When the SBC goes to the shop and my stand is freed up, I’m bringing up a 302 I have out back. I’ll have many questions about it later. But in Googling after work this morning I read the transmission was referred to (early 70’s) as a Cruise-O-Matic. Is that what a C4 is referred to as? Or do I not have a C4? Thanks.
Cruise-O-Matic was a name Ford used for automatics from 1958 to 1979 and included a lot of different transmissions. FX, MX, FMX, C3, C4, C5 and C6 covered the 60s and 70s. Most small blocks had the C4 and big blocks the C6. There was a C6 made with the small block pattern, but harder to come by. Does the bell unbolt?
The '64-66 C4s were 'Cruiseomatic's until '67 when Ford converted to 'Select Shift' across the line. Both had three forward drive selections but operated quite differently. The cruiseomatic had low, drive 1, drive 2, neutral, reverse and park. Low was low, drive 1 meant that the transmission would start out in low gear, then shift automatically to second, then third. In drive 2, the transmission would start in second gear then shift to third, low gear wasn't used unless you floored the gas, then it would downshift into low. There was no manual detent selection of second gear. You could select and hold second gear by starting in low, shifting into D1 and as soon as the transmission shifted into second gear, pull the shifter back into low. This would hold second until you shifted back into one of the 'D' positions unless you slowed, if you slowed enough it would drop back into low. These were also known as the 'green dot' transmissions as they had a large dot for D1 and a smaller one for D2 on the shift indicator. In '67 Ford converted all their automatics to 'Select Shift' with a 'conventional' 1-2-D-N-R-P pattern. This allowed manual selection of first and second gears (subject to governed speeds when downshifting), with 'D' allowing full automatic operation using all three gears. Unlike GM and Chrysler, Ford never got really onboard with 2-speed automatics. Even the first Fordomatics were full three speeds, but those started in second gear in 'D' unless you floored the gas, then it would downshift into first. Otherwise, you had to select first manually. You could hold second gear by using the same trick noted above. The first 'Cruiseomatic's appeared in '58. Ford did offer a light-duty short-lived 2-speed from '59 to '65 then discontinued it. Green Dot C4s are fairly rare for some reason. My avatar has one, which I didn't know when I bought it as it had a newer shifter in it. I was disappointed in its performance until the day when I accidently pulled it into 'second' and it started in first, not second gear. Big difference! LOLOL
I’m going to head out back in a bit and get look at it, been 15 years or so when I pulled it. Thanks. @Crazy Steve good info. Thanks
I don't think this was mentioned, but Cruiseomatics have an iron case, with aluminum bellhousing and tail housing. C-4's are all aluminum.
The FX was the lighter-duty trans, the MX was stronger. With the introduction of the C4, Ford dropped both and came out with a redesigned version incorporating elements of both as the FMX as the new 'medium duty' automatic. Ford mostly used this trans behind the 351 motors across all product lines. The small-block C6 was only used in trucks and vans. As the SBF wasn't even offered in trucks until '69 and wasn't all that popular until the late 70s, they aren't exactly rare but you won't trip over them either. IIRC, it was the only automatic used in these regardless of motor size until the OD automatics appeared. While the C6 is pretty much a bulletproof trans, its high internal drag is a mileage killer.
If you do have a green dot 'Cruiseomatic' C4, swapping in a later valve body will convert it to select shift.
Great info, Steve! I've messed with a couple of my own Fords and helped friends with many others. The one thing I dislike about 50s and up Fords is the constant switching of components and how it seems you need a decoder ring to swap stuff around. Engine balance, bellhousings, flywheel/flexplate tooth count, the front accessory drives, etc. They sure seem to think the general public are beta testers. I remember being a smog tech and the 1975 302 had 32 different vacuum routings! Thanks for breaking this down.
The transmission body is aluminum as is the bell housing and it bolts on. Can someone insert a “roll the eyes”’emoji for me? Seems I don’t have the starter and neglected to keep the torque converter on it, but did keep the important stuff, ya know, a 50 year old fuel pump and 50 year old water pump. Sigh… Edit: no time to look for a green dot, @Crazy Steve could you tell me where (may have missed it above) where to look for it please? Thanks
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell by just looking as the differences are inside the valve body. You could possibly tell by looking at casting numbers on the bell/case/tailshaft housing but I wouldn't bet on them except in specific cases (like a '64-65 Falcon/Comet tailshaft housing). I would assume there would be a C4/5/6 number on the valve body casting but I haven't checked that personally. And you may know this, but just in case Ford part #s of this era follows a specific sequence. The first character will be a letter, with 'C' denoting the '60s, 'D' 70s, etc. The second character denotes the year in that decade, so a C4 means '64, C5 is '65, etc. This denotes the first use of this part. But this isn't foolproof as Ford won't change the basic number unless there is a fairly large difference in a 'new' part. If it's a minor revision, they'll just tack a letter on the end denoting that. But if you find any part with a C7 or later start to it, it's very unlikely to be a 'Cruiseomatic' C4.
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