asaputo

Hello, I am brand new to this site and I am having a very difficult time navigating around. I have a 63 Olds Dynamic 88 Holiday Coupe with a 394 two bbl. I believe it's a Slim Jim Transmission. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that. I live in Southern California, and I am having a hard time finding someone who can work on my transmission. I need Transmission seals. I need to find a shop that knows these Transmissions and what would be a reasonable price to pay for the job. Is there anything that should be changed at the time the tranny is out when they are replacing the seals? I can use all the help I can get. Thanks, Anthony

Olds64

Anthony, if your Oldsmobile runs and shifts fine I might suggest continuing to put ATF in it for as long as you can. Getting that Slim Jim serviced is going to be difficult. Here's a thread to start with:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ebuild-156406/

I had a 64 98 with the Slim Jim. If I had known about the Slim Jim when I bought it I would have passed. IMHO, the Slim Jim is a dinosaur that only belongs in Oldsmobile Starfires. If you have an 88 or 98 drive it until it dies then swap it for a different transmission.

asaputo

I owned a 1964 Olds 98 myself 35 years ago and I never had a problem with that tranny and sold it years later not knowing how much trouble this transmission could be. The 1963 Dynamic 88 Holiday Coupe I just bought only has 38K and it was fine with no tranny leaks when I bought it, until I took it on a long 65 mph drive and that's when it started leaking, The transmission shifts fine, nice and smooth, but the leak is too bad to just add tranny fluid, I went thru 3 quarts of fluid in 50 miles. The seals have to be replaced. After many, many phone calls I finally found a small transmission shop about 35 miles from my house who is willing and knowledgeable enough to work on replacing the transmission seal. I will definitely take you advice, after I fix the seals, I will drive it until it dies then replace it with a different transmission, not another Slim Jim. I didn't know you can get rid of the Slim Jim and replace it with a totally different type of transmission, Reliable, available parts. and easy to rebuild.

Thank you so much for your help and I will take a look at the link you sent me. I looked for you name in the text, but I don't see it. Thanks, again.

Olds64

If you have a shop service your transmission please report back with the name of the shop and their location.

Don R.

Fatsco is the best source for parts. The need to replace seals on ANY transmission that is 61 years old does not mean the trans is junk. I have owned 3 cars with the Roto, they have all worked fine as long as the fluid and filter was regularly changed and the linkage properly adjusted. Good luck.

asaputo

Thank you, Don. After I sent my text last night one of the members sent me to a link and on that link, I read another member was attempting to swap his transmission for a Chevy Th350 or Th400 transmission. He was going thru hell getting it done. He had to modify the transmission tunnel, get a new carpet and I don't know what else he had to do. It was taking him months and I don't know if he ever straightened it out. I had trouble sleeping last night. Thank you for sending me this email today that the transmissions aren't terrible only a little difficult to get part. The worst thing is finding a qualified transmission mechanic to work on them. I feel a lot better about my transmissions now. My car has only 38k miles and I believe it to me so because it has the original windshield that has the same original little stamp as all the other glass on the car. The windshield has very little of those microchips on the glass. You know the ones you see in the sun at a certain angle. Hopefully the previous owners didn't drive the car hard which it doesn't look like it, but you never know, and hopefully they did at least.a few services. The transmission fluid looks clean and doesn't smell funky. In my last email I mentioned that I found a man in his 80s very knowledgeable on these Slim Jim's. You might want to save his info for the future. Don, thank you for turning my day around. I like your car. Is it a Starfire? It's hard to tell. I tried to enlarge your picture but couldn't do it. It might be because I'm new to this forum and I'm having trouble navigating around. I hope it gets easier soon. Anthony

Charlie Jones

Where is the trans leaking?
Is it at the rear of the trans near the driveshaft?
If so, easy peasey, just remove the driveshaft.
If it's leaking between the engine and trans, it's a little harder to replace because the trans must be separated from the engine
The trans does not need to be dismantled however . The seal is right at the front of the trans and can be pried out, and a new one tapped in.
If you do remove the trans, check the damper. The damper is the thing that's bolted to the flywheel that looks like the center of a manual clutch disc.
If any of the springs are loose, replace the damper. FATSCO has them.
Online Store | Fatsco Transmission Parts | United States

asaputo

The leak is all the way in front of the tranny. How far do I have to move the tranny back to have room enough to remove and install that new front tranny seal? I don't have access to a lift, can I do that job in my garage, and do I need to lift the entire car off the ground so that it would be level or can I lift the front of the car only? Can I buy that seal separately from Fatsco? I just bought this car. I called many transmissions shops, and no one wants to touch it, but I did find someone who said he'd change all the external seals for roughly 1000-1200 dollars with me supplying the parts The car only has 38k on it and the one time I gave it a good run on the freeway is when it started leaking. I haven't driven it since, it's been a month now The 50 miles I drove it I lost 3 quarts. I'm afraid the other external seal might give out soon being 60 years old and never driven. The one time I did drive it, it shifted great, no slippage and nice and smooth thru all the gears. You know how these trannys shift from 1st into 2nd, they seem to Bogg down going into 2nd. I had a 64 98 years ago so I'm familiar with that characteristic. It almost seems like you're going into 3rd until you build up some RPMs. The fluid looked clean and didn't smell. So, Charlie, after all I've told you what would your advice be. I'm new to this forum and it's very difficult to navigate around It. I don't know who designed this website but it's definitely not user friendly. Thank you, Charlie.. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. Everyone's been great. I have another Olds, it's a 71 Cutlass Convertible and I've have it since 1992. I should have joined this forum years ago.

asaputo

Charlie, it's Anthony again. I can't make out the car in the picture, what is it? I don't know how to make it larger. I click on it, and nothing happens. Have a good night.

Charlie Jones

It's a '63 Dynamic 88 2 door hardtop. Under construction.

asaputo

Will Do, Anthony

Charlie Jones

$1200 is an "I don't want to do this job " price. Ridiculous.
I changed this seal a number of years ago on my first '63.
I didn't have a lift, but I did have a transmission jack.
You only have to pull the trans back about 10 inches or so to access the seal.
If I remember, I jacked the car up about two feet and put jackstands under it.
You will need a jack for the engine too. You must remove the rear motor mounts to remove the trans.
Don't put the jack under the oil pan. Use the bellhousing.
FATSCO doesn't list seals. But Fusick Automotive does.
Layout 1 (fusickautomotiveproducts.com)

asaputo

Hello Charlie, It's Anthony. Now I can see your car. Is it a 63 or 64? Looks like a Super 88 Holiday coupe. Great job.

Charlie Jones

Thanks. It's a '63 Dynamic 88 Holiday coupe.

asaputo

Charlie, I went to Fusick's website. Is it called a transmission front pump seal # 8619560 for only $29.50. When you say you lifted the car 2', was it only the front or the whole car 2'? How do I balance the engine when there's only one motor mount for the engine? Do you think the other external seals are going to give me a problem since we are talking about a 60-year-old car that's been sitting? I will get under the car tomorrow and take a better look at what's involved. Thanks Charlie

Charlie Jones

I usually jack beneath the bellhousing with a floor jack, put a piece of 2X4 about a foot long between the bellhousing and jack.
Remove the inspection cover, so you don't damage it.
As long as the floor jack is centered on the bellhousing and the exhaust is connected you will be fine.
You only need to raise the engine about 1/4 in to remove the rear motor mounts.
You will need to beg, borrow, or buy a floor model transmission jack. Those things are HEAVY.
If you have a floor jack, I would lift the entire car 2' in the air. Makes things much easier.
And you might as well (MAW) change the pan gasket and filter along with the trans fluid.
Since you don't know when the trans oil was changed last.
Being a low mileage car, it may still have whale oil in it.
Use Dexron III/ Mercon, nothing else.
As long as you have the driveshaft out. You may as well install a new rear seal as well.

Get a copy of the 1963 Oldsmobile Shop Manual.
1963 oldsmobileservice manual for sale | eBay
Even if you don't do your own work, loan it to your mechanic.
If he says he doesn't need it, because he already knows everything, take the job to another mechanic.

Don R.

My car was a 1963 Starfire. I owned it for 9 years and the transmission worked perfectly, leaked a little but not like you are describing. Many years ago my first Oldsmobile was a 1964 Dynamic 88 and my second was a 1964 Jetstar 1, both with the Roto and both with no problems. Listen to Charlie, he knows these cars.