News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

1959 Shift valve body

Started by Roger Zimmermann, April 07, 2020, 12:23:38 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Roger Zimmermann

By cleaning the valve body from the '59 transmission I have to overhaul, I saw that the small spring at the amplifier valve is missing. I checked into the Serviceman bulletins, but there is nothing relative to that (anyway, some important changes were not published in those bulletins).
I saw that the '56 transmission has not this spring, but 57 has it. Unfortunately, I don't have the 60 to 63 shop manuals to check if this spring was deleted.
This transmission was overhauled once, I want to be sure that the spring was omitted at the factory and not lost during the first overhaul.
Do somebody know about this spring?
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

J. Gomez

Roger,

The service manuals I have shows the spring as “governor boost valve, booster valve and/or amplifier valve” was used for ’57 -  ’59 with a note under the ’59 was not used on some units, the ’60 did not show one.
Attach is what I’ve found on one of the service manual and the ’56-’61 and the part list also shows the valve body with different part # for those years (sorry no breakdown of the internal pieces from the parts list).

HTH
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

Roger Zimmermann

Thanks Jose for your notice about that G-1 spring! Why this information is not available in the Serviceman bulletins? I assume that it's correct as is. The car for which I'm overhauling the transmission was not driven for a long time; it was not driven recently as it's now in restoration, therefore nobody can tell if the transmission shifted as intended. The previous owner is no more among us; his son is attempting to restore that 60S.
It's also unfortunate that the parts list has no breakdown for the internal parts from the valve bodies.
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

savemy67

Hello Roger,

My '63 Hydra-Matic manual does not show an amplifier valve spring in the shift valve body.

My Master Parts List (MPL) shows different part numbers for the shift valve body for each of the years 1956 through 1959, and within '56 and '57, different part numbers for the shift valve body are used based on engine carburetion.  For '58 and '59, only one shift valve body was used for each year (but a different part number for each year).  My MPL shows that for 1960 through 1963, the same part number is used for the shift valve body.  This would indicate that the spring is not used starting with the '60 Hydra-Matic since the '63 shop manual does not show a spring.

(When reading the MPL it is important to note which valve body assembly is being indicated - the coupling valve body, the reverse blocker valve body, the manual valve body, or the shift valve body.  Each is a separate assembly).

My MPL also has notes for each of the different shift valve body part numbers that indicate the shift valve body comes with the valves, springs, and valve bore plugs.  I did not find any separate diagram, or part listing for the internal components of the shift valve body.  This agrees with the service manuals which state that the valve bodies should be replaced as an assembly - meaning that even for the Cadillac service technician, if a valve in a shift valve body was found to be defective, the recommended procedure was to replace the shift valve body as an assembly.

I have a '59 Hydra-Matic that is not easily accessed at the moment.  I know it was rebuilt, but I have not dis-assembled it so I don't know if it has the amplifier valve spring.  My guess, based on the diagram in your post, which I assume is from a '59 shop manual, and Jose's post, that the '59 should have the spring.

The '56 shop manual provides a good explanation of the function of the amplifier valve.  Based on changes in horsepower, Cadillac probably determined that the spring was not needed starting in 1960.  If you do not install the spring in the '59 Hydra-Matic, I expect that shifts will be affected, but maybe not under all conditions.

Respectfully submitted,

Christopher Winter

Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

Roger Zimmermann

Thanks Christopher for your comments. You probably saw that the '56 transmission does not have that spring. Usually, springs are leaving a marking on the plates (in this case the shift valve body plate) on which they are resting on, but in my case there is nothing, just the traces from the valve itself.
The diagram I published is from the '57 manual as my '59 manual is in the workshop.
I could do a small spring by guessing, but I will let the valve body the way I found it. If there is later a problem with the shifting process, it will not be a big deal to add it. I will inform the owner about that.
I regret too that the various valve bodies were just supplied as a complete unit!
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101