1965 cruise-o-matic trouble

May be a problem with the direct clutch pack, or low fluid. Is the fluid level ok? Does it go into any of the other forward gears? Will it move if you rev the engine?

Gerard ASE Master Auto Tech (Ret.)

one of my 65 falcon's did the same thing when cold. after it warmed up, it would go into gear, and be fine untill it got cold again. one of the seals in the front pump of the trans was bypassing fluid till it got warm and expanded.

Thanks for the response. Yes the fluid is fine and I let it warm up for 10 minutes and stillnothing. Reverse is fine, Drive and Low gear . . nothing. I tried reving engine when warm and car just sits there. Are the seals for the pumps an easy fix?

level ok? Does

Thanks for the response. Fluid is OK, I let the car warm up for over

10 minutes and still nothing. Are the seals easy to change?

Thanks for the response. Fluid is OK, I let the car warm up for over

10 minutes and still nothing. Are the seals easy to change?

It doesn't look good...

It sounds like a total failure of the rubber seals in the forward/direct clutch hub, due to age. This requires a complete removal and rebuilding of the transmission. Don't let anyone convince you that a partial rebuild (seal replacement) is appropriate. Once this thing is apart far enough to do the rubber seals, the clutches are already out, and should be replaced. You can probably get away with a torque converter flush, rather than a replacement.

One of the previous posters was incorrect when he mentioned "front pump seal". There is only one front pump seal, and you'd see fluid dripping from the front of the trans if that one went out because it is an external seal. Front pumps rarely fail, as there are no soft parts in them.

Start shopping around for an old-timer who knows how to rebuild these old transmissions. They are relatively easy to do, but you'll need to find someone who has at least some experience with them.

When the trans gets taken apart, you'll be amazed at how hard and inflexible the rubber seals have become. They'll fall apart in your fingers.

Good luck!

Gerard

level ok? Does

level ok? Does

snipped-for-privacy@att.com (Tony) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

How about D1?

I had a Cruise-o that did this but would go forward in D1. The problem was that the mounting ear for the low gear clutch had broken off. It's not uncommon with these cast iron cases. Putting it in D1 started the car in second gear, and used the high speed clutch rather than the low clutch.

Due to the length of time the car sat, as others have mentioned, it's more likely the seals.

"Thomas Moats" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

And a lot of people do not see D1 as "drive."

If the clutch failed, as you suggested, the car would still move in D1 as it would be starting in second gear which uses a different clutch.

This is an incorrect statement.

In all automatic transmissions, the "forward" clutch is engaged in _all_ forward speeds, which is how it gets its name, even though it is physically not the clutch hub furthest to the front of the trans. It is likely this clutch pack that is causing the problem stated above, due to the car not moving in any forward gear. Below is a table of clutch events in all three speed automatic transmissions, no matter who makes them:

Reverse: High/reverse clutch and Low-reverse band/clutch Auto low: Forward clutch and one-way mechanical clutch Manual Low: Forward clutch and Low-reverse band/clutch Second: Forward clutch and Intermediate band/clutch Third: Forward clutch and High/reverse clutch

As you will notice, the only clutch common to all forward events is the "forward" clutch, which is not used in reverse. Failure of the "forward" clutch is the likely cause of this guy's failure. An unlikely failure mode would be a manual valve or metal sealing ring problem, but those types of failures are rare.

Gerard ASE Master Auto Tech

In "D1" the forward clutch is still applied, and applied in all forward gears. Meaning if the forward clutch is not working, no forward gears in any range. Reverse as you notice does work ( "Reverse is fine, Drive and Low gear. . nothing. I tried reving engine when warm and car just sits there. " ), meaning the reverse/low clutch is working and so is the high/reverse clutch. So because the forward clutch is common to all forward gear ranges, and no forward gear works, the forward clutch is suspect.

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here's an "if it were mine" answer...

If you are committed to having the transmission fully rebuilt if it doesn't start working then "if it were mine" I would go buy a can of

*automatic transmission reconditioner*. Read thru the stuff on the bottle and pick one that says it will restore the seals. They put stuff in it that will soften and swell dried seals. If the seal isn't actually cracked and coming apart but is just gotten hard and no longer will hold pressure, one of these conditioners *might* work to at least get it working. I'd give it at least a couple weeks to work it's magic. Put it in and let it run till it's warmed up the fluid, run it thru all the gears. Do that every couple of days for a couple of weeks. If it doesn't work all you have lost is a couple weeks and $8 for the seal sweller. It won't harm anything that the rebuilt isn't going to replace anyway.