Re: Changing the Ultramatic for a Standard Transmission

Posted by BH On 2009/6/24 12:02:46

Eugene -

Your situation sounds similar to what I experienced with one of my '56 Patricians, which was also equipped with the push button selector - though I haven't had it out on the road in well over a decade.

At times, it would not automatically shift up into high range from low. If I pushed the H button when that happened, I could hear the shift actuator motor turning, but high range would not always engage. If I pushed N, waited, and then pushed H again, high range would kick in (eventually). Yet, if I started out in high, all seemed fine.

Mind you, this was a car that had sat unused, but stored in a garage, for over 20 years - with about 60K on the clock when I found it. In resurrecting that car from its tomb, I had gone through the mechanicals from stem to stern - including a complete draining of the tranny fluid, cleaning the filter screen, and refilling with Dexron ATF.

Unfortunately, I didn't know enough, back then, to also clean the governors, but I later found what could be a relevant article in an issue of the Studebaker Service Bulletin. It recommended dropping the pan and checking the (selector) control valve position in conjunction with adjusting the position of the shift actuator motor. There's also good article, in another issue, on checks and adjustments that address malfunctions of the push button system.

Please check out the "Ultramatic" section of this website's Service Index feature - look for topics that start with "Push Button Control". In addition to the factory shop manual, there's also an Auto-Lite manual on the push button system archived here. If you can't do the work yourself, perhaps someone in your area can, with benefit of these bulletins and manuals, but let us know what you find and if we can be of further help.

If the problem proves to be elusive, yet seems to be with the push button system, then - as others have noted - our distinguished member, Mr.Pushbutton, might be of further help. Otherwise, I'd recommend you contact Ultramatic Dynamics - as others have pointed out.