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Fordomatic... Transmission question...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HeX, Apr 9, 2004.

  1. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    Furd-o-matics are 3 speed boxes. 2 speeds (normally except WOT) and 1 speed in LO. 3 speeds when taking off in DR and WOT. There, 3 speeds.

    Good ol' trannies, if you like buzzing noises, and normally starting in 2. My Merc-o-matic buzzes but shifts fine, leaks too. I like the badging MERC-O - MATIC on the trunk of my 53.

    I like the neutral safety switch, can only start in N, won't start in P. Up to about 1960. The neutral safety switch really is a NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH.

    Hope you have a good parking brake when parked on a hill.

    I would check the TV rod adjustment. 50 mph is a little low for a WOT, and a little high for less than full throttle. Need to get this adjustment right. BTW: You can adjust this a little tight and you will have 1st gear without WOT at start. Only problem is it shifts outta 1st around 50-60, 2nd around 90!

    Studebaker and whomever used the BW version of the Furd-o had a one way sprag in their boxes, which gave you a first gear start in DR, no matter what throttle position.

    Last thing, Mercury's version of Cruise-o-matic was called MULTI-DRIVE.
     
  2. jmassad
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 2

    jmassad
    Member
    from Texas

    d2 willys:
    Thanks for your reply. The car is totally original, original trans and engine for a 58 Merc. So, I guess the part I am looking at is not a vacuum modulator since you note it did not have one until 1961. What was the equivalant to a "vacuum modulator" for 1958? My mechanic showed me a part that is leaking, and it looks like a "vacuum modulator" or whatever part would have been equivalent to that for 1958. The car is at the mechanics over this weekend and am picking it up on Monday. Where do I find the model # for my transmission? Thanks again for any help.
     
  3. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    To clarify this issue, what shift quadrant do you have, PRNDL or PRND2D1L? It would certainly help if you could describe where the leak was, passenger side or drivers side of the transmission. I will look into my motors manuals and see exactly what was used in 1958 Mercs and go from there.
     
  4. Retro Jim
    Joined: May 27, 2007
    Posts: 3,854

    Retro Jim
    Member

    A ford o Matic is a 3 speed trans that Ford designed to start out in second gear all the time . If you want to use first gear then when you are about at a complete stop , just pull down into low gear and you will feel it drop to 1st gear . That is the only way I know of starting out in first gear unless there is another trick I don't know about .
    the fun way is to start out into 1st , then as you are standing on it put into drive then back into low hear and you will have some fun ! Won't hurt the trans but sure is fun shifting and really getting some good pick up like that . Was an old skool racing trick !

    Retro Jim
     
  5. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    As was noted on a previous post, in 55 and newer Furd-o's there is a mod that allows a 1st gear start with a WOT start from standstill. My 53 does not do this, because it wasn't implemented yet.

    Borg Warner, which is what Furdos are, updated their version with a one way sprag that allow a 1st gear start while in Dr with any throttle position.
     
  6. Paul2748
    Joined: Jan 8, 2003
    Posts: 2,375

    Paul2748
    Member

    Wrong - the early Fordo's were three speed. Later Fordo's were two speed. Started off in second, shifted to third in ordinary driving. If you floored it from a standing start it would automatically go into 1st. You could manually start in first by putting it into low.
     
  7. 58custom
    Joined: Jan 1, 2009
    Posts: 398

    58custom
    Member

  8. There are three noticeable errors in charlietranny's page here> http://www.charlietranny.com/Fordomatic.htm

    1. "In 1953 for a three month period, they were used in Cadillacs after the Livonia, MI Hydramatic plant burnt to the ground."
    Dynaflows were used, not Fordomatics. Read here: http://www.autotran.us/TheGreatHydraMaticFire.html

    2. "The medium case version was also known as the Mercomatic and was produced from 1951-68."
    The 1st medium case was made and used in 1955, Mercury used the small case from 1951-54.

    3. "The large case version was produced from 1958-65 and was only used in Lincolns."
    From 1958 to 1960, the large case was used in some Ford, Edsel, Mercury and T-Birds cars which depended on the engine size.
    It was only an exclusive Lincoln transmission from 1961-1965. (It was also quite different from the 1958 - 1960 large case)
     
  9. edward perkins
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 3

    edward perkins
    Member

    Guys, I'm new to HAMB but I need some help. I recently bought a 1957 Thunderbird in very good condition overall. I do have one problem that my local mechanic has not found a solution to. The car has the 312 V-8 with a 4 barrel carb. The problem is when the car is first started the transmission when placed in reverse will not engage for a good 10-12 seconds. It just sets there doing nothing and finally it engages with a solid hard clunk. When first started and I put it into drive it engages immediately. After the car is thoroughly warmed up (driven about 10 miles) and I then put it into reverse it will engage immediately, but not when it is first started up. I am concerned that I will loose reverse altogether because the time to engage is increasing it appears. When I first got the car seveal months ago AND before I had any work done on it, reverse would engage in about 3-5 seconds but now it is longer. The tranny shifts great when placed in drive. I have tried Lucan transmission oil additive recently but that didn't help.
    Am I correct in assuming that this tranny reverse gear will go out before long? What is the fix, pull the tranny and tear it down or what??

    Thanks, Ed in Appleton, WI
     
  10. Hi guys, Id like some info on my 53 Fordo and 219 8BA,
    I have a 51 shoebox which came out with a 6cyl manual OD. Im YET TO drop in the 53 fordo 8BA combo in. I dont know how itll run but fluids looked good.

    questions:
    1, The aircooled T/C has a number of fins broken off. Whats interesting is that they are mostly on one side of the T/C however they are each seperated by a good fin, ie, every second one abouty 5 or 6 in a row. Was this ever done for balancing or is it wasted?

    2, its a 53 Ford steelcase 3speed, does that make the shift pattern P R N L D ?

    3, I did not personally pull the package from the 53 however it was running apparently, I do not have a manual for 51 or 53, can i order one somewhere?

    4, can someone tell me exactly how i should hook up the kick down cable? does it come off the pedal or off the carb? Please please hook me up with a photo of how this is done, since many of you emphasise the importance of the correct setup. should the lever be all the way around as far as it goes at WOT? or what?

    5, Without ordering a rebuild kitt, what service work can i do, obviously Fluid, but can i drop the pan or will i destrop the gaskit? If i do drop the pan what should i do inernally that wont cost much, ie what to clean what to leave.

    Thanks so much in advance for your expertise.
     
  11. Spooky
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,234

    Spooky
    Member

    I'm diggin' up bones!- as in resurrecting a post from the past, that is-
    In my '57 F-100 the present trans has a casting of PAH-7006-D on the case.
    The donor engine/trans combo from a '56 F-100 has the casting number PAK-7006 A.
    What is the difference?
     
  12. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,768

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Does your donor transmission have cooling lines? My early Ford-0-Matic did not; perhaps your donor is early in the 56 production year.
     
  13. RmK57
    Joined: Dec 31, 2008
    Posts: 2,643

    RmK57
    Member

    If you drag race with a Ford-0 the procedure is… Start in low gear, floor it, then when you want to shift, hit drive, then when it shifts into second, pull it back into low gear, this will enable you to hold second gear. After that just pop into drive again for third gear. Worked in the blue Ford in my avatar with the 272 y-block.
     

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