A couple stupid questions on a 64 Gal...

1. It is the XL with a 390 and an automatic on the floor. The shift plate shows "L - D1 - D2". I understand "L" and I read that "D2" was for when you needed to go leave in 2nd gear (snow, etc). So I normally run in "D1". At about 25 - 30 mph I feel the tranny shift. By 55 I am expecting another shift, but it doesn't come (in D1 or D2). Were these transmissions (Cruise-o-matic, I believe) 2-speed or 3-speed? If 3-speed, when should it shift into 3rd? I don't want to make any long, highway trips if the engine is winding too high. No tach installed yet.

2. On EBAY, I see a windshield wiper fluid bag for sale. I looked at my engine bay. I have no WSW Bag. In fact, I can't find any "squirters" at all. Was that an option in 64?

1. D1 starts in first gear and normally shifts between all gears. D2 starts in 2nd gear and can be down shifted via the foot feed into 1st gear but will always start from 2nd gear at a stop. My tranny shifts so nicely that you can hardly tell it's shifted from 1st to 2nd unless you mash from a stand still. The shift kit I am putting in will probably make it more noticible but that won't be installed until the new motor and I am still assembling for atleast 2 more weeks.

2. Washers were an option from what I have been told. Mine is a 500 - XL and I do have them.
[addsig]

1. Does it shift more than once? I can tell it shifts once. However, at 55 mph I feel like it should have an 'overdrive' type of gear. Maybe I am too used to newer vehicles.

2. Evidently nobody opted to buy washers on mine [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]

I did a bit of Googling. It looks like the Cruiseomatic is a 3 speed. If so, then I am only getting 2 speeds out of it. Looks like I need to crawl under it and look at the linkage...

Your car should be screaming about 4,500 RPM's at 60 in 2nd gear... So just assume you have a very easy shifting cruise o matic.

Somebody above told you wrong... L is low only it is for being in 1st and staying there, period.
D-1 in MY old cruise-o-matic ment 2nd Gear ONLY, it started in 2nd and stayed in second no matter how fas you got up to.
D-2 is a nice smoothe shifting through all 3 gears...

Sure hope yours is working ok.

FE
P.S., to test wether you get all 3, start out in L and go about 35 to 40 MPH, that should be right at 3,500 to 4,000 rpm on your engine, manually shift into D-1, you will definitely feel the diffrence.
Then go faster 65-70 mph, once again your engine should be screaming at you, then shift up into D-2, you will finally be able to feel the shifts and count all 3 gears.... Shouldn't complain if you get all 3 gears that way but can't feel the car shifting into those gears while driving normally... that's the way they are designed,

FE
[addsig]

I definitely feel the shift at 25 - 30 mph. I just don't feel another one. Maybe 55 is too slow for the shift to 3rd gear. I think I need to install a tach.

Its been a long time since I drove a car with a cruisomatic, but... by my understanding and memory. They start in 2nd gear, you don't really need 1st, at least that seemed to be Fords thinking of the time. Howerver, you can get and hold first by pulling the gear shift down, into 1st after you start moving.

Then you will hear the 1, 2, 3 shift. Under normal conditions you will only hear/feel 2nd and 3rd. There were later model (FMX ?) shift kits or modules that will let you select and shift 1, 2, 3, but I really don't remember which car/truck was the source. There is a web site ...I searched for it and posted it here several times... that details the buildup and parts to put a strong Cast iron cruisomatic together using a middle size (passenger car) case. The cast iron cruisomatic came in 3 different size case formats. the largest was used behind Lincolns and some trucks.

I think, this weekend, I will test it by starting in low and seeing if I can get all 3 gears by manually shifting.

I don't notice mine shifting from 1st to 2nd at all but it shifts to 3rd around 25 mph which might be too soon but any more than that and it sounds like it's taking too long. Now and then I don't even notice the 2nd to 3rd though. You will definitely be able to tell if it's not making it to 3rd. Mine when cold, mostly in winter, doesn't shift to 3rd for a mile so i go 25mph til it shifts. But if I'm not thinking for some reason it's like you keep giving it gas, the engine is kinda screaming but you can't get any speed. You can but the engine sounds like you can't if that makes sense. My tranny doesn't slip, it just refuses to shift on cold days. After the first shift it's usually good for the rest of the day.

I have the washer on mine also and it's an XL. Some friends visiting from Ohio brought me a bag for it that came out of a '64 custom. The odd part was that it sucks the water out the top and mine is like gravity feed from the bottom. Also my bag is a wide one and this one is narrow. I wonder if it's an after market washer add on for the cars that didn't come with washers or something.

Deb



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ShotRod64 on 6/24/06 1:54am ]</font>

I definitely have a shift at about 25 mph. Maybe that is 3rd?