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How detectable should the Ultramatic converter lock up be? Not at all? barely? or clearly felt?

It should feel like another gear shift.

Craig

On my rebuilt tranny (because i don't have the linkage adjusted just yet) there's a very very slight pause and then a nice solid lockup. I'm sure if i adjusted it to lockup at a slightly lower rpm/mph, it would feel like it did before the rebuild: like a soft light throttle modern gear shift, and quick.

If it's not locking up, you'll know it. Can't get anywhere, like driving around in first gear in a stick car, overreving.

The lock-up doesn't work on my car either, but I have easily got the car up to 60mph without any sluggish feeling.

60mph without lockup on an ultramatic? Both the 288 and the 327 in my 50 both seemed like they were going to rev out and explode by about 60 mph if i was flooring it and not letting it lock up. Of course, i have no idea what my rear gear ratio is either.

I'm conversing with HH56 about the way my car "feels" and as I explained to him, I've been repairing various fluid leaks and making other repairs on my car since I purchased it this past September and finally drove it for the second time a couple of days ago. I have nothing to compare it to so I'm trying to get an idea of how it should drive according to the description of others. I'm almost positive that it's not locking up but it isn't sluggish either. It feels like it's starting out in low gear even with the selector in the "High" position and there is no detectable drop in RPM's which is what should occur when the converter locks up. Also the engine RPM's sound like they are too high for the car when running 45 to 50 MPH. Previous discussions seem to indicate that the car should "cruise" comfortably at 65 MPH but this '53 sounds like it's straining to run 40 to 45. Either way, it just doesn't seem like it's operating correctly in the "High" range.

on the 1953 Cipper I drove, it shifted between 20 and 25 MPH.You felt nothing but the engine RPM dropped and it felt like you were in third gear in a standard shift car.On my 56 Patrician, it is between 25 and 30MPH.Slow smooth acceleration, the same as above.If you are into it, you will feel the shift.

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Driving normally I only ran mine up to about 60 but it never dropped in RPM so I'm thinking it isn't locking up since the RPM's sound too high. That's based on others stating that a '53 should cruise comfortably at 65 to 70 MPH...not this '53...it's obviously uncomfortable at 45.

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That's what I was expecting it to feel like...running in 3rd at about 25 to 30MPH and of course extending the point of converter "lock up" depending on how much foot you put in it. So now it's time to figure out the most likely reason for the "malfunction" and go from there.

Do the pressure tests as described in the ultramatic section of the manual. All the tests you need to do are external. A pressure test confirmed I had bad bushings and was leaking to much pressure to engage the lockup clutch at load. I could get the lock up to occur if I raised the rears tires off the ground. So this also confirmed it was not a blockage in a valve body.