Edsel Push Button Transmission

ken1939

ken1939

Senior Member
I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with the Edsel push button transmission via the steering column? I am trying to determine if the system actually worked well or if it was a bug ridden device? I have seen a few steering columns for sale and one actuator motor on Ebay for a lot of money and wanted to ask the experts. This would be used in a Lincoln application, not the original Edsel.
 
Probably not much help, but my Dad had one in 1963-66, which had troubles. It must have been expensive to fix, because he installed a shift cable from an outboard motor.

He pulled/pushed the knob by feel to find the gears.

At the same time, I had a '58 Edsel Ranger convertible. We were a two Edsel family. We bought them because they were cheap orphan cars. Mine was bought for $1000 in great shape (1962).

It got stolen.
 
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I love your pops ingenuity! Your right, my understanding is they were crap from day one in regards to reliability, so I may end up doing something modern to achieve the same ends.
 
ken1939 said:
I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with the Edsel push button transmission via the steering column? I am trying to determine if the system actually worked well or if it was a bug ridden device? I have seen a few steering columns for sale and one actuator motor on Ebay for a lot of money and wanted to ask the experts. This would be used in a Lincoln application, not the original Edsel.
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What transmission are you using? You may be able to adapt a stepper motor to the shift arm and control it electronically. If a late model with paddle shift, you could rig up push buttons instead of the paddles.
 
As I understand , the real delema of the system was the position of the solenoids and the cables.


It was positioned under the vehicles and prone to dirt and water contamination.Cables got filthy and seized burning up the electronics.


I know a person who rebuilds the solenoids and most of them just get a good cleaning, brunishing of the points, calibrated and they are good to go.


Its a complex system and not for the faint of heart. Same with the Mercury gear selection push button system.


If you need an experts name regarding these system - send me a P.M.


Oldmics
 
ken1939 said:
I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with the Edsel push button transmission via the steering column? I am trying to determine if the system actually worked well or if it was a bug ridden device? I have seen a few steering columns for sale and one actuator motor on Ebay for a lot of money and wanted to ask the experts.



This would be used in a Lincoln application, not the original Edsel.
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The TELE-TOUCH was used on both 1958 EDSEL and 1958 LINC.


- http://www.internationaledsel.com/assets/teletouch-transmission-control-article-for-website.pdf
 
TELE-TOUCH uses and open seeking circuit to move the shifter lever on the transmission. Many of the Edsel folks recommend shifting from any gear to neutral prior to selecting a new gear. They also recommend avoiding placing the transmission in park if on any kind of incline. Seams the motor on the transmission is not strong enough to overcome the park paw pressure.


The system works fine on my car (58 Pacer) and I do follow their recommendations. If you don't have one get the repair manual and the electrical assembly manual for the car. The only change I made was putting a smaller circuit breaker in the supply line for the system.


On a similar note I installed relays to control the heater selector motor. Stock the motor current runs through the foil on the code wheel. Now only the relay energizing power goes through the foil. I do recommend pulling the cables and lubing them with Teflon lube to further help the motor run for a long time.
 
I had a couple of Edsels back in the 60's and 70's. Had a Citation and Corsair. Don't recall having trouble with them. The motors were made by American Bosch in Columbus, MS. I worked there at that time.
 
The easiest change, if you decide to change it, is to use the steering column/linkage from a Ford. Another option would be a Lokar, or the like, floor shifter.
 
The more complex they got the more quirks they had. Retractable hardtop models have so many motors & switches, it's a wonder anyone can keep them functioning properly. On my former 64 T-bird, I had to take half the dash apart to repair the vacuum servo motors to keep the AC working. Between that and all the electric motors it became more work to maintain than I wanted to do. I sold the car and went back to earlier cars with more reliable systems that are easier to repair.
 
rotorwrench said:
The more complex they got the more quirks they had. Retractable hardtop models have so many motors & switches, it's a wonder anyone can keep them functioning properly. On my former 64 T-bird, I had to take half the dash apart to repair the vacuum servo motors to keep the AC working. Between that and all the electric motors it became more work to maintain than I wanted to do. I sold the car and went back to earlier cars with more reliable systems that are easier to repair.
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AHa Just try gettin into 58-60 Lincoln A/C and Heat which has a kind of
Univac computor with a stepper motor !!
 
Grumpy Rick said:
The easiest change, if you decide to change it, is to use the steering column/linkage from a Ford. Another option would be a Lokar, or the like, floor shifter.
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Early in the '58 model run, Ford ran out of Tele-touch parts for a brief time. To continue production, they used Mercury columns and steering wheels in Edsels and changed the logo in the center of the steering wheel. There were only about 200 of these produced that way; so I have been told by someone I trusted to know. I actually had one of these until recently. If you were to go that route, it will be hard to find the center cap on the steering wheel, but the Merc steering wheel and column will work. Thunderbird steering wheels are the same but I believe the column is a different length; maybe you could alter a 'Bird column. The Ford column is completely different.

Anything you do along these lines would look a lot better than a floor shifter in an Edsel. Just my opinion and worth every penny you paid for it.
 
It would likely work OK with an modern AOD transmission. They are pretty much all electrically controlled through the vehicles computer anyway. One that is still controlled by fluid pressures only like the old Cruise-O-Matics and the like would likely be out of luck due to their lack of popularity. It probably uses an electric linear actuator or rotary actuator for the shift lever. That may be what the plastic box is all about. It's probably set up for the more popular transmissions folks use now days.


It would take some ingenuity and a fair amount of work to change the cable operated set up to an electric operated unit up inside that steering column.
 
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I recall reading old car magazines my dad had, the Tele Touch system was problematic and didn't help the 1958 Styling that went over like a fart in church with many.
 
I remember seeing over on the HAMB a guy who rebuilt his teletouch motor/servo/electronics with modern electronics/motors. Sorry I don't have a link but from what I saw it seemed to work great.

Mike
 
"American Bosch in Columbus, MS" - I think they made the motors that run in my 57 Skyliner too.
 
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