What are my transmission options here??

[Guest coaltownkid]

Guys,....

I was wondering what my options are regarding a transmission for my 1953 Buick Super?? I mean to keep it period correct as if in the 50's but building a kustom with some speed in her. An early Buick manual tranny with better gears? Something else?? I'm all ears guys,.....talk to me!!

Jason

[Guest coaltownkid]

Anyone have any ideas here as to what other trannies I could run to hop up the '53 buick super while keeping the '53 nailhead or even going with a '54-55 nailhead 322?? thanks in advance!

[The Old Guy]

CHANGING THE TRANS IN YOUR 53 IS MOT A LITTLE JOB! tHE TORQUE TUBE MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ALSO CHANGING TO AN OPEN DRIVE. ABOUT THE ONLY OPTION YOU HAVE IS PUTTING IN A 55-56 dYNAFLOW, WHICH GIVES YOU ADIFFERENT CONVERTOR , AND MAKES THEM A LITTLE QUICKER. THE DYNAFLOW IS NOT THAT BAD A TRANS,

[Guest coaltownkid]

So let's say I took out the rear. Took out the Dynaflow (as I've been told that its as quick as a hurd of turtles swimming through a sea of peanut butter), and wanted to install something else that ouwle give me more.

Could I just cut and make the area where the torque tube runs throught he frame a "C" notch and then brace it up on either side of that notch (to make up for strength) and "THEN" run something with an open drive??

Jason

[The Old Guy]

The torque tube supplies the rigidity to the rear axle. Without it there is nothing to position the axle. You would need to fab up either a four link or something to hold the rear axle in position.

The best tption ,if you do change is a lower ratio in the rear end, and an overdrive trans.

[NTX5467]

In one respect, if you undertake to change the car to an open driveshaft, you could well be just as well off to "reframe" it with a more modern frame and get the benefits thereof. But then you'd have a lot of work into a car that would only be worth what you spent on it to another person that had the same ideas -- very limited marketability in many respects, price and the fact it was not "orig".

It might be possible that you could graft in some Oldsmobile or Pontiac or Cadillac rear axle/suspension items, but that could be a whole 'nuther barrel of snakes too.

The earlier Dynaflows were not the fastest things around, acceleration-wise, but much of that could be tied to the response curve of the engine in front of it. I supsect the later versions would be much better in that respect, with more responsive torque converters (for example). It could also be that much of the problem for some people would be the lack of sensory input with a DynaFlow rather than a step-gear automatic transmission. As in "speed just builds with little change in engine sound" as would happen with a geared automatic.

It should also be remembered that a highly variable, multi-element torque converter should, in theory, be almost as quick in acceleration as a step-gear automatic, if not quicker due to keeping the engine at an rpm level that would offer the most thrust vs. vehicle speed. Kind of like what is trying to be accomplished with the current CVTs. If you just watch the speedo needle move rather than waiting for the gear change that will not happen, things might be better than you suspect, especially once the vehicle is rolling. Acceleration being determined both by engine power and when the various elements of the torque converter do their thing.

As there were so few (like maybe 5%?) of each model year's production of Buicks that had manual transmissions, doing that change-over might be harder to do, not to mention getting a workable clutch linkage acquired (getting the trans installed is just part of the "battle"). Therefore, the "path of least resistance" would be to upgrade the existing DynaFlow with possibly later parts and keep on going . . . and possibly put a lower ratio in the rear axle.

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[Guest coaltownkid]

"Therefore, the "path of least resistance" would be to upgrade the existing DynaFlow with possibly later parts and keep on going . . . and possibly put a lower ratio in the rear axle."

Are there upgrade gear kits availible for the rear end that is already in my '53 then taht will give me that lower gear ratio? If so where can I get one?

Jason

[Buzzy1938]

A wild idea: find a '58-59 Flight-Pitch/triple Turbine Trans and install w/ grade retarder locked out. These had initial torque like "64 Th 400 but smoothness of Dynaflow. Caveat: change trany filter regularly and lock out grade retard feature.

[d2_willys]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BuzzyGreen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A wild idea: find a '58-59 Flight-Pitch/triple Turbine Trans and install w/ grade retarder locked out. These had initial torque like "64 Th 400 but smoothness of Dynaflow. Caveat: change trany filter regularly and lock out grade retard feature. </div></div>

Again why lock out the grade retard feature?