QuestionHello,
I have a 63 Rambler American 220 wagon, it has an auto trans (flash-o-matic, I believe), a 196.8(?) flat-head 6. It's a great car, especially for having sat unattended for 6+ years before I bought it. It starts right up every time, motor runs pretty smooth and strong, if a little bit of a grandma-accelerator, other than the vacuum-style wipers, it's a sound car.
Until...the transmission started having problems engaging when I would first start the car. It seemed like shifting the lever back to park, waiting a minute, shifting to reverse, waiting, moving in reverse a little if it was cooperative, would all usually help. This problem was intermittent and actually seemed to lessen. Then, one day when I had been out and driving it around a little already, and there was a sudden, noticeable loss of acceleration, just chugging along with little to no response.
I got her parked by a friend's house and the next few days only drove it once and had the same problem. It took about 1/2 of a block to lose all acceleration. My friend took a quick look at basic stuff; fluid level, leaks, connections...no conclusive evidence.
A few days later, I had someone helping me move her to a garage, driving her as far as she would go toward our destination before towing, when he experienced a sudden surge of power (he said as though something had come unclogged) and managed to get on the highway and drive it at it's usual sleepy but legal pace, maybe 3 or 4 miles away.
A mechanic friend agreed to take a look. He took off the pan and the filter, to find the filter had an aprox. 1" hole in it. I hoped this to be the problem somehow and sought a replacement, ha ha ha, I understand the unpopularity of no-longer-manufactured cars all the better now... And, of course, the filter was lost in the mix.
Some several months later, my roommate finally tells me that a filter can be appropriated and made from simple materials. He even made a reasonable facsimile, complete with a home-made gasket, alas still no accelerator action.
Kragen sells a transmission that will work for over $1000. I don't have those kind of resources, plus, I only paid $200 for the whole car.
I have the original manual and repair book that came with the car. I am just not sure what my options might be in repairing it... does it sound definitely like the transmission needs rebuilding or replacement, or are there other possibilities I could have checked out? Also, I have seen the words "worst transmission ever built" in connection with my particular model, does that mean a rebuild would be impractical? Are there any ways to cut costs? Any Rambler parts resources near or accessible to me in Oakland, California? Any advice, information, part resources, & other venues for self or low cost diagnosis and repair would be greatly valued and appreciated.
Thanks,
Shannon
rokketpop@yahoo.com
Answer If what is happening is that the engine revs up but the car doesn't accelerate, then the transmission is slipping and definitely needs to go to a transmission shop to checked out by a pro. These are not that rare, a transmission shop will be able to get parts for it and fix it, but it might cost you over $1000 to fix it, and if the car isn't worth it to you, then it's time to kiss it goodbye.
The hole in the filter isn't the cause of this problem, by the way. The filter can even be totally missing, and the transmission would still work fine up until some particle of crud gets into the valve body or pump inlet and screws things up - so don't let anyone tell you that the hole is the cause of the problem. More interesting to me is how the heck the filter got a hole in it - someone must had the pan off and was poking around it there not knowing what he was doing to cause that, and if that's in the car's history, I think the problem might very well have been there before you got it. I suspect the car has been run with hole in the filter for a long time, and some loose particle of crud has therefore found it's way into the front pump inlet, and is blocking the fluid from getting into the pump sometimes. Only someone who knows these transmissions will be able to find it and clear it out for you. Unfortunately, they'll probably try to sell you a complete transmission rebuild, rather than just try to find the offending particle and clean it out. You should have the filter replaced too, of course.
I have not heard any such bad words about those transmissions - AMC and Borg-Warner had excellent engineers and their transmissions were fine - I've had a few myself and have no complaints. Yes, the little 6 is a feeble engine, but it is very durable, good for at least 200,000 miles of economical, if boring, transport.
There is a dealer who stocks parts for this car in the San Jose area - I've bought things from him myself - I forget his name but his business is "AMC parts", or something like that. Try a google search for him. But these are antique cars now, and parts are VERY expensive, and if the car isn't a family heirloom, it might be best for you to find yourself a 15 year old Toyota or Honda and forget the little Rambler.
These cars came with vacuum wipers standard, electric wipers were an extra cost option - if you keep the car, check your local old car wrecking yards, you might luck out. That's also a cheap way to replace the transmission for a few hundred bucks, if you have someone to help you put it in.
Backing up to the beginning here now, if the symtom is NOT that the engine revs up without moving the car, but rather that the engine just doesn't respond to the accelerator pedal, your problem is in the engine itself - and should be easy to track down by anyone who is familiar with older cars. They can put the car on an engine analyzer and find the problem quickly - of course you have to pay for their time, but if it is an ignition or fuel problem, it shouldn't run more than $100 to fix it. These are very simple engines - no computer or fuel injection or electronic ignition to confuse the mechanic, unless some previous owner has modified it.
So maybe I've given you some information you can use - I hope so.
Good Luck - I think you got your money's worth!
$200! Wow - unheard of!
Dick
