What the heck is this for?

[edsel58]

Hi,

I own a '60 Hardtop with a 352 c.i. and a cruise-o-matic

I'm having a heck of time trying to figure out just what this part is and what function does it serve?

It's a tube which mounts on a bracket (which uses the same mounting holes as the "swing set") at the rear of the intake manifold. It has a "Schrader" type valve. The other end of the looks like it is supposed to be attached to the driver's side of the tranny, but isn't connected to anything. I can't find a good pic of this, and none of my parts and shop manuals show it clearly.

Help, please!


Thanks!
Warren F.

[Guest]

Hey Warren,
I asked the same question sometime back. If it looks like a valve stem for a bike tire, it is something to check the transmission fluid pressure! Don't bother it!!! That's what I was told!
Richard D. Hord

[KULTULZ]

It is (was) a test port for the trans. It was used during assembly.

Do a search here as this was discussed before and tech info was posted (I believe).

[edsel58]

Hi,

I've searched the forums and found a few references, but nothing definitive or specific. In what manual or "shop tips" is this tube/test port shown or written about?

Does anyone have pics to where this tube connects?

Thanks!
Warren F. (The *other* Warren....)

[KULTULZ]

I have a copy of this pub-

http://www.squarebirds.org/1958service.htm

While this particular issue does not show it, a copy I have does.

I will try to scan it.

[YellowRose]

What the heck is this for?

Hi Kultulz,

If you can scan in what you have, I would love to have the complete copy if that article is not to long. I gather it is a different article than the '58 Service Manual #4. I would like to add it to the Technical Library. BTW, another version of the 1958 Service Manual #4 is up on Fortune City and might be a more readable copy. I would recommend that anyone with a Squarebird print off that little booklet because what applies there for the 1958 also includes, to most extent, the 1959 and 1960 Squarebirds. Some or a lot of the information there is not in the Squarebirds shop manual. Here is the link.

http://squarebirds.fortunecity.com/Technical/1958service.htm

[Doug H]

I was wondering what that valve is for too, it seems so accessable that I thought it might be important to do something to it. I also have an old tranny in the trunk that has one on it. I will take a pic of it tomorrow and try to send it to Ray so he can pass it on to you guys. BTW, Ray, did you get the pic's I tryed to send of the wheels and the tranny?---Doug H

[YellowRose]

What the heck is this for?

Hi Doug, no I did not get the pix! Can you send them again? They must have fallen through the cracks!

[KULTULZ]

If you can scan in what you have, I would love to have the complete copy if that article is not to long. I gather it is a different article than the '58 Service Manual #4. I would like to add it to the Technical Library.

I am thinking they have different publication dates.

I will find it and scan the page.

[edsel58]

It seems I'm not the only one trying to figure out what this tube is actually for, and where it connects to the tranny.

Thanks to those who have replied so far. It doesn't appear I'm much closer to having an answer, except for KULTULZ's reply that the tube "is (was) a test port for the trans".

Even some detail pics of where it connects to the trans would be helpful. On my trans, I can see a plug in the trans on the driver's side - Hmmm, just maybe?

The tube on the trans end is just hangin' in the breeze.

Thanks!
Warren F. (the OTHER Warren... )

[YellowRose]

What the heck is this for?

KULTULZ says it was a test port for the tranny used during assembly. Maybe someone forgot to take it off!? One person who can probably answer this question is Alan Tast, one of the best authorities on Tbird in the whole world. If Alan comes up on the Forum, maybe he can answer this for you. He was on the other day.

[YellowRose]

What the heck is this for?

Doug H just sent me these pix to post.

Hi Ray, here are some pic's. You can see that the white rim is different from the brown one which is on the car. I think that it is "just an old rim" from something else. The others are audi wheels so I didn't bother taking pic's of them. Don't know what you can make out of the tranny pic's, they didn't come out very good. I'll try to get better ones tomorrow. You can see that mystery tube anyway.---Doug H

Doug, the white rim looks just like the disc brake ready rims I got for Rose. However, I do not know if it is a Granada type disc brake rim without seeing the other side of it. The disk brake ready rims have a deep offset in them on the backside to accommodate the calipers. I see it has the mounting nubs for dog dish hub caps to. Who knows what the other rim came off of!

[edsel58]

The tube I'm seeing in the pics is coming out of the back of the tranny case. What doe the other end of the tube look like?

The tube on my car isn't long enough to reach there.

I'm seeing a plug just above the hole in the kickdown lever, towards the front of the tranny. Maybe THAT is where the tube should go?

If the tube should have been removed at the factory, then I don't know why I see pics quite often on original and /or restored cars with the tube/valve/bracket. I never see where the other end is attached.

[KULTULZ]

It was used to verify trans oil pressure @ assembly. There never was a provision to use it in field repair.

I will keep searching. It seems we have been through this before.

[YellowRose]

I have been using the Forum Search engine to try to find past posts about this. I did find this on the old DCForum. I do not know if it has a bearing or not. There are some pix there from Hans in the Netherlands, about 2004, that might shed some light on this. I dunno. He had a 430CI in his '59 Tbird. Look what the old DCForum used to look like back then! Here is the link. Back to the search.

http://www.squarebirds.org/dcforum/DCForumID1/329.html