My 62 futura came with a rebuilt 250 and fordomatic when I bought it. The 2 speed auto is leaking between the torque converter and flywheel. I am wondering if its worth tearin apart the 2 speed or should I find a 3 speed. Where do I start looking for a 3 speed, what models did thay come in? What will bolt up the the straight six?
I had a 2 speed and it had a cracked flex plate so I swapped it for a 3 speed Borg Warner 35 auto tranny but a C4 would have been better. I used the BW35 because it was there and I figured I would not need to cut the floor to fit it. I got better gas mileage and it was much better on hill climbs and I tow a trailer once in a while and that was the worst with the 2 speed hopelss for hauling. You will really notice the difference it is worth the trouble.
These were famous for cracking around the studs in the torque converter. Apparently the welding process wasn't too good. Anyway, that is what I found leaking on more than one back in the 60s-70s. I have successfully welded one back in but don't recommend it. Maybe if not cracked all the way around I MIGHT braze it.
Hi Sprout! Just double checking your info about the 250 engine...Those have a considerably different block than the 144/170/200 sixes. The 250 is not only taller than the smaller displacement ones, it also has the rear of the block where it attaches to the tranny cast different so it mates with V-8 style bell housings. Generally, 250's mate to C-4 type 3 speed trannies and the old 2-speed trannies only mate to the smaller sixes. I found this out the hard way trying to put together miss matched Ford six components in building my "T".
Maybe the leak is just a torn seal from where the rebuilt engine was put in. Its a pain to pull & replace but at least the seal itself is not expensive. The C-4 in my Jalopy was pulled from a '75 Granada with the 250. I traded out the bellhousing on the C-4 for one that fit my smaller 200. Put in a new torque convertor appropriate for the 200 & C-4 and I was in business. These engines & trannies were put in all sorts of Fords-Torinos, Rancheros, Mavericks, Granadas, Fairmonts, blah, blah, blah....Do an autopsy to find out what went wrong. If its too bad to fix, plan a trip to the junk yard and start the treasure hunt. I LOVE those old Ford sixes....they are plentyful and you'll have no trouble finding parts for it cheap. Some will say it was Fords highest production motors. Good Luck!
One last tip...The easy way to distinquish the 250 from the smaller sixes is to compare where the starters are mounted. The smaller 144/170/200 sixes have the starter mounted high, right under the exhaust manifold....kinda in the 10 O'Clock position if you picture the bellhousing like the face of a clock. The 250's have the starter lower, sort of in the 7 to 8 O'Clock position. Once again more like a V-8 would be... Keep us informed on how its going! Best Wishes!
Assuming you do in fact have a Ford-O-Matic 2-speed, a Cruise-O-Matic or FMX will bolt up to your existing bell, either directly, or by simply redrilling a couple of holes. They are direct descendants of the Ford-o-Matic. However...a couple of things.... Not to complicate things for you, but I need to slightly correct your terminology so you know what to look for. The Ford-O-Matic, per se, was built until 1958, and is actually a three speed, but only two of those speeds are normally selectable by the driver. (There is a trick to shifting through all three gears, but, another day, another thread...) At any rate only two speeds are visible on the shift indicator. After 1958 the name was changed to the Cruise-O-Matic. At this point all three speeds were selectable by the driver, without any Mickey-Mouse type tricks, and the shift indicator has three forward positions. However, the six cylinder econoboxes, and possibly the baseline 292s, got an aluminum cased version which has, in fact, only two speeds, total. I'm guessing that this is what you have. (All other F-O-M/C-O-M/FMX transmissions have cast iron cases.) Just to make things more complicated yet, the Cruise-O has three different versions, with three different case lengths. The light duty version was known as the FX, with a 9 7/8" case, the med. duty was the MX, with 10 7/32", and the heavy-duty version was the LX, 10 7/8", which became the HX in 1961, with 11.6" length. Case length refers to the trans itself, without bell or tail housing. The LX/HX was almost always used in Lincolns and that trans installation has a special output shaft, though it can be converted. Frankly, though, it's worth more to the Lincoln guys...if I found one I'd buy it & flip it. The other version of it was in high-hp stuff from Ford...again worth more to a restorer. In 1964 much of the SBF-powered cars got the C4, and in 1966 the FEs & MELs got the C6, so for your purposes I would look for a donor from '58-'63 with a 292 (maybe; see above), or a 332,352, or 390; or possibly a MEL-powered non-Lincoln car from the same era. Keep in mind, again, that the actual transmission unbolts from the bell, so you don't much care whether the bell fits your six or not. Take a look at the shift indicator to see if it has three forward positions. The FX or MX should work, but check your driveshaft length with the MX. The later FMX has the FX case length and can be found mostly behind 351 engines, Windsor or Cleveland. You can probably use your existing flexplate and a FMX converter, unless you really do have an early Ford-O-Matic. All this is somewhat interesting, I guess...but to be honest I'd try replacing the trans front seal, first, if the trans is still healthy otherwise. I believe (though I have never done this, so be warned ) that the true two-speed Cruise-O-Matic can be converted to the three speed version, if it proves to be sick right now. Try here http://www.broaderperformance.com/ for parts & advice. You will also need to modify the shifter quadrant for the three-speed unit.
Homespun: Correcting your terminology, Ford actually made a "true" two speed transmission, which was also called Fordomatic. It was used in Falcons and Comets, and some Fairlanes and Meteors from 60-63, which after that the C4 was offered. This transmission was also an all aluminum case, not like the old Furdomatic, which had some aluminum and cast iron. I don't recall if the new 144/170/ and 200 sixes, along with 221,260, 289, etc. sbf's could bolt to the old Furdomatic. The FMX might be able to.
OK...no offense, but apparently you didn't read my post. Since you've actually "corrected" me once before without cause, in a different thread, I guess I'll take a shot at defending myself, this time. I might add that I wasn't slamming Sprout, but rather trying to make sure he got the info he needs. So far as the name of the post '58 transmissions, I'll say this- so far as I am aware, and others who would know, have told me as well- everything past that year is officially known as a Cruise-O-Matic, as least in Fords. My various Ford shop manuals agree with this as well, though I freely admit that I don't possess every Ford manual for those years. Sales literature may be a different story...I have very little in my own personal collection pertaining to '64 & earlier. For that matter, in 1966 the C6 was known as the Cruise-O-Matic C6...leave it to Ford marketing. However, my point remains- whatever you want to call it, I told him what to look for & how to identify it.
Homespun: Motors Manual and Chiltons call the true 2 speed a "2 speed" Fordomatic or Mile-o-matic (used in Edsels). This transmission has NO removable bell housing, it is cast with the main case. Only the extension housing is removable according to the manuals. So I don't understand your response to a removable bell housing. As far as I know the only automatics (3 speeds) that have removable bell housings are the OLD Fordomatic (3 speed if you use LO), CruiseOmatic (fx mx lx fmx) and the C4. The C6 is a one piece casting. Sorry if there is any confusion or misunderstanding as none intended.
d2, Sorry about the late response...out of town due to death in the family. I guess I understand the confusion now, but I haven't come up with a definitive answer for it yet. Here's what I can "fill in" so far. I have owned/bought/found several of the true two-speed transmissions over the last several years, also ,the three-speed Cruise-O-Matics & older Ford-O-Matics. All of the true two-speeds that I was referring to (bad English, I know ) have had the removable bell housing of cast aluminum. I *think* I still have one or two & I'll try to get some pictures...although, they look pretty much identical to a Cruise-O bell, or a water-cooled version of the Ford-O-Matic bell. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that these cases can be made into a three-speed by swapping internal pieces, but I've not tried that. I saw no obvious reason why they couldn't be. I'll have to look to see if I can find the bell(s) and a two-speed case...I moved in '06 and most of my parts are either stored in several different places, or were sold off. They were definitely two-speed units. I went to a local library to see if I could look at a Motors or Chiltons for those years, but no joy there as they don't have them. I have never personally seen a one piece case, or heard of one...I did ask an older guy who is fairly knowledgeable about '50s & '60s Fords...he didn't know of it. He had the same basic thought that came to my mind when I read your post...even allowing for Ford's often bizarre engineering changes, it would be a little odd, & possibly expensive, for them to cast a whole new case with integral bell, just to use in the baseline economy cars, and to make a two-speed transmission. The weight savings would be minimal, at a guess...and they certainly would have to make new case molds, not just modify the existing ones. But, it IS Ford, so anything is possible....and I'm not exactly a trans expert. All that isn't to say that it doesn't exist, and I believe you when you say you've seen the manuals. I will keep looking around...I'd like to know about it, if for no other reason than to be able to give a completely accurate answer. If you happen to have one of the cases & could post pics, that would be great as well.
Homespun91: I will scan my pics from motors transmission manual and post the pics, have no cases, but if I remember correctly (and I will check since early rangers used them) the C3 transmissions were one piece bell/case. Only the extension housings were removable. Furd probably just said to make the C3's similar to the 2-speed Fordomatics. Off to scanland.
Homespun91: Here are the two pics that will show that it is a integral bellhousing trans: the first is a torque listing, which shows NO bell housing bolt torque. The second is a pic of the trans from the bottom. Oh, the C6 is an integral bell too. [/ATTACH]
I have a '64 Falcon 4 door wagon and the owners manual calls out that it has a Ford-O-Matic 2 speed auotmatic transmission. Not sure if this helps or not just thought I would put my 2 cents in.
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