Re: IML: Torqueflites

["Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

Torqueflite has always been 1st gear start, whether in 1 or 2.     You sure
you weren't reading an article on a 1957 Ford, Mercury, Nash, Hudson,
Rambler, Studebaker or Packard?  They all used Warner Gear's (Borg-Warner)
cast-iron case 3-speed automatic which did start in 2nd gear in Drive
(Ford-o-matic, Mercomatic, Flashomatic and Flightomatic)..   If you wanted a
1st gear start you put it in Low,  which was only first gear.   And the
Mercury had cable-operated pushbuttons with neutral button start, just like
the Imperial, although the Mercury also had a cable-operated Park position.
WG followed Chrysler's lead with the later aluminum case Type 35. which did
have a first gear start.

>From a brochure on the 1957 Dodge, "The Story of Autodynamics", page 9,
describing Torqueflite  :

"D" Drive Button - Depress this button for most normal driving conditions.
On this setting, the transmission always starts in low, or 'breakaway",
automatically shifts to intermediate range and then to direct as speed
builds up.  For highway passing below 70 mph, "kick down" on  the
accelerator and gain an additional burst of torque with automatic downshift
to intermediate range."

Bill
Vancouver, BC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: ChiPieAlandPaula@xxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@imperial club.com
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 12:12 AM
Subject: IML: Torqueflites


Hello All,
Just received my June issue of Hemmings Classic cars. They did an indepth
article on the torqueflite transmission. I caught several factual errors in
the article. But, there is one thing that I need the mechanical gurus on our
site to clarify. They claimed that the first torqueflites ( which they
erroneously had as an option in all five 56 Chrysler Corp makes ) had a
first gear start. I remember reading a Motor Trend article on a 57 Dodge
with torqueflite. They lamented the fact that it started in SECOND and
shifted to drive. First gear was used "only in emergencies". I have read
this in several articles and need clarification.

                                                    Allan from Billings,
Montana



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