Hi all. I've got a '64 valiant with a 904 tranny (I'm told) that tends to puke about a quarter quart of tranny fluid out on the ground after sitting awhile. A mechanic told me that this may be because, the tranny isn't fully in neutral. So while setting in park with the engine running the tranny could be building pressure. Since this car would never start in park, only in neutral, this made since that there was something a miss with the shift linkage.Took it to an old guy who's rebuilt trannies for about 30 years on the side and is supposed to be particularily good with mopar products. He said the could get the cable adjusted in the park position but then he couldn't move the shifter (floor shift automatic) but half way thru its travel so he returned it to the way he found it and now I'm back to only starting in neutral. Could be considered a theft deterrent but I'd rather have it function properly. Anyone experience a problem like this? If so, what was the fix? How do you know if the fluid is coming from the tranny or the torque converter? Thanks in advance for all the help. I've used this site before and often scan the forums and am still amazed at the wealth of information contained by the members. Seems someone ALWAYS has the answer.

Jeff
It sounds like a front seal may be leaking. Try cleaning up the bottom of the trans and see if its leaking from the front or pan or back. As for the adjustment may be trash in Valve Body or even different types of fluid used in trans( I have seen different types of ATF fluids combined and they dont play well with each other). Try a flush/fill and new filter with new gasket and see where you are at??? OR if you have a bad front (?) seal get it serviced and they will do these things for you.
Just my 02.
Frank

_________________
Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

Thanks for the response Frank. I've had front seals leak before but not like this. It doesn't seem to leak while driving however after parking it for, anywhere from 20 min. to a couple of hours , there will be a huge puddle under the car, maybe 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Actually had it setting for about a year, started it up, drove about 20 feet into the garage and shut off the engine. About 15 minutes later it puked on the floor. Kinda like there is pressure backed up in there and then all of the sudden it builds enough to push past the front seal all at one time. Kinda hate to take it to a tranny shop in fear of getting soaked for a simple fix.

Jeff

H'mmm. Maybe, but the only difference between Park and Neutral is whether the parking pawl is in contact with the output shaft. There's no pressure that builds when the car is in Park.
Sounds like your car is not a '64 but a '65, or it has been modified with a '65 floor shifter. The 1964 Valiant used pushbuttons to control the automatic transmission, not a lever on the floor or steering column. And 1965 was the only year for cable-operated lever shifters (floor or column) for automatic transmissions in Valiants. There are two cables — one for selecting the gears and one for engaging the parking pawl. An overtravel mechanism in the shifter pulls the park cable when you move the lever forward past Reverse. Inside the '65 transmission, the gear selection sequence is N-R-N-D-2-1. In a '60-'64 transmission, it's R-N-D-2-1.

If the car has always been this way, and it is in fact a '64 with a '65 lever shifter (or a '65 that's had a '60-'64 transmission swapped in), then it is possible whoever tried to make this conversion didn't realise that while the cables from the shift lever will hook up to the button-shift transmission directly, and gear selection will work okeh, there were changes made to the valve body for '65 to accommodate lever shifting. If these were not made, there won't be a second Neutral position above Reverse on your manual valve, nor will there be an overtravel spring on it. That would prevent the lever moving all the way into Park, because the manual valve will reach the end of its travel and stop.

So...we need more info on your car to help you figure out what's wrong.
Where are you located?

It's not the torque converter or the front pump seal; if it were either of those, the transmission would leak constantly. I think you might be losing fluid thru the vent because of the screwed-up Park situation. But it could be something else — where exactly does the fluid pool, relative to the transmission? Near the front, near the middle, driver's side, rear?

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

There may be more then one problem. I think, Dan hit the nail on the head. The first thing is to find out what year trans/valve body/shifter. Second is to determine the exact location of the leak.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Wow Dan! That's a lot of info. The car is a '64 according to the title. I did find the piece of dash in the trunk for a push button tranny. So I believe your correct in your assumption that the tranny is a later model.
Is there a (simple?? )cure for this? Anything else you need to know just ask and I'll answer as best I know how. I'm located in the U.S., Missouri. Tranny leak seems to be more toward the front right corner I believe. I'll have to pay a little closer attention next time instead of rushing to clean it up.

[/b]

Look under the back seat for a build sheet. If it is there it will have info on the original trans.
But i guess that won't matter if it was changed out.

_________________
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2992308402_5481afb26e_t.jpg">

Maybe, probably; let's try and make sure. Are your reversing lights round or are they square? What is your car's VIN?
Well, you're probably going to need parts. '60-'64 transmissions can be made to work correctly with the '65 shifter by installing a '65 valve body, rooster comb, and neutral safety switch. I am pretty sure you don't need to swap the whole valve body, but can swap certain parts (manual valve w/overtravel spring, maybe one or two others). Check with Pat Blais, tflitepatty@verizon.net .

It may actually be easier and less costly to simply restore the correct (pushbutton) shifter to the car. You've already got the correct dash trim, so all you'd need is a pushbutton box with cables and park lever knob from a '63-'64 Valiant or Dart — root around more in the trunk, maybe you'll find the button box. And pushbuttons are way more fun than boring ol' shift levers. And somebody'd surely buy the '65 cable shifter w/cables off of you.

You might also ask Pat about your fluid loss issue. Right front corner could be something as simple as the trans fluid dipstick tube O-ring; when the torque converter drains down after engine shutoff, the fluid level rises in the main body of the trans — this is why the fluid level's to be checked with the engine running — and if that O-ring's shot, you can get a big leak from the right front corner until the fluid drops below the level of the O-ring.

Since the trans pan will have to be removed no matter how you elect to proceed, it's a good opportunity to adjust the bands, and you'll want to make sure to use the correct filter for the '65 and earlier transmission. It has two holes on top — NAPA or ATP 19715 or 17956 trans filter/gasket kit contains the 2-port filter. Other numbers include Wix 58656 and Fram (yuck) FT-1015A. The '66-up filters have just one. If you use the one-hole filter on the '65-down trans, the rear pump will starve for oil. Also stop by your local Chrysler/Dodge dealer (assuming there's still a Chrysler/Dodge dealer to stop by) and pick up the good triple-seal reusable pan gasket p/n 4295 875AC.

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

Even if it's there, it won't contain any relevant info for the purposes of this repair.
That too

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

I'll have to get back with ya on that Dan. I'm not at home right now but I'll check sometime this weekend. I think the original push button shift would be neat but finding the push button box might be the small issue, have you priced a set of these cables ? OUCH !!!

If you buy brand-new cables, yeah, they cost a lot. But every single automatic '64 Dart, Valiant, and Barracuda had a set of those cables (and the right button box); there are still good used ones to be had out there…

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

It is possible to convert the 65 valve body to work in a 64 trans, by just changing some parts. The 64 valve body cannot be converted to a 65 shifter setup. It sounds to me like that is what someone tried to do (use a 65 floor shifter, with a 64 valve body, it won't work). I use 65 transmissions with 64 pushbuttons/valve body, in my cars. Even my 66 Cuda. It is very possible I have an extra. 65 Valve body, on the shelf.

Everything else Dan said is spot on.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Looks like it is a '64 according to the VIN#. 1442520013 and the back up lights are square. I guess I'll be searching the bone yards for a push button box and some cables. Would this thing not puke if I left in in gear as opposed to shifting into park. Of course this would be a temporary solution until I could find the right parts.

I can help with the non-65 cables--, also a craiglister in Mcpherson Kansas has a 65 tranny from a dart w/cables-- I have not seen it-- just emails. I'll root around to see if I have a pushbutton selector left. Lawrence

I'm in Wichita, Kansas

I'll pm you later on the items above

Thanks Lawrence. By "non-65 cables" does that mean they'll work on the '64 with the pushbutton box? This Friday I'll be heading to the junk yard looking for these parts and a factory carb. to have rebuilt. Let me know what you find.

Thanks,
Jeff