the response.

Here is the cars cowl tag  plate,     the engine stamps       and the plate from the passenger side of the tranny.

 

Seems to me that the OP had an engine and tranny swap from a 1964. 

The tranny plate reads     6D - 64  77536 as seen.

Edited April 19, 2019 by TheOldMan (see edit history)

[KongaMan]

3 hours ago, TheOldMan said:

Well here is my filter for my transmission and I only have a two speed transmission.

 

There are only two notches the shift lever (D and L), but it's a 3-speed transmission.  Put it in D and you'll feel it shift through all three gears.

[TheOldMan]

you got it.....when I get the parts, I will be sure to feel  from the seat of my pants cause nothing else works on me. 

Thanks to all you knowledgeable fellows for holding my hand thru this fun adventure.

 

 

Dennis

[RivNut]

64 ST400's have three gear sets but only two "notches" in the shift quadrant.  If you want to manually shift through all three gears, pull the lever into low and step on the go pedal.  When you turning the engine as fast as you think is safe, shift into D, that will put the tranny into 2nd gear.  As soon as it shifts, pull the lever back to L; the trans will stay in 2nd as long as your accelerating.  Then when you're ready for 3rd gear, shift into D. Easy peasy.

[J3Studio]

8 hours ago, RivNut said:

64 ST400's have three gear sets but only two "notches" in the shift quadrant.  If you want to manually shift through all three gears, pull the lever into low and step on the go pedal.  When you turning the engine as fast as you think is safe, shift into D, that will put the tranny into 2nd gear.  As soon as it shifts, pull the lever back to L; the trans will stay in 2nd as long as your accelerating.  Then when you're ready for 3rd gear, shift into D. Easy peasy.

 

Did they design it this way out of convenience/cost savings or was there some other reason?

[RivNut]

1 hour ago, j3studio said:

 

Did they design it this way out of convenience/cost savings or was there some other reason?

Good question.  I don't know that I've ever heard a reason.

[KongaMan]

13 hours ago, RivNut said:

64 ST400's have three gear sets but only two "notches" in the shift quadrant.  If you want to manually shift through all three gears, pull the lever into low and step on the go pedal.  When you turning the engine as fast as you think is safe, shift into D, that will put the tranny into 2nd gear.  As soon as it shifts, pull the lever back to L; the trans will stay in 2nd as long as your accelerating.  Then when you're ready for 3rd gear, shift into D. Easy peasy.

Fast forward a few decades, and all the sports sedans are making a big deal about their "manual/automatics", "clutchless shifting",  and the like -- and I'm thinking, "Hell, I've had that for years."  

Edited April 22, 2019 by KongaMan (see edit history)

[Buffalowed Bill]

As an aside, Borg Warner Fordomatic type from the middle of the 1950's forward,  had the same shift features as did the Hydromatic. In about 1963 BW began using 12D manual on some of the performance versions. I point this out to show that this was a pretty much standard progression, as AT transmissions continued to evolve.  I'll leave it to someone else to determine which used it first. It doesn't make any difference to me. Also should point out that the standard shift sequence throughout much of AT's early days was PNDLR.

[RivNut]

In 1965, a federal mandate stated that reverse could not be next to a drive gear.  Chevrolet still produced their Powerglide through 1973 but had to change its shift pattern from PNDLR to meet the federal standard. Hence it was then in the same pattern as the rest of the cars produced in the U.S. - PRNDL.