Tucker drivetrain

[iowaacman]

Hello
I was wondering how the drivetrain was setup on a tucker.
I know they had the horizontally opposed engine, but what did they have for a transmission and how did you operate it? As far as I can see they had a manual transmission with a little shifter off of the steering column. Is this correct?
Also, did they actually attempt the mutible torque converters?
Thanks for your time.
Jim

[Tuckerfan1053]

The first models used a modified Cord transmission, which was a manual as you describe. Later models had an improved version of the Cord tranny, which fixed the known bugs in Cord units. The last two cars built had an automatic transmission, who's workings I've never satisfactorally understood. There might have been a completely orignal manual Tucker transmission used on some of the models, but I don't remember (and I'm too tired to dig through everything I've got to find out for sure).

[plancor 792]

Tucker used the Cord traansmission on some cars and later used their own version of the Cord called the Y-1. It was built in Ypsilanti, MI. It was an electric vacuum shift as was the Cord unit, with no mechanical linkage from the steering colum to the transmission. There in lay the problem. Electrical contacts became corroded and the vacuum system wasn't always up to the task of shifting. Vacuum leaks in the shift solenoids, vacuum hoses and low engine vacuum contributing to this problem.
Tucker's 1026, and it is said that 1042 had the Tuckermatic transmission. This was an automatic built by Warren Rice and sometimes is referred to as the R-1 as it was in 1026. 1042 was said to have had an R-2 or possibly an R-3 installed before it was destroyed outside Memphis, TN.
The R-2 & R-3 would have had improvements over the R-1. With the R-1 you could not engage the transmission when the car engine was running. It had to be put into either forward or reverse then start the engine.Tucker 1048 was sold at the auction without a transmission and the owner installed a three speed manual Borg Warner unit in the car.

Richard

[iowaacman]

Thanks for the great information. I doubt I will ever own a Tucker but do plan on seeing another sometime. I may be asking some more questions here as well!

Thanks
Jim

[Tom]

Was wondering how the Borg Warner tranny works in the tucker was that a big task? And ive never heard of a borg warner is that after market or something just curious.

Tom

[Tuckerfan1053]

Richard will know the details of the install, but Borg Warner's a fairly common transmission. Lot's of hot rodders use them in their cars. I'm fairly certain that Borg Warner has supplied transmissions for all of the Big 3 car makers at one time or another.

[noguice]

Yes, for instance a viper runs a borg warner 6 speed. and I think the 6 speed camaros were BW trannies too.

[plancor 792]

I am really not that familiar with the Borg Warner unit. I do know Borg Warner has supplied transmissions to just about every car builder in the country. apparently they were able to hook one of them up to the Tucker. I have not examined that setup.
Richard

[Tuckerfan1053]

Any idea of the model number of the Borg unit?

[TUCKER]

Borg Wagner made clocks for cars and other mechanical parts that used gears. Till now I think they had the best clocks for Chrysler and GM

[NailheadRocketdriver]

Does anyone have a documented picture, or artists representation of what one of these automatic transmissions looked like? I have seen the Cord transaxle, but not what one of the automatics. They sound like a more compact version of Chrysler's Prestomatic, which was an automatic without planetary gearsets. You had to step on a clutch pedal to change gears from N to D and had to step on the pedal again to go from D to R. You could not switch gears like a regular car by just simply moving the shifter lever across the gear quadrant.

Paul

[Melinda71]

Ever get any pics of drivetrain, underneath of car, or brake system?
If so, please email to celebrateeachday@aol.com
Thanks