Automatic Safety Transmission

[RShepherd]

Does any member of the club have a '37,'38, or '39 with the Automatic Safety Transmission? Eight or Six? How is it operated? How well does it work?

[Guest DaveCorbin]

I don't have an Olds, but I own a 1938 Buick with a Self-Shifter, which is the same unit. A friend of mine (now deceased) also owned a 1938 Buick coupe with a self-shifter and a 1938 Olds 98 convertible with the Automatic Transmission. His Buick had been rebuilt, as had the Olds. My Buick is an original 92,000 mile car.

Operation of all of them is the same, as follows: Push in the clutch pedal, wait about 8-10 seconds for the innards to stop moving, move the shift lever to forward and let the clutch in. From there, operation is almost exactly like a 1940 Hydramatc with 4 forward speeds.

My friend's Olds was a real sweetie, as the shift jolt is almst entirely absorbed by the flex in the open driveline and the rear leaf springs. His Buick was about like driving a diesel pickup truck with an automatic, very solid shift but aceptable. My 38 Buick is about like driving a mule, very harsh, especially on the downshift to the lowest forward gear. If you take it easy, the jolt is marginally acceptable, but the torque tube in a Buick means that a Hydramatic type unit is always harsh.

Like the Hydramatics of 1940, it's a good unit mechanically, you just have to know how to drive it.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Prez901]

I have a 1938 oldsmobile, it has a dial on the left side of the steering wheel that says park, city, city. It has a clutch a stick on the floor which does not want to go forward or back. I dont know any ideas?

[rocketraider]

I think the dial may be the car's light switch or dimmer switch. Even HydraMatic did not have a dedicated PARK position until 1956 so I don't think it's part of transmission control.

 

I admittedly know little about the Automatic Safety Transmission. Visit the Buick Forums as I'm sure some folks there have or know about the AST.

[joe_padavano]

2 hours ago, rocketraider said:

I think the dial may be the car's light switch or dimmer switch. Even HydraMatic did not have a dedicated PARK position until 1956 so I don't think it's part of transmission control.

 

I admittedly know little about the Automatic Safety Transmission. Visit the Buick Forums as I'm sure some folks there have or know about the AST.

 

Glenn is correct. The knob to the left of the steering column is the headlight selector switch. Note that the second photo below is a manual trans car, not an AST.

 

[rocketraider]

Joe's 3d picture (red interior) shows the AST shift selector quadrant R N L H on the steering column. Does your car have that or the floor shift lever?

 

Sounds like you may have clutch or gearbox issues.