Transmission / Overdrive: 66 Flightomatic Problems/Swap to GM Trans?

[EHarnett]

Hey everyone, its been awhile since I have been on here. Hope everyone is doing well!

My 66 Cruisers Flightomatic has been having issues for the past 5 years, it drives OK, but it is not right.
The car sat from winter 2012 to summer 2014, and it started having issues where it would hang onto second gear, and upshift late, or slowing down, it hangs onto third gear and will suddenly clunk into second when almost stopped. It started slipping and I took it to the transmission shop we used at work in 2016, they rebuilt it, and it still does the same thing, but a little worse. Even has the front servo snap from the case, and they rebuilt the trans again in summer 2017.

If I give it wide open throttle, it climbs, then flairs up between first to second and second to third, that was never an issue before the first rebuild. The transmission shop has since closed down, the owner was in his late 80's. I even took it to another shop that has experience with Stude transmissions.

I have even set the TV cable myself to the 65-66 Supplement to the shop manual. I fear the clutches might be worn, or a band issue. The buzz has almost gone away, but it still hangs onto gears and flairs up between hard acceleration.

I have access to two GM transmissions, a th350C with lockup converter and a 200-4R that I have had in storage for years, I have been debating putting one of them in for awhile now, unless anyone has any info or tips on the Flightomatic.

Thanks for your time,

Eric Harnett.

[StudeRich]

I am guessing that when you say: "Flairs up", you mean the RPM raised higher than Normal, which simply means it's SLIPPING.
People HAVE had Problems with the Mounting/Clamping of those TV Cables at the Top of the 283's.

I am sure you know after adjusting it, that securely fastening it, is Critical to holding the adjustment.
I wonder if the Bands are correctly Adjusted?

[EHarnett]

Thanks Rich,

You're correct with the 'flairs up/slipping", I spend 5 days- correction 4 days a week now since this virus working on Volvo's, in their transmission service bulletins they refer to it as a "Flair up".

I do have it double nutted to keep the adjuster from moving, and I currently have a zip tie keeping it held into the holding bracket that bolts to the intake.
It did used to slip out of that bracket, and would slip between any gear since the cable was just flopping around when the throttle moved.

It is possible the bands might not be correctly adjusted, but they man that did it worked on these cars when they were almost new. I even took it to another transmission guy who was trained by the first guy ( After he retired and closed his shop.) And he even pulled the valve body, regulator valve and checked to see if the bands were adjusted. They both have build lots of Studebaker flightomatics for members of the Hamilton Chapter, and I have never heard complaints.

I'll look into checking the band adjustment myself, see if there is anything I can figure out. I'll have to dig out the 58-64 Shop manual and give it a read through in that section. I helped my co-worker do it on his Ford MX transmission in his Galaxie, but that was over 10 years ago, and I have no idea what we did, too much has happened since.

Thanks for suggesting the bands, gives me something to look into!

Eric.

[StudeRich]

The Critical Front Band Adjustment is done Outside of the Case.

[EHarnett]

Thanks for the tip!

[studegary]

You mentioned "buzz". That is often fluid at the incorrect level or worn out/incorrect fluid.

[rkapteyn]

Wanna change to a 4 speed T10 out of an Avanti II
Robert Kapteyn
studebaker@mac.com

[swvalcon]

Just get a kit and change over to the 200r4 you will be way happier than spending more time and money on the flightomatic. The 350 is a almost bolt in.

[EHarnett]

You mentioned "buzz". That is often fluid at the incorrect level or worn out/incorrect fluid.

It has always had the Buzz, ever since I got it. It has Type F, and has made the buzz with fresh fluid. The level is fine, and the fluid still looks and smells like new.

[EHarnett]

Just get a kit and change over to the 200r4 you will be way happier than spending more time and money on the flightomatic. The 350 is a almost bolt in.

I am debating which one to go with, I know the 350 worked and they are fairly though, the 200, well I got it from a guy who had it sitting in his garage for years and he didn't know if it was a good trans or not.

[345 DeSoto]

my vote is for the 200 4R....

[Ron Dame]

It has always had the Buzz, ever since I got it. It has Type F, and has made the buzz with fresh fluid. The level is fine, and the fluid still looks and smells like new.

Is the level fine by dipstick (which could be the wrong one) or by total volume?

[62 Lark]

I swapped to a THM350 trans in my Lark V-8 and it made it like come alive. A lot depends on what rear ratio you have, whether a lock up trans ( 200R4 or 700R40) would be better. imho

[EHarnett]

Is the level fine by dipstick (which could be the wrong one) or by total volume?

Level is full, checked in "D" at temp. It is the right dip stick, I dragged one of these Borg-Warners home out of a scrap 65, identical stick.

[EHarnett]

I swapped to a THM350 trans in my Lark V-8 and it made it like come alive. A lot depends on what rear ratio you have, whether a lock up trans ( 200R4 or 700R40) would be better. imho

It has 3.31 rear gears, and even the TH350 that I have is actually a TH350C, with lock up.