Guest Ron3660 Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 The transmission in my 36 Century is starting to get noisy in low gear. Reverse is fairly quiet. My dad who was a young man when this car was new says "Buicks were noted for a noisy low gear." I don't buy that. I'm wondering if I have a bearing or bushing wearing out. If this is the case, what is involved in the repair? Is it a bushing or a bearing? If it's a bushing could a machine shop make a new one? If it's a bearing where would I find a new replacment? Thanks, Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Straight eight Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Your Dad is right! First gear is VERY noisy, second is a little quieter, and no noise in third.The noise is due to the resonance of the torque tube that surrounds the drive shaft. First thing to try is to drain the grease from the transmission and refill with a straight 90 weight lubricant. Keep looking around as it is available, not the multi-weight stuff. If you must use the multi weight get the 80-140. Try this first, then listen to other stick shift Buicks and compare.To pull the tranny and replace parts is a major job. You should have a shop manual before tackling such a job. There are parts available thru many jobbers that advertise in the Bugle and Hemmings Motor News. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Two Roadmasters Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 I have encountered the same thing with my 36 Roadmaster. Now I have disassembled the whole transmission and found out that the cluster gear is the one causing the noise I have. One the the gears engaging one of the gears on the cluster gear is with its teeth on the first half of the width. This might have caused the worn out teethsurface with small pits that is visible now. The oil can then "sink" into these pits and therefore there is more surface contact between the gears causing a noise. I have tried to get another cluster gear through this forum but not succeded. I have also had in mind adding metal to the surface using modern methods but as these gears are not straight cut, the company didn´t think it would last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ron3660 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 OK, Thanks guys. I'll change the lube and go frome there. I didn't doubt my dad's memory. He's seldom wrong when it comes to vintage cars. Thanks again, Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Much older cars like mine with square cut gears almost always make noise in lower gears. I have not yet tried this, but another 13 Buick owner I know uses STP and graphite additives to his 1000wt mineral oil in his tranny. He claims it stops the leaks while keeping the gears wetted & the graphite fills the imperfections in the gears.Who knows?Mark Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Straight eight Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Stay away from the slippery stuff like graphite and STP if your transmission has synhcronizers. This means if you do not have to double clutch, you have syncronizers, and this slippery stuff will keep them from functioning properly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Older cars with square cut gears do not have synchronizers.Mark Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Straight eight Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 What about this 36 Century. I coulda sworn they were syncronized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZondaC12 Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 ill bet it is. i know my '38 is synchro'd. though after driving it since may, late this summer i decided to start double-clutching it, luckily it wasnt hard to make it a habit. the synchro on 2nd seems worn, its often a bit tough to push in even if you ease it in, and often youll feel it "clunk"/"grab hard" i guess, not sure how to describe it, though knowing a little about trannys i know theres these "teeth" that fit into holes to lock the gears to each other and it feels like they slip a little then fall in as i push further so that would mean worn synchro right? third seems fine, but i still go easy on it. so thus i double clutch it, and it goes right in like a hot knife through butter. i think i will until i get the tranny rebuilt someday (if ever). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ron3660 Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 It's me again. I started this thread about the noisy low gear. Yes the trany is symonized between 2nd and 3rd. I changed the lube and the noise is much less. Couldn't find the 90 wt mentioned above but did find a 85 / 115 multi wt. I'm taking a 250 mile ride this weekend and can give an update next week if anyone is interested. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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