Thank you all for your replies to my torque converter issues.
I have attempted to sort through and reconcile the various opinions and
options.
Since my earlier note to the yahoo group I have talked to three different
tranny shops that speak powerflite. Two of these shops offer rebuilt TC's. I
would do this if I was 100% sure that my situation would improve. If I am
not convinced that a rebuilt unit would solve the problem, I am even less
convinced to try a used one with unknown history. Apparently, the
tolerances for the TC and associated bushing, seals etc. are very small and
difficult to eliminate or even improve on even after spending $$$ on a
rebuilt TC.
One option for me is to do nothing and just drive my car more often and keep
the fluid up in the TC as the leaks don't show up on my floor until the car
has sat for a week or more. This is tough to do, especially in Kansas in
January. The transmission does not leak or otherwise consume fluid when
driven. I will lose a pint or so a week while it sits - but to Bentonville
and back and Chicago and down ½ of Route 66 it took no added fluid.
All other suspect internal parts have been replaced, many twice. According
to my late father (a 50-year Mopar mechanic) it is the TC bleeding down and
over filling and then spilling out the linkage seals etc. (see photo) These
seals were not designed to hold fluid above the pan level. Quick arithmetic
says I have cleaned up 200 quarts of fluid over the last 53 years. In fact,
this car refused to move the night I bought it in 1967. My dad (who made by
buy it) said to let it run in neutral for a few minutes, then in gear for a
few minutes to "refill the torque converter" all of this 110,000 miles ago.
According to Marshall Goodnight ...the 300 TC It is not the
same as that uses on New Yorker and Imperial, but it is the same as that on
the Windsor. It is slightly smaller and has slightly higher stall speed,
but additionally it has fins welded to the outer case creating a fan for air
cooling the transmission and the bell housing has more screened ventilation
openings than the New Yorker and Imperial.
New Yorker and Imperial transmissions are liquid cooled by a
heat exchanger in the lower radiator hose. The Windsor transmissions are
air cooled only. The C300 has both cooling systems sharing the New Yorker
liquid heat exchanger and the Windsor torque converter (fan) and extra
ventilation openings.
I contacted every source identified in various club websites including the
Imperial site - about ½ are out of the business. One shop offered: 1955 300
/ Powerflite air cooled converter, 12" diameter, 146th, 19 spline input -
have them in stock, rebuilt Part # 789 Cost $550.00 + $150.00 core deposit
plus shipping. To have my old converter rebuilt, it will be the same cost
minus the core deposit, but there will be an additional cost to cover the
R&R shipping of the converter which would be around $40.00. he does not
actually rebuild converters, he only distributes them so I would have to
send out my converter core to be rebuilt.
I am just about ready to give up and put a leaky but operational
transmission back in a car that I am painting, reupholstering, rewiring and
putting new brakes and suspension in.
For those cc'd on this email there are photos attached - and thanks again to
everyone.
.....Jack
Jack Boyle
(913) 544 4650
Enjoying the same C-300 since 1967
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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