well, i have 2 questions that i have been wondering about...




1) since i am still pretty new to driving my own car, i was wondering if what i am about to describe is necessarily BAD, or maybe too soon to tell....
today i took my second longest drive to date (got it just before winter). i drove for about 15 minutes and everything seemed pretty good.
staying in my neighborhood, i really didn't get over 35mph. then i hit a short stretch of the boulevard and got it up to about 40mph and noticed it seemed a little late shifting to a higher gear. i thought it was a little off but didn't worry about it.
when i pulled onto my street, i stopped to back into my driveway, went from D to R on the push button and it seemed pretty smooth. backed half way to my garage and then i stopped in the drive, put in N, set the park lever and left it running while i went to open a gate.
when i got back in and lifted the lever to go into R the car rattled and lurched a little more than i thought it would. pretty sure i was depressing the brake pedal well enough too....are these connected?
i will drive more tomorrow or the next day to see if this happens again, but does this raise any red flags?

secondly, not a trans question, but since i have your ear....

2) my uncle told me my heater core is bad, based on the fact that my car was filling with sweet smelling steam coming through the vents the last few times i have driven it. well, today just fussing with the dash, i pushed the warm air lever all the way (up or down, can't remember) and it stopped filling the car. since it isn't choking me out is it ok to let this go for the time being or should it still be a priority fix?


THANKS!

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-proud new owner of a '61 lancer 170
-previous owner of a '74 dart swinger (R.I.P.)
-coming here for some schoolin'

That's a fix the leak only gets worse...moving the lever just shuts a flap that vents the air and steam a different direction. Get a replacement core coming before the steam turns to a green stream and puddle on your floor boards...

-D.Idiot

Check your transmission fluid level and look/smell. If it's low, it can delay shifts. If it's old or burned, well ...
Make sure the kickdown mechanism is connected, and look up the adjustment procedure.

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

I second all of these pieces of advice. Prolly low fluid in trans.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

The '60-'62 cars don't have moving flaps. They have a heater water control valve modulated by a combination of cable (lever) movement, coolant temperature, and phase of the moon. The leak could be in the core, the valve, the valve-outlet/core-inlet hose, or some or all of these. Time to remove the heater box from the firewall and refurbish or replace its contents.
They're more or less impossible to find; the original core or another used one will have to be re-cored by a competent radiator shop.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

The harsh engagement from Neutral into Drive or (especially) Reverse is unnerving, but it is normal. The higher the engine idle speed, the more exaggerated the effect.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

thanks for all of your replies and advice. still tracking down a good radiator shop, but getting closer. good to know that the transmission isn't necessarily bad news yet too.

unfortunately, me and this car are one step forward two steps back....now there is some electrical thing going on where the current just comes and goes intermittently, i go to fire it up and the dome light will be on and when i turn the key it goes off.........there it isn't enough juice to start it.....just the "click".

it rained like hell here on sunday and i'm wondering if it isn't a moisture issue.

_________________
-proud new owner of a '61 lancer 170
-previous owner of a '74 dart swinger (R.I.P.)
-coming here for some schoolin'

Your '61 has a very primitive, cheaply-made electrical system. There is zero—or next to zero—circuit protection (fuses, etc). One short circuit and the whole car, or if you're lucky just its wiring, is burnt toast. There's also next to zero weathersealing or corrosionproofing of connections. And wires, connectors, and switches were specified at the utter, bare minimum necessary to be reasonably certain the car would start and run for as long as most people kept a car back then: a year or two or maybe three. Remember, there was also next to zero warranty on this car when it was new; Chrysler's 5/50 warranty and the much-improved build quality that came with it did not arrive til '63, and while the electrical systems never really got good, they got incrementally less ridiculously inadequate every few years.

So, you've got some systematic diagnosis to do, and a fair good bit of upgrading for reliability and safety. Given your present symptoms, the first place to look is the positive and negative battery cables -- not only must they be clean, uncorroded, and firmly connected at both ends, but they must not be internally broken. Next time you get a no-current situation, have a helper hold the key in the "start" position while you grab and flex both battery cables. If you get any change at all (starter clunks, lights flicker on) replace the cables. Next you're looking at the main charge line that runs from alternator B+ through the firewall to the ammeter, back through the firewall to the starter solenoid.

Got those three books yet?

(I got your PM; working on a response)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

i did get those books, thanks. i look through them all of the time but until i actually put more hours in turning screwdrivers and wrenches, it's a bit academic. i am still learning the engine and all of it's parts, but i do enjoy it.

as for the battery issue, i did take the cables off the terminals and scrub them a little bit....and it worked. i guess i am shocked by that because they seemed snug in the first place and didn't seem corroded or dirty. i was just doing it to be thorough, but it ended up making the difference.

also, i drove around again today and didn't notice the transmission hiccups i thought i noticed last time. i will check the fluid level tomorrow anyway.


as for the heater core, am i right in thinking you can bi-pass the heater core, to remove it and continue driving until it is repaired?

_________________
-proud new owner of a '61 lancer 170
-previous owner of a '74 dart swinger (R.I.P.)
-coming here for some schoolin'

Yup, just loop one of the heater hoses from the upper to the lower heater hose fitting on the front of the engine. Clamp both ends securely to the fittings and use a garden hose to flush out the heater core via the other (disconnected) hose, operating the heater valve open and closed as you do so, to minimize mess inside the car via the core leak.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.