62 Custom Coupe Stuck in Drive....advice...

[emmd61]

Chris from Virginia is new owner of loaded 62 Imperial Custom coupe. It has been in storage for 10 years but was driver before that. Tranny is toast I think. Fluid is brown and appears to be stuck in drive. Rear wheels do not turn. I am thinking may get it into neutral and it will roll for loading. Dash switch is in drive and does not go between gears. Advice sought. Thanks.

Imperial Fan---Raleigh NC

 

[twostick]

Brakes are probably stuck to the drums. Being in Drive won't prevent the car from rolling.

Kevin

 

[Davea Lux]

Push buttons and the shift cable are probably seized from sitting. That as noted will not stop the car from rolling. If the brake shoes are stuck to the drums, the adjusters can be backed off to gain some clearance so that the shoes will break loose. If the wheel cylinders are stuck in the deployed position, you are in for a nasty job trying to get the wheels off to replace the wheel cylinders .

Dave

 

[Wildbunch02]

Just an idea, but if backing the adjustment wheel iff doesn't work you might have to grind off the pins that secure the brake shoes to the backing plate. You can do this from behind the backing plate. Hopefully this will enable the shoes to loosen up. Good luck

 

[MAXWEDGECHAR]

The Max got stuck in drive and he sat parked until I could get a cable. I KNEW it was the cable! Everybody said it was the button mechanism. I’d driven buttons for years and never had a mechanism go bad. Well, we were all wrong. I’d gotten a used cable out of a ’62 Chrysler. The Max Wedge cable is the same part number. The Max has a manual shift valve body that the original owner had probably done himself and the shift mechanism at the valve body was stuck. After all the nonsense that I went through and time and effort all I had to do was take out the neutral switch and pop the rooster comb back into place. Oh, and I am not sure why but the Max starts in gear! I’ve replaced the relay so I guess the original owner did something in the wiring.
As far as the brakes are concerned don’t forget the parking brake on the trans. And Chris should buy a drum puller, too. I carry mine in the trunk.