I'm in the process of acquiring parts for my bucket build and currently have a Ford inline six (170) with the factory 2 speed trans. While searching for a rear end I came across an 8" at a good price, but the dude selling says he'd swap the FOM for a C4. He says the rear end has 2.80 gears. Any reason to do this? I'm not going to be burning rubber, just cruising. I'm using this build to get my feet wet. Thanks.
C4 is better in every possible way, with the possible exception of needing to be adapted (slightly) where the two-speed is an R & R. I would not hesitate to upgrade to the 3-speed auto.
You should be able to find a C4 bell housing for a Ford inline six. They used them on Mavericks, Comets. Just go to your local pick up ur parts or whatever they call them where u r.
I wouldn't expend the effort to toss a Ford-O-Matic in a dumpster! The C4 is a much better deal as previously stated. The only problem you might run into is - what year is your 170? If it is a '65 or earlier, the only way to do a C4 is with a '64 '65 only C4 (cruise-o-matic? I can't remember what the name was.). In '66, small Ford sixes got what is called a "dual pattern" block. This has a bolt pattern that not only accepts your early Ford-O, but also accepts any small six trans with the later pattern used until about '80 or so.
WHY get rid of any transmission that is already good and working properly? If you have problems with the old fordo get a c4 later.
The engine is a 63, according to the block. I will stick with the FOM (or COM) as is for now while it still works. Thanks for the in depth info though, I'll keep it handy. This place never ceases to amaze with the wealth of knowledge.
If you need any help with that 2 speed let me know. Ive been debating ditching mine for months, but ive got it dialed to a t now. No leaks, no slips, shifts hard and winds out great. Im in St. Charles. Also to go o/t your furniture is ****ing dope.
There is nothing wrong with a for o matic. Im keeping mine in my 56 ford. Never had a problem with it before.
The F/M/2 is a completely different animal than the FORD-O-MATIC or CRUISEOMATIC. The F/M/2 is a true 2/S (used from 59 to 64) whereas the FOM and COM are three speeds.
Ford changed their automatics in the fall of '64 for the '65 model year. They went from five bolt bell housing to a six bolt bell housing. if you want to keep the '64 and earlier engine but upgrade to a three speed auto you have to locate a pre '65 unit. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77540 I have searched for one to put behind the 260 V8 in my '64 Fairlane for quite a while.
Curious about this Fordomatic talk??? My sister and I have a 65 Falcon wagon that originally was equipped w/a 3spd man. Tried to get her to master the 3spd,but felt that she was going to damage the clutch/flywheel or trans. A pal had a 65 Ranchero with a Fordomatic 2spd. I had already robbed a Maverick out of it's C4,but found that it didn't fit ???? so I swapped for the set up out of the Ranchero. This trans worked fine for a few years,but a couple of yrs back she was driving it and it just started to puke its fluid out of what I thought was the converter seal, pulled the trans and replaced the seal,mind you this job was extremely drawn out . She had to move, I went and finished hooking everything up and low and behold, I moved it forward and it began hemorrhaging type f all over the street. I was beside myself ;(. So what in the flock could this be=perhaps the front pump o-ring??? Maybe the HAMB technical dept can be of service here???? I have this same trans in my 55 T-Bird but it seems like a 3 piece deal if I remember to get that one apart due to the x-member in the Bird ch***is,also much more stout with a very low 1st gear.
You have to I.D whatever trans you are working with first. The F/M/2 was discontinued @ the end of the 1963 model run. It was replaced by the C4. If one came out of a 65, somebody has done some swapping it it's service history.
If I get a chance soon, I'll take some pix of the case, but I far as I knew from the Ranchero, It is indeed a 2 speed and seems smaller than a C4. The dipstick tube sits real low and when my niece had her 62 it appeared that both transmissions were the same. It had never been out before I swapped it in the wagon,both of the same year and went in with no issue at the time. This 6er is a 200ci unit, I'm not too up on the whole falcon/mustang/comet parts interchange game. I'll work on getting it out again sometime in the near future.
I had one out of a 55' behind a Y-block that thing was awesome no lines and it shifted like gold. I'm looking for another to put behind another Y-block
The ford o matic two speed was pretty much a done deal by the end of the '63 model year. I have seen them transplanted into Falcons as new as 65 or so, for what reason I don't know. The first year or two of the C/4, it didn't use that designation quite yet and was called I believe a Cruise-O-Matic. It had a little bit different shift detent pattern, and in small six cylinder applications until the end of '65, the smaller early Falcon bell housing bolt pattern. The C/4 was called just that with the next generation in '66, and it's bell housing pattern is just a bit bigger. After the '65 model year, all of the small sixes got what was called a daul pattern block with both bell housing patterns, early and late. In '83 or so, my '62 Falcon's Ford -O- matic did the exact same thing you talk about your sisters trans doing, puking it's guts out. At the time a friend was parting out a wrecked '65 two door wagon, so I got it's 200 and Cruise-O-Matic. That was one of the best updates I have done to a car ever! I could never imagine keeping a Ford-O-Matic 2 speed for any reason other than alow milage unmolested car. With the Cruise's lower first gear ratio, it allowed me to put a deeper gear set in the rear end and actually drive the car on the freeway with out being run over from behind. Phoenix has always been like L.A. in that in town traffic moves about 75 or so. Later in the early ninties, I was again rebuilding the car and refitting it for more fun, I aquired a C/4 from a '73 Maverick and tried to bolt it in... To my suprise, the bell housing was a bit bigger (this is how I know the differences). So what transpired was a rather tough bit of hocus pokus to mate the C/4 to the Cruise-O-matic bell and converter... To do it again I would have just built a post '66 motor and been done with it. It did involved a custom input shaft and some ****ing around with input bushings and such. Soon that whole combo is going into the trash and being replaced by a turbo charged 250/T-5 combo for the car's 30th aneversary in my ownership. definitely go up to the 3 speed deal at all costs, just pick the right trans or engine trans combo to get the deed done. Don't bother with the two speed. Now if anyone has managed to adapt a AOD to '66 and later style 200 block, I'm all ears... 'Cause if you haven't owned an overdrive yet, just stop driving, and the girlfriends wagon needs one badly!
I have a '64 289 in my '57 that had a 2 speed behind it. A local ****** guy rebuilt it to a C4 by changing the valve body. It's the same case but it's a 3 speed now. Mine is 5 bolt, that's why I kept it. SPark
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