New Project

Hello fellow Hudsonites,

It's has been a long time since the last project I have made and today I'm starting a new and quite ambitious for me.



Here is a Hudson Standard 3 speed transmission with Overdrive that I now have. It is in good condition and nearly complete minus one or two missing parts such as the overdrive solenoid.



Gear wise, they seem to be in good shape and the tranny turns and shifts well too. I'm quite happy to have this marvel in my possession.

Now, for project that I have in mind ...

The first thing I want to do is to slowly do some light rebuild such as replacing the gaskets and find the remaing bits and bobs of the transmission, wich is fairly simpler to do. But I have a VERY ambitious idea with this tranny, so ambitious in fact that even I have to really think about it for a long time: maybe replacing my 3 speed automatic transmission for this 3 speed  standard overdrive.

Don't get me wrong, the automatic do work great, but since I have this on hand, I may be tempted to see if it is doable first but if really want to go that route, I'll need all the information I can find before even trying to put into the car. I'm also aware that I'll need alot of other parts for the poject to work such as the clutch parts and any bits and bobs in between.

So my question is do the transmission can be fitted on a 1954 Hudson Super Wasp? This question alone is important so i can know if it's doable or not. With a project like this one, I for sure will take it slowly.

Thanks in adavnce for your inputs.

Your Autistic Hudsoneer,

Max

Comments

  • So, the transmission pictured is a single lever. If the bell housing is 48 and newer, it will bolt up to your engine. You will need the rear engine plate for a 48-54 stick shift Hudson, as the starter location is different than the auto cars. To use this trans, you will also need all the linkage and shift handle that attaches to the top of the column that would coincide with a single lever trans, and the cable and link to go from the column to the trans. (48-51). The crossmember will need changed. Clutch pedal and all associated linkage. Driveshaft shortened. If you have the 3.07:1 ratio in the rear end, the standard trans might not play well with that tall gear. (I had a 262 in a Hudson pickup with a standard trans and 3.25 gears and no overdrive. It didn’t need it. It would run 70 mph effortlessly all day long.) 
  • That look like dual lever to me.
  • I am looking forward to an update on this project. I want to do this.
  • August 21

    Hello fellow Hudsonites,

    After some research and info gathering, I have decided to start the project. It will be a long project as I want to take my time learning about the transmission and how it works while I rebuild it and I will do it one step at a time. During that time, feel free to give tips or advices along the way.

    The first step is the Overdrive section of the transmission and I have to say, it's a pretty interesting system.

    Here is the Overdrive disassembled,



    This part here is the Overdrive Housing Adapter situated between the transmission and the Overdrive. It is also where the Overdrive Solenoid is too. 


    It took me a little time to carefully disassemble it, but i made it through. while removing the parts I found out that some snap rings or spacers were broken and/or missing.



    On the Pinion cage assembly ( seen on the picture above ) two of the three little gears seems to be too slack on their own axis, which can be a problem if not taken care of. I would like to know if this part can be fixable. If it's not, I'll have to find a replacement. other than that, the gears are in good shape still.

    I also took a picture of the Overdrive case :



    As seen here, the Overdrive seems to be identified as a R9B-1, but the interns are placed like a R10 model. Does this one here was an older model prior the R10 or is it indeed a R10 but built slightly differently for Hudson? If you guys know the answer, please let me know.

    Most of the internal parts are in good condition and just need some good cleaning, but as said earlier, there is some small parts such as snap rings and spacers that were missing. I'll do a research on how to acquire those.

    Your Autistic Hudsoneer,

    Max