Anyone who wants a more complete detailed article on the Chrysler semi-automatics, I wrote a paper for the WPC club describing them in detail. I can send it (privately) in PDF format to any member who wants to e-mail me. --- Rog & Jan van Hoy <vanhilla@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Those of you who haven't driven a car with > clunk-o-matic > have missed out. Taking your foot off the > "foot-feed" and > waiting for the clunk is a real experience, > especially when > passing. > > There is no lockup fluid coupling on either Fluid > Drive or > Fluid-Torque Drive as there is on a modern torque > converter. > The only '50's lockup converter I've heard of is the > Packard > Ultramatic. > > The name "Gyromatic" is exclusive to Dodge. Each > make had > their own trade name for the semi-automatic, though > the > technology was the same. Pre-war Chrysler > semi-automatics > were vacuum-controlled and were hence called > Vacamatics; > post-war were hydraulically activated Prestomatics. > > --Roger van Hoy, '55 DeSoto, '58 DeSoto, '42 DeSoto, > '66 > Plymouth, '81 Imperial, Washougal, WA > > > ----- Original Message ----- > | For a long time, I was sad that my '52s did not > have a > Powerflite, but after > | driving the car for a while (it had been many > years since > I had driven a > | Gyromatic, and then it was with a puny 6 in a > Dodge) I > found that I really > | like it. An advantage is that the fluid coupling > completely locks up at > | higher revs, so highway mileage is a little better > because > of the reduced > | slippage. > | > | But it's all good and they're all good!!! > | > | John > > >