Alright I asked this on '57's forever but got conflicting results of 50/50, 2 people say it will work, 2 more say it won't. I've got a '57 Ford Custom 300 with a 272 Y-Block and fordomatic transmission. It runs and drives well but I can't see me spending the cash to hot rod a y-block, and it needs new exhaust manifolds and I'd rather not spend anymore cash on it seeing as I'm going to replace the engine down the line anyways. A running Merc 410 is available for a pretty reasonable price. So while I got the front end tore apart on my car I was thinking of swapping the engines if I could get by with keeping the fordomatic so i wouldn't have to mess around with getting a new driveshaft built right now. So can a FE be bolted/adapted to a fordomatic?
IIRC they both have the same bell pattern. since both were available from '58 thru '62, and the '57 frame isn't much different if at all from a '58, i'd say you got at LEAST a fighting chance of it working right off the bat. (there's y-block fanatics here; be careful not to diss a y-block...)LOL
Nothing wrong with the Y-Block, but I can't see spending the money it takes to build one just to have it sit in a beat up '57 moredoor. When I have a T or A project, I'll spend the money and build it into a nicely detailed y-block that can be shown off.
It will work fine..........Until you discover the new found torque.........time after time.....after time................Then it will be like a bowl of pasta behind the F E............................Give it a whirl!!!
I don't recall a c4 ever being used behind an FE. Cruisomatics, then c6 were used. Both will go into the 57 but there are a few mounting or shifter issues to address. Nothing major.
Just remember the 410 Merc is externally balanced as it uses a 428 crank, so you must use the 410 flywheel/flexplate. That may or may not interfere with this swap.
My memory is real hazy about this but I'm pretty sure the bellhousing bolt pattern is way different. I do remember using the engine mounts from a 58 or 59 with the fe to install one in a 57.
I think his point is to not have to buy another transmission. I had a 58 with a 352 and fordomatic so I am pretty sure it will work.Just make you a cardboard template of the 410 block mating surface and compare it to the Fordomatic.I am sure you will find that they are the same.
The FE trans pattern and Y block trans pattern are different...if only it were that easy to put a better transmission behind a Y block!! However, there is one way to do this. The FE used the Cruise-O-Matic trans from '58-'65; it is a direct descendant of the trans in your '57. They both have separate removable bellhousings. To use the 410, you would need to find a FE auto "bell", remove the Y block bell, and install the FE bell in its place. It will either bolt on directly, OR you will need to redrill the top two holes for the trans to bolt to it...no big deal. You will probably be able to use the Y block converter, but I would use the FE flexplate regardless...as mentioned some FEs are externally balanced. You might need to drill new holes for the converter, probably not, though. Of course, it may be easier to either just use the entire FE Cruise-O-Matic, if you can get it along with the bell....or, use a FE C6. One minor point (not knowing your FE base of knowledge)...there was a true "FE" 410 used in Mercurys, in '67 if I recall the year correctly....there was also a MEL 410 used in some Mercurys & Edsels in '58 or '59. The two 410s have absolutely no relationship or commonality to each other...make certain what you are buying. However, the MEL 410 does have the FE trans pattern (not all MELs do), so you could swap it in with the same information. Hope that helps a bit. Honestly, it is probably cheapest to locate a complete C6 or Cruise-O that is verifiably in good shape and use it, rather than try to find the FE bell....they are out there, FoMoCo made thousands of them (any '58-'65 FE/auto trans car), but it will take some additional effort.
Homespun91, your post just made my night. It comes with a junk cruiseomatic so locating the FE bell is done for me. But I'll have to find out what year the engine came out of.
Glad I made somebody's day...I have three teenagers, so as a general rule, nothing I do is right. If you have side engine mounts in the '57 currently, if memory serves, you can either use them with the FE as is, or flip the brackets side to side and use them, (can't recall which) and then the trans will stay in the same relative position, which solves your wish to keep the original driveshaft. I believe that the radiator & shroud, if any, will be OK too as far as this positioning of the engine and the fan, but it's been some time since I've seen this swap & hopefully someone will speak up further about the details.
Homespun91: Been there done that with the teenager's, both of mine are now well into their twenties and doing well. Funny how they get closer to you after the teen years. My daughter was especially FUN. A tip regarding the junk cruiseomatic, get everything running with the Furdomatic, then try rebuilding the cruiseomatic at your leasure and when the Furdomatic goes, you will have a replacement. Only issue would be the tailhousing length (and where it mounts) and driveshaft splines.
You might be better off going a C6,I have seen a lot of posts where guys are going thru hell finding Ford-O-Matic parts and it probably isn't going to get better.
D2, thanks for the encouragement...only have about eight more years of this to go.... So far the son has been the problem, but, I have two daughters entering their teen years...daughters are God's way of smacking ya in the back of the head for being a male teen yourself... Now that you mention it, the OP could also swap the tailhousing & shaft from the Ford-O-Matic into the Cruise-O if necessary, though it requires disassembly to do it. Could also swap FMX guts into the Ford-O, too, which solves lots of issues. Parts sources for Ford-O-Matics, etc.: http://www.transtarindustries.com/ http://www.autotran.us/fmkits1.html http://www.broaderperformance.com/
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