1950 Transmission Tool

[Bob Young]

I'm not a Studebaker owner, but am a member/owner of another orphan group - Nash. I know how important it is to locate or help others find parts, etc. This morning while doing my usual "check Craiglist" routine (Tampa Bay area of Florida) I ran across an ad for a transmission tool for 1950 Commanders and Land Cruisers with auto transmission. The web link to this ad is:

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/tls/1600984915.html

and a phone number is given (727-234-5961). I hope that this can help someone.

Regards,
Bob Young

[Invalid User Name]

This has got to interest somebody.

Doug
Venice, Florida
1950 Champion
9G F1

[studeclunker]

THIS IS SO COOL! I think this is the tool that 'dials in' the bell housing! If so, then it just might work with any Studee V8!

'Course, I'm no expert... so take my humble opinion for what it's worth. Still, it looks like the tools they use in the pictures displayed within the Shop manuals.

Oh...[8)] Never mind.[:I][)] This seems to be for servicing the internals.[8)]





Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[studeclunker]

THIS IS SO COOL!
The very large round bit looks like the Converter Aligning tool mentioned in both the '56 car S.M. (pg. 101) and the '59-'64 car S.M. Some of the other bits look like the 'Air Nozzle' and 'Pressure Gauge' mentioned on the same page in the '56 manual. I wonder if they'll work only with the early models (50 to possibly 55) or with the later models as well?

[StudeRich]

The large round devise with the smaller protrusion in the center is the Converter centering tool, used to center the converter within the converter housing AFTER the housing is dialed in to the crankshaft centerline.

The dial indicator and possibly mounting fixture COULD be to do that, BUT none of it works on a Flight-O-Matic, only on a Studebaker Automatic Drive (3 band Detroit Gear) as used in 1950 to 1955.

Similar tools are needed for the Flight-O-Matic also.

StudeRich

[55studeman]

Thanks so much for posting the craigslist ad. It's very helpful. This is a unique tool. I picked up a set off ebay a few years ago. I only see one come up once in a blue moon, so i guess there's a blue moon outside right now.

Edit: See my post below, I wasn't speaking clearly as to the need for these tools. If you do a lot of them it's nice to have BUT it's not needed. You can do everything without them, especially with some instructions I've posted on here before, concerning the brake band adjustment procedure.


Best Regards,
Eric West
"The Speedster Kid"
Sunny Northern California
Where the roads don't freeze over and the heat doesn't kill you.
And an open road is yours to have -only during non-commute rush hours 9am-4pm and 7pm to 7am (Ha, ha, ha)
55 Speedster "Lemon/Lime" (Beautiful)
55 President State Sedan (Rusty original, but runs great and reliable)

[PlainBrownR2]

I know this is one of those questions that I should already know, but aren't the "standard models" not much more than a dial indicator and two pieces of angle iron? I have a couple of Starrett pieces with accessories from my grandparents machining tools that I wanna use when it comes time, and this would help me confirm what I already know.

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[55studeman]

quote:Originally posted by PlainBrownR2

I know this is one of those questions that I should already know, but aren't the "standard models" not much more than a dial indicator and two pieces of angle iron? I have a couple of Starrett pieces with accessories from my grandparents machining tools that I wanna use when it comes time, and this would help me confirm what I already know.

PlainBrownR2, I think you are speaking about aligning the Converter bellhousing to the centerline of the crankshaft, using a setup that is as simple as some angle iron mounted on the crank with a dial indicator, which is a procedure with tools that is NOT in this tool set. If you want more info on that, do a search for it and you'll find some nice write ups on it. You only need to do that if you change the originally mated tranny on an engine to a different one.

The items in this tool kit are specifically for removing, installing, and adjustment. NOTE: the removal and install tools are certainly not needed, they can be helpful but I've done it without the tools several times and shops across the country over the decades have done it without the tools thousands of times as well without issue.

The tools include: Torque converter alignment tool, front pump and spline alignment tool, Converter bellhousing to tranny case bolt guides, pressure gauges with fittings to test the hydraulic pressure points, kick down shift rod to carberator adjustment tool (which I find to be useless), and most importantly the brake band adjustment tool (which you don't have to have for adjustment, as I've posted a very good procedure before on the forum!!!!).

In short this tool kit is helpful but not needed. If you do many of these DG 50-55 auto-trannies it could be useful, such as if you are Studebakers West (they have the tool set and use it often).

Best Regards,
Eric West
"The Speedster Kid"
Sunny Northern California
Where the roads don't freeze over and the heat doesn't kill you.
And an open road is yours to have -only during non-commute rush hours 9am-4pm and 7pm to 7am (Ha, ha, ha)
55 Speedster "Lemon/Lime" (Beautiful)
55 President State Sedan (Rusty original, but runs great and reliable)

[PlainBrownR2]

Oh ok, I'm thinking of something else in that case. Different tool but used on a different part of the part in this case. Yeah I know the procedure for the bellhousing, but I had no idea that the torque converters needed a tool as well for aligning torque converter to bellhousing, how about that . I'd say now it's good for a novelty and a neat historical conversation piece, if it can be done without it. Initially I wouldn't try it but after doing more than a few, it could be done. I think we seem to be finding out, or long since found out, that Studebaker made a specialized tool for everything. The float gap too to set the gap from the top of the bowl on my carb on the six cylinder, I made that from some carefully measured brass stock, lol.

[IMG=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/55%20Studebaker%20Commander%20Streetrod%20Project/P1010531-1.jpg[/IMG=left]
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[55studeman]

quote:Originally posted by PlainBrownR2

..... I had no idea that the torque converters needed a tool as well for aligning torque converter to bellhousing, how about that . .........I think we seem to be finding out, or long since found out, that Studebaker made a specialized tool for everything.

Yep there's a tool for everything, but they do that nowadays as well. I had to buy a Chrysler specific $80 socket just to take apart the front shocks on a PT cruiser. Then there were the special tools when I went to replace the timing belt on the same car, a few of which I just made myself from misc hardware store stuff.

The Converter alignment tool and the front pump+spline aligning tool are simply to mate those two things up, the converter onto the front splines. You can do it without the tools as I was saying.

If the tranny is out of the car, simply put the converter gently onto the front splines and while holding most of the converter weight with your hands, rotate it slightly back and forth. As each spline lines up the converter will slip closer and closer to the front of the tranny case until you match up the last thing, the tangs on the front pump. Very simple, no fancy tools needed.

Now if you pulled ONLY the tranny and left the bellhousing and converter in the car attached to the engine, it gets a little trickier without the tools. It becomes a grunt match between you, a 250 lb tranny and the floor jack holding the tranny. In this case you have to carefully get your angles right to get the splines into the converter, then you have to rotate either the tranny output shaft and/or the engine (that has the converter attached) in order to step by step line up each of the splines until you get the tranny fully engaged with the converter and flush mounted up to the bellhousing.

THAT IS WHY I DON'T RECOMMEND PULLING ONLY THE TRANNY, been there and won't do it again. You're in for a not so fun time to get it back in that way. It's just SOOO MUCH EASIER to pull the engine and tranny together.

IN EITHER METHOD: once the Tranny plus converter are connected to the engine, leave the converter to flex plate bolts loose and rotate the engine two revolutions to center the converter on the flex plate and then tighten those bolts up.

FYI: if you have the tranny and converter out for whatever reason, be sure to pour one to two quarts of ATF fluid into the converter before putting it back on the tranny. This help lube the system, the bearings and bushings, to help prevent the long dry start period when the empty converter has to be filled with 4 quarts from the front pump.

Best Regards,
Eric West
"The Speedster Kid"
Sunny Northern California
Where the roads don't freeze over and the heat doesn't kill you.
And an open road is yours to have -only during non-commute rush hours 9am-4pm and 7pm to 7am (Ha, ha, ha)
55 Speedster "Lemon/Lime" (Beautiful)
55 President State Sedan (Rusty original, but runs great and reliable)