My 55 Fairlane has no power out of the hole. Auto transmission. It starts out in HIGH GEAR if in Drive but works if I manually shift it into low gear, but when I shift it up it thunks badly. I was told it was the governor on the ****** sticking but pulled it, cleaned and lubed and it moves freely. It worked fine before I pulled the engine/****** to replace all the gaskets. I did take off a piece of linkage (kick down?) and was told maybe not re-attached correctly. Any ideas? Anyone have a picture of how that linkage should be attached? Getting pretty frustrated. Thanks.
Ford O Matics start out in 2nd gear ! If you want some get up and go , just before the car comes to a stop pull hard down into low and it will jump into 1st gear . That is an old trick and I have been doing that to my 55 Ford for 4 years now ! If you are going to keep the engine just buy an adapter and buy a C4 to hook up to it . Jim
Jim, If you really want to get trick start off in low from a stop and wind it up, put in drive and then pull it back into low. This will hold it in second. Wind it out in second and then shift again to drive for third. Don't lift your foot for shifts. Old Drag racing trick... But back to the man's question, a FOM should drop into low if you nail it from a dead stop. Normally it would start out in second. He says it starts out in high gear.
Y-Blockhead , I do that one a lot too ! That one is kind of tricky but I took a friend out for a ride one day and did that with the shifter and he asked me , What the hell did you do to make that work like that ? It was fun telling him then showing him when at a stop light how it worked . Then I had to explain why I was doing it and he still didn't get it . Well only a true Ford O Matic guy would know that one ! It's really not that hard to do but unless you have a tight shifting trans , it gets a little tricky then . Really , it's all in the flick of the wrist ! Jim
wvgunner, does this help you? Instructions how to adjust throttle control valve (kickdown rod). That's enough scanning for me tonight...
On the early Fordo's, to start in first while in drive just stomp hard on the gas pedal. It automatically goes into first, otherwise it will start out in second.
That diagram is very helpful. What's the source? I bought the Shop Manual (CD) but it has nothing like that. Is there a picture of how that linkage connects to the ******? I REALLY appreciate the diagram. Thanks a bunch. I hope it helps.
The diagram is from 1955 Ford Fordomatic Shop Manual. Different manual from the Ford Shop Manual. it's not on the CD. I don't think it has ever been reprinted. I bought mine used years ago a an Auto Swap Meet. here are usually guys that sell old manuals but a lot of people don't know about this one so they don't ask. It doesn't have a picture of where it connects to the trans. Follow the adjustment procedure closely, hope that does it for you.
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