Reactivating a Flight-o-matic

[5brown1]

Looking for some advice on putting a Flight-o-matic back in service after 15 years of sitting. The fluid looks good. I know that for sure because I dumped it all over the floor of the garage removing the FOM from the parts car.
I plan on removing the pan and replacing the filter (I assume it has one). What else would be necessary to check out. I believe it was working prior to being decommissioned.

[JDP]

I've just them back in with fresh fluid without a issue after sitting.

JDP/Maryland
Please vote for Sid (64GT)in the NYT contest.
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[tbredehoft]

My DG 250 M (I know, its not an FOM) seems to work well after 29 years of idleness. I replaced the fluid (yes, lots on the garage floor when removing it) with Dextron III and it seems like it wants to GO.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction 564 hrs.)
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[buddymander]

Anything you find in the bottom of the pan is your transmission. A bunch of gummy grayish or black stuff is bad. Metallic particles are bad. If you find anything more than a thin layer (1/64) of goopy stuff on the bottom of the pan, post pics. Also, check the filter or screen for trapped particles. I would change the front and rear seals, and check the manual shaft seal for leaks. Check the converter where it rides in the pump bushing and if there is wear there, then replace the front pump bushing.

[N8N]

The "filter" is just a metal screen; your FLAPS likely won't sell it and a swish through some kerosene should clean it out. They're probably OK to reuse so long as there's no holes in them.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[5brown1]

quote:Originally posted by buddymander

Anything you find in the bottom of the pan is your transmission. A bunch of gummy grayish or black stuff is bad. Metallic particles are bad. If you find anything more than a thin layer (1/64) of goopy stuff on the bottom of the pan, post pics.

Well here is what I found. Link to pictures below. Not good. What do you think - is it a candidate for a rebuild or junk?
Any idea what the cost of rebuilding might be? Other suggestions?


I CHANGED THE LINK SHOULD WORK NOW - SORRY.

http://s435.photobucket.com/albums/qq77/5brown1/

[tbredehoft]

Sorry, thats beyond my experience.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction 564 hrs.)
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[bams50]

Hard to tell from the pictures. I could make a pretty good guess if I could drag a finger through it.

Based on what I see, most of what's in there is a product of moisture in the pan. I'd bet with a good cleaning and fresh fluid it would actually work, at least for a while. Put it in and run it.

Of course, the best bet is to have it freshened. My local trans. shop would do it for about $400 plus kit.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[buddymander]

It doesn't look like the water got up high enough to ruin the valve body. But like bam said, and I wonder what's under that gelled fluid. Does your fluid still look nice and red when its in a big pan? If there's no black mushy carbon type stuff about 1/8" thick under that gooey mess, and not too much metal particulates, I can't condemn it. clutch material usually mounds up in piles beneath the drum it came out of. Fluid on a stick or on the floor can look nice and pink until you get it in a pan with some depth, then it can look almost black. And in that case, its overhaul time. The hardest part about overhauling these transmissions is getting the valve body tubes and band struts back in right. The actual guts are pretty simple.

[5brown1]

Thanks for the help everyone.
I'm going to have a mechanic who rebuilds transmissions rebuild it if he can.
I cleaned up the pan and it was rusty - so I would never trust it with out a rebuild.
I haven't contacted the mechanic yet but from what I hear he does excellent work reasonably.

[Clem64]

NAPA filter kit #1-4722. I just changed the filter and fluid on our 61' Hawk FOM. The only difference between the original filter and the NAPA one is that the NAPA has the screen on top instead of on the bottom. The NAPA kit has the good neoprene gasket too.

Dean Croft
Roseburg,OR

CLEM DESEE