Transmission / Overdrive: -58 auto-trans in -57 sedan

[StudeFinn]

Hello Folks,

There is strange vibrations in my 1957 President Classic when accelerating. I've inspected prop shafts support bearing, it's Ok, universal joints, they are Ok, rear wheels and tires, all Ok... But now I suddenly found, that the transmission is probably newer flight-o-matic with very long housing. Do I need some kind of cross member or extra mount for the transmission?
There is two bolt holes under the housing c/c 5...6 inches. I supposed, that they are for supporting the long transmission and damping vibrations.

Greetings, Jukka Sorvisto, Finland

[rkapteyn]

More than likely , when they changed the transmission the bellhousing was not centered.
How long did you have the car?
Did it always vibrate or did the vibrations come later?

[StudeFinn]

Hi,
I suppose that the transmission change has been done already in the U.S. The car was imported from California to Finland in 2005. I have owned it from february 2014 and the vibrations have been there all that time. When accelerating carefully, vibrations are not so strong, but when the speed increases over 50 mph they increases too, severely. I'm pretty sure that those problems have been there allways... When I inspected the support bearing, I found that it has been slipped off the cushions and the bolts are allmost open. I fixed supporting and think, that vibrations are now fixed too, but I was wrong... Probably vibrations are the reason for that support bearing problem and not vice-versa.
You wrote, that the bellhousing needs to be centered, is it difficult to do afterwards/how to do it?
I need to fabricate some kind of support under the transmission...

Jukka S.

More than likely , when they changed the transmission the bellhousing was not centered.
How long did you have the car?
Did it always vibrate or did the vibrations come later?

[studegary]

I think that this transmission was not "dialed-in"/aligned to the engine. This can start as vibration leading to flex plate breakage. The shop manual will show you how to make this alignment. Some here have other methods and may chime in.

[Dwain G.]

So Jukka, you are telling us this car has a long tail transmission AND a two-piece driveshaft? Two-piece driveshafts are always suspect, especially when modified as this one must be. Check balance, phasing, and u-joint angles.

[WinM1895]

Hello Folks,

There is strange vibrations in my 1957 President Classic when accelerating. I've inspected prop shafts support bearing, it's Ok, universal joints, they are Ok, rear wheels and tires, all Ok... But now I suddenly found, that the transmission is probably newer flight-o-matic with very long housing. Do I need some kind of cross member or extra mount for the transmission?
There is two bolt holes under the housing c/c 5...6 inches. I supposed, that they are for supporting the long transmission and damping vibrations.

Greetings, Jukka Sorvisto, Finland

The thing about driveline vibrations is: They are usually present all the time, you just can hear or feel it all the time.

It was not uncommon for the Flight-O-Matic's trans case center support to snap. This happened to my 58L-J8 and it occurred while I was backing it off the lube rack at F&F

F&F's A/T mechanic was nearby, heard the trans go CLUNK!! .. He said I know what just happened, it's not good.

F&F (Frost & French) had a 'rebuilt' trans that I had them install, I seem to recall it was from a 1956 or 1957 President.

[StudeFinn]

Yep.
I have Studebaker 1956-57 Shop Manual and there were those instructions how to make alignment needeed. I have planned to take motor off after summer because of all those oil leaks I'm tired of. I'm pretty sure that alignment is impossible to do without taking engine and transmission off...

-jukka s-

[StudeFinn]

So Jukka, you are telling us this car has a long tail transmission AND a two-piece driveshaft? Two-piece driveshafts are always suspect, especially when modified as this one must be. Check balance, phasing, and u-joint angles.

Yes, long tail transmission and two-piece driveshaft... U-joint angles didn't show bad at all and they are tight, but with balancing I need some expertice.

-jukka s-

[rkapteyn]

I can not believe that your car has a long tail Flightomatic and a two piece driveshaft with center support bearing.
Can you make some pictures so we can look at your setup? Info on nameplate of the transmission?
Robert Kapteyn

[StudeFinn]

I can not believe that your car has a long tail Flightomatic and a two piece driveshaft with center support bearing.
Can you make some pictures so we can look at your setup? Info on nameplate of the transmission?
Robert Kapteyn

Hi Robert,
See attached pictures... I forget the trans nameplate, but I write those numbers up next time.

-jukka s-

[StudeRich]

Interesting, a DUAL slip Joint!

Someone Custom Made that Front Driveshaft.
Studebaker sure never built it this way, but it could work as long as there is ENOUGH Yoke slipped into that Trans. so that the Car can be raised off it's wheels without the driveshaft pulling OUT of the Trans. and dumping all of the Fluid.

To correct your vibration, you may need to move the Center Support Bearing mounting Plate into 2 different holes in the crossmember.

A Right Hand Drive car would go in the LEFT most Holes, a Left Hand Drive Car would go in the RIGHT most Holes.

Also check the Rear Engine/Trans. Mount, it SHOULD have a 5/8 Inch thick cast Iron spacer between it and the Frame, on the RIGHT Side ONLY if a Right Hand Drive Car, and LEFT side ONLY if a Left Hand Drive Car.

[StudeFinn]

Interesting, a DUAL slip Joint!

Someone Custom Made that Front Driveshaft.
Studebaker sure never built it this way, but it could work as long as there is ENOUGH Yoke slipped into that Trans. so that the Car can be raised off it's wheels without the driveshaft pulling OUT of the Trans. and dumping all of the Fluid.

To correct your vibration, you may need to move the Center Support Bearing mounting Plate into 2 different holes in the crossmember.

A Right Hand Drive car would go in the LEFT most Holes, a Left Hand Drive Car would go in the RIGHT most Holes.

Also check the Rear Engine/Trans. Mount, it SHOULD have a 5/8 Inch thick cast Iron spacer between it and the Frame, on the RIGHT Side ONLY if a Right Hand Drive Car, and LEFT side ONLY if a Left Hand Drive Car.

Yep,
I have checked those center support mointing Holes. If I remember right, there are four holes to choose. Shop manual told me those right bolt holes. But I have not checked that spacer between Mount and Frame...
I'm now fabricating extra cross member/support bar under the Transmission with two rigid rubber Cushions to damp noise and letting the Trans. still move a bit.

I've tried to find out what's the History with my car in the U.S., but it's impossible from here in Finland. Maybe You can help me?
1957 President Classic, VIN7194091, registration number was 57PRES. Imported from Palm Desert, California to Finland in yr. 2005.

-jukka s-

[StudeRich]

The "Extra Support" under the Trans. was only used on Fords and maybe AMC Ramblers because they had no support under the Converter Housing.
I am not sure it is a great idea to try to "mask" the vibrations that way, it will still be there and no support is needed there.

[RadioRoy]

Since half of the driveshaft is custom made, it might be wise to have it balanced in a specialty shop.

[Hawkowner]

Your front drive shaft is not properly phased . The slip joint needs to be taken apart and the shaft needs to be turned to align the cross shafts. When the shaft was shortened the yoke may have been welded in out of phase. I did that when I put my Buick Cad engine trans in my 53. If you go to a one piece shaft make certain that the pinion angle matches engine angle.
Hawkowner