I have a '53 Clipper with Ultramatic. The TCC appears to lock up at appropriate speeds, depending on throttle setting. The problem is that when the engine and transmission are thoroughly warmed up, the TCC does not disengage until the car is at a crawl. This causes the engine to lug on deceleration to a stop. When the transmission and engine are cold, the behavior is much better. I believe the tranny has Type F fluid in it.

I found a receipt from a previous, previous owner for a transmission rebuild only a few years ago, but it doesn't go into detail about what was done.

Does anybody have any ideas? I searched the archive but didn't run across anybody who had this specific problem. The TCC engagement seems grabby.. It is quite noticeable when it happens, though I wouldn't call it a jerk or a lurch.

Update: The good news is that the caster and camber are OK. The bad news is that they aren't the problem. There must be some looseness somewhere that I haven't found. A minor misalignment shouldn't cause the car to lurch about the way it does. I will look more closely at the steering linkage.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll look at the shocks and geometry but I agree that the tires are a prime suspect. They are ooooold "Broadway" bias plys and are chalky and hard. The right front is worn bald on the inside from the wonky toe. They need replacing regardless, but I'll be looking at radials.

When I first got my Clipper, it was downright dangerously darty and wobbly at speeds above about 15 mph. I replaced the upper A-arm rubber bushings (which were bad) and reset the toe (which was excessively toed-out). Now it is much improved, but it still has a weird feel above about 35 or 40. It almost feels like a sailboat that is top heavy; it's darty off-center and strangely heels over. I can detect no play in the steering linkage at all. Does anyone have any ideas? I can't find anything obviously wrong, but the feel of the car is not confidence-insipring. The tires are rather old and mostly worn-out bias plys.