hey hey,

I'm looking at buying a 63 valiant for $700. I talked to the guy on the phone earlier today. He says there is a vacuum connection to the transmission that decides when the transmission shifts. The dude says this vacuum tube has a leak. When he drives the car it tries to shift at the wrong time, or "up and down" is what he said i think.

I have to call him again tomorrow to arrange a time to see the car and to get more info. I'm digging the site, looking for threads that have dealt with this.

Does this issue sound familiar?
I'm new to automobiles, so i'm trying first to confirm that this vacuum tube exists. I currently own a 67 valiant, could someone describe where it is on my car?

Also, how repairable would this be for a novice?

Also, if there is a problem with the way the transmission shifts automatically, would manually shifting the gears get me home where i can work it?

Doesn't sound like the tranny is adjusted correctly-- the pivot point(for the gas pedal) on the firewall is used to make the adjustment--

Manually shifting is not the answer

I think the vacuum tube is part of the heater selection process.


Do a search for push button transmission adjustment --there are pictures on here on how it is adjusted---

normal stuff-- when looking to purchase, rust-- how it runs, fluid color, etc..

Tranny problems are always $$ unless you can fix yourself .

There is no vacuum connection to the transmission on a Chrysler product. GM products, yes, but not Chrysler products.

There is also no vacuum connection to the heater system on a '63 Valiant.

The only vacuum line on a '63 Valiant would be if it has power brakes.

The seller is quite mistaken about how his car is built and what might be wrong with it. It's possible he has experience with GM automatic transmission problems and is guessing that a shifting difficulty with his Valiant has the same cause. It does not. The Chrysler automatic transmissions use an adjustable linkage to tell the transmission how far the throttle is open (which in turn determines shift points.

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

Awesome. Thanks!
I've been investigating this adjustable linkage and transmissions in general. There clearly isn't a vacuum connection but a metal rod connected to the throttle and transmission.

Are there other adjustable components to consider?

If adjusting the throttle linkage is ineffective, would that indicate a larger problem or damage?

Clogged filter (likely -- most people don't know about the canister filter clipped to the side of the engine block on '62-'63 cars, at oil pan rail level, forward of the starter)…misadjusted bands…misadjusted linkage…

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

Low or high fluid level will cause bunch of problems as well.

To check fluid level, shift in and out of all gear positions once car is fully warmed up, on level ground, pull dip stick with gear selector in neutral. Add or remove fluid as needed.

As Dan said, if the ‘throttle position rod’ or ‘kick-down rod’ is not adjusted properly the transmission won’t shift correctly. And, if filter is plugged it won’t work right as well.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

i'm still working on arranging a time to see the car.

How do i remove fluid if the level is too high?

Is there a way to check for air in the fluid?

Chances are good it won’t be too high, but generally transmission pan needs to be cracked open a wee bit to remove extra fluid. Probably something you won’t be doing to someone else’s car during a test drive.

Air in fluid will make it look pink.

Chances are air won’t be a problem, but sniff the dip stick; look for dark burnt smelling fluid. This indicates the transmission has been over heating for what ever reason. There are several internal and external conditions from no big deal such as just needs a fluid change & filter, and or kick-down rod adjustment, to a full rebuild.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Thanks a lot for the help. I bought the car and am now working on it. The transmission isn't really an issue yet because the engine isn't running well enough to move the car. When i do get to it though, i believe an adjustment should do the trick. If not, you'll hear from me.

So maybe i'll post another thread in the engine forum. All my questions can usually be answered using Dan's 3 books and diggin' deep into the forum though.

Basically though, after 2 days workin' on it, replacing the Champion plugs w/rings to Autolite plugs w/o rings improved things noticeably.

And then i picked up a timing light. The timing was way!!!! off the charts. like maybe 30-40 (total guess) degrees advanced. Way beyond the range of a simple distributor adjustment. I can't believe it ran at all! Moved the distributor 1 tooth on the drive shaft(?) and the timing is now looking like 10-12 degrees! way smoother! The day ended optimistically.

Also the 63 turned out to be a 65? It's registered as a 65 but the last owner swears it's actually a 63..... It doesn't really matter to me which year it is, but i does matter to me that i know. Pictures soon.