1948 Chryslers had Fluid Drive, the torque converter came along a few years later in 1951. The difference is, fluid drive does not multiply torque. This was Chrysler's first effort at an automatic drive, dating back to 1939, the dawn of automatics, when few companies had them. It was sort of a cross between a manual trans and automatic with features of both. You need the clutch to shift into gear, after that they drive like an automatic. I would warm up the motor, shift into gear, release the clutch completely while parked, then drive away like a typical automatic. It was a very smooth, but simple rugged and trouble free system. Unlike some more complex systems like Hydramatic that were a nightmare to service and repair. I have owned, driven and serviced these transmissions. Almost always, any repair was easy and cheap. They are an electrically controlled transmission, and over the years the wiring can get frayed or broken. The trans can get low on oil. Electrical contacts need cleaning. All these things are easy to fix, at very little cost. The transmission and fluid drive are very simple, ruggedly made and largely trouble free.
1948 Chryslers had Fluid Drive, the torque converter came along a few years later in 1951. The difference is, fluid drive does not multiply torque.
This was Chrysler's first effort at an automatic drive, dating back to 1939, the dawn of automatics, when few companies had them. It was sort of a cross between a manual trans and automatic with features of both. You need the clutch to shift into gear, after that they drive like an automatic. I would warm up the motor, shift into gear, release the clutch completely while parked, then drive away like a typical automatic.
It was a very smooth, but simple rugged and trouble free system. Unlike some more complex systems like Hydramatic that were a nightmare to service and repair.
I have owned, driven and serviced these transmissions. Almost always, any repair was easy and cheap. They are an electrically controlled transmission, and over the years the wiring can get frayed or broken. The trans can get low on oil. Electrical contacts need cleaning. All these things are easy to fix, at very little cost. The transmission and fluid drive are very simple, ruggedly made and largely trouble free.
One Sweet ride.Thanks for sharing it with us, and demonstrating how the ;fluid drive' works.That's pretty cool.
Thank you for watching
Very Nice. I missed the model name that is on the center of the dash. What is it?
New Yorker
how in hell did you up with that man?
It belongs to my dad