Trans Question 1959 Cadillac Sitting 10 Yrs-Water Over Floorboard While Store

[DylanFan52]

Just  joined the forum today.  Thanks in advance.  Starting a restoration project on a 1959 Series 62(?) Caddy with 82,000 miles.  The car has been in a garage for 20 years and last started and moved 10 years ago. There was a flood about 8 years ago and I was told water got as high as the floorboard but not seat level.  Got the engine cranked today with the only problem being a stuck valve and a bent push rod.  I am not a mechanic but I have a good engine mechanic helping me get started with the project.  I know I need to replace the transmission fluid.  I have a shop manual so I know the recommended type of fluid.  I cannot find much information about the automatic transmission regarding the trans.filter (does it have one?) and where to purchase one.  According to the shop manual I have to pull the starter to drain the fluid.  The manual recommends the fluid be drained once a year or 12,000 miles.  Thanks for any help.

[curly]

Service manual will call for Type A trans fluid, no longer available.  Most folks use Dexron III, but there have been several threads about that on here and other sites I visit.  Personally , I use Dexron III in my 59, no problems.  No filter in the trans, just a mesh screen that is pretty coarse, so lots can get by it.  Since it has been sitting, I'd suggest pulling the pan just so you can get a look a the debris (if any) in the pan.  Some fine debris/tiny bits of metal is normal, it is wear from the clutch plates.
You can pull the pan w/o pulling the starter if you want.  The reason you pull the starter is to remove the inspection plate covering the Torque converter.  There is a drain plug on the converter face that is supposed to be pulled when you change the trans fluid.

T Lewis

[DylanFan52]

Thank you so much T. Lewis for your response especially the comment about not having to pull the starter! You answered a question about the transmission fluid that I probably would have asked tomorrow after I searched for the transmission fluid that is no longer available.  Since the manual called for changing fluid once a year I wondered if there was a filter.  I have seen transmission gaskets available so that should not be a problem.