Hey guys, I have a '64 Dart GT with a 225 and a push-button tranny. I don't know anything about the tranny, but it seems to go from 2nd into 3rd really quickly, and it winds out really high on the freeway. It limits me from cruising at very high speeds.

Any info on this tranny, or how I can get a better cruising speed would be great!

You will need to check the Throttle Pressure linkage for correct adjustment, to be sure the trans is getting T. P. at high throttle opening.

If that is OK, it is time to check the rear end gear ratio, it sounds like the car has a "lower" (higher number) gear ratio in it.
DD

The two symptoms you mention are contradictory; high revs on the highway suggests it's not shifting into 3rd but is remaining in 2nd. But you say it's shifting quickly from 2nd into 3rd. Are you sure you're counting two upshifts (1-2 and 2-3)? Given the condition of your choke linkage, it seems likely your transmission kickdown linkage has been similarly maladjusted or brutalised by a previous owner, but first we need to nail down that question of whether you're actually hitting 3rd gear. To check for sure, drive at anything over 45 mph (70 km/h) and push the "2" button. If there's no discernible downshift, you were already/still in 2nd gear despite the "D" button being pushed.

Do all the buttons work correctly? R gets you reverse, N gets you Neutral, etc.?

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

Yeah, it's for sure going into 3rd. It's not too much of any issue that it's shifting early into 3rd when I'm not on the gas. If I'm just cruising down a straight street in town, it wind up to like 3500 before shifting to 2nd. and only like 2000 before shifting to 3rd.

On the freeway, I'm probably just not used to driving on old car with gears the way they are. I can't be cruising at 75+ MPH without feeling like my Slant is screaming at me. That's probably normal considering the normal driving speeds in '64 weren't that high.

Incorrect; it's not normal at all, and remember speed limits (and cruising speeds) in '64 were equal or higher than they are now. What rear axle ratio has your car got, and what size tires?

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

There is A LOT more sound deadening material in today's cars than there was in the 50s and 60s.

I plan on pulling up the rubber floor mat in my 76 Valiant and putting down a layer of dynamat. It'll keep more of the heat out of the interior and some of the sound as well.

However, on some of my former cars, like my stock Model As and some of the hotrods, I didn't want to kill too much sound, but since I want my Valiant and my other current build (a 54 Ford) to be quiet, highway capable cruisers, they'll be getting a nice layer of insulation.

Another thought on this topic....it's been my experience with some of my "oldies" that have seen better days, that they tend to create a lot of road and engine noise initially, but after really getting the engine tuned correctly, replacing old nasty tires with good fresh rubber, replacing worn out bearings and u-joints, and (as I mentioned above), properly sealing holes in the firewall and laying down something akin to dynamat....then you start getting back to the way the car sounded when it was new.

A case study would be a 63 Galaxie hardtop that I had. It was not an entirely pleasant car at first, but once I'd been through it thoroughly and did the things described above (and more....like replacing door rubbers) the thing was dead quiet on the highway and just floated down the road....it was great (and HUGE).

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1954 Ford, Tudor Mainline
1976 Plymouth Valiant, 4 door


www.automotive-ninja.com

I'll check tomorrow on the rear end and tires. Is there a way to tell what gears are in the rear end without pulling the diff cover?

I didn't know about 60's speed limits. I only remember when freeway speeds were 55, and then were bumped up to 65 (here in CA, at least)

The 55mph national speed limit was enacted in 1974.

See here for how to check the rear axle ratio.

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

An easier way to check the rear axle ratio is to look for a stamped copper tag secured to the rear cover by one of the bolts. Look for 2.76, 2.93, or 3.23. these are the most likely ratios used, though there were others that were numerically higher. The tag may not be present, in which case, use Dan's method. It should yield one of the three numbers given.

Compared to a Toyota Corolla, the 64 Dart engine will be running about 300-400 rpm faster to achieve the same highway speed. This assumes the same tire size. If the Toyota were to run a larger tire, the disparity would be greater.

My experience of going from using a 09 Civic as a daily driver to a 73 Dart /6 is that I am much more aware of what the engine is doing in the Dart that what it was doing in the Civic.

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You can't fix stupid. - Ron White

Mine was like that forever.. It seemed like the engine was making a big deal out of a whole lot of nothing on the highway (including 2-3, its like 3rd produced more power at low rpms then 2nd did). The harder i pushed the accel pedal, it just made more noise with little gain in acceleration.

I decided to check the timing and the mark wasnt even visible with the timing light, and i set the idle rpm first to get a good reading. I managed to get it to about 6 degrees advanced (had to move the hold-down bracket on the back of the dizzy) and it feels like i took 500 pounds out of the trunk

When i gas it on the highway it feels like all that extra comotion is finally doing something, and it really seems to pick up some speed in 2nd-3rd for once!

my .02

I don't know what size tires you're running, but I've got 175-70R13s on mine, and I think they're 2" shorter in diameter. That, and the 170s came with the higher rear end, so mine feels like it revs a bit too high on the highway. After I get the paint done, I plan to tighten up the suspension and get bigger tires with whitewalls to finish my car.