Hi all, The girl doesn't like manual transmissions, and it is her car, she wants me to swap in an auto trans on her '52 customline. I just found a really cheap rebuilt Fordomatic with converter from a '51. Has anyone done this swap before? Do I just need the trans & converter and an automatic steering column? Are there drive-shaft length of rear gearing issues? Thanks.
Most of the transmissions from 1949-56 are the same length you should be OK so no issues with the driveshaft,your 3 speed would probably have 3:90 rear gears around town it would be livable but at highway speeds it would be turning some revs so a rear gear swap from a Ford-O-Matic car would be a good idea.Swapping columns is a P.I.A. I would go this route,EZ and budget friendly http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SPE-6423/ these can usually be found at Pep Boys and Autozone too print the link and get a price match and save on shipping.
Hmm, Are there any early AOD transmissions that will bolt to a flathead without an expensive adapter? Maybe i can make it expensive enough to change her mind.
It'll probably be a wash anyway. What you spend on an adapter you won't have to spend changing the geares in your diff. Plus, you'll end up with a newer design trans.
streetdreams has a good idea using the AOD it would be the best solution with one exception and that is cost, check this out:http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Flathead-V8-to-Ford-AOD-Transmission-Conversion-Kit,25353.html this does not include the fabrication of brackets and a Lokar TV cable setup and a matching shifter and a new yoke and driveshaft mods you are probably looking at $3K total.Without the AOD you are still looking at $895 for just the adapter kit.Too bad this is far from you:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6774107&postcount=1 that would be more budget friendly,you might join the HAMB Relay Social Group and you might get lucky having it shipped or maybe see if He would part with the hogshead from the rear end then you would be in business for a lot less $$.
Can't you buy just the kit less transmission? Seems you could get a good AOD out of just about any Ford-Merc-Lincoln for a lot less than 3K.
I saw Speedway has the adapter kit for $399. I'm glad there are options, so time to do some deciding.
You read that wrong the adapter kit is $895 like I posted above,the $399 is only the spacer plate & bolts you also need the special starter and matching flexplate this one get's mention on the HAMB http://www.transmissionadapters.com/Pricing.htm however there are no illustrations of what is in the kit at $695,www.transmissioncenter.net also has flathead & Y-block to AOD kits and both are $895 and like I stated above you still need more parts to finish the install.Only use a 1988-93 AOD the earlier AOD's had a lot of issues as did pre-'87 700R4 and 2004R GM transmissions,kinda makes that HAMB relay look better all the time,maybe someone here in the group has a Ford-O-Matic rear end they would part with.You could consider swapping the flatty for a good used 302 & AOD combo which would cost less than the adapter kit.
just a thought!! you can use 3 speed coloum to shift the auto trans by only hooking up one of the shifter rods , you pull back and count the clicks "PRND,D1" thats how i shifted mine with out swapping coloum....if you do swap to the ford-o-matic make sure you get all the pressure throttle linkage that hooks from the carb to trans,, if you dont have it the trans will not shift right and it is "pita" to find the linkage...the driveline should be the same length mine was.....just my two cents....i just did a adapter and trans swap pretty pricey but im happier with the results then the ford-o-matic..
Could also do the FMX/Fordo hi bred. You would spend lots less, and for a car for the wife to take out around town MORE than adequate. Don't need all that linkage pressure and stuff, simple gas pedal linkage and vacuum line to feed the modulator on the trans. Just something else to think about. Gerry
Thanks for all the advice! JeffB2, now I see the different pricing on the kit parts ouch! LostHope, Thanks for the advice on making sure I get the pressure throttle linkage and idea for the shifter. Ford fan, is this FMX/Fordo hybrid a mod to the fordomatic trans? any more description would be appreciated. Thanks, Chris
You need 1 FOM and one FMX. any old trans shop should be able to do it, and there are a couple of things to watch out for on Y block forever there are a couple of links on how to do it, If you are interested in reading it I'll try and locate the links. When I wanted a FMX I placed an ad on Craigs list and said I wanted to pay $25.00 and got one the first day... Gerry
The FMX is a 3 speed auto like a C4 you will not gain anything over a Ford-O-Matic except the extra gear it is not an Overdrive transmission so you will still need a rear gear change if you use it it is not worth the expense to even use an FMX to accomplish your goal.
http://www.y-blocksforever.com/tech/html/fmx_upgrade.html See if this brings you to the right spot. Besides what you read here there are a couple of things that I did. Usefull information, like the FOM front pump so I could use the FOM torque converter, FOM shifting leaver, I did purchase a universal trans cooler and made my own lines from trans to cooler, I would guess that one could go right to the 56 trans cooler on the radiator if you wanted to. I screwed up by useing the FMX tail shaft and that brought a bunch of speedometer, cross member issues. Also need the FOM oil pan so the dipstick lines up right. All in all was all worth it and much less expensive for a car that I use around town for local drives. The AOD would be great if I wanted to drive cross country but this car doesn't. Food for thought. Gerry
Thanks, This is all really helpful. I'm going to have to lay out some options for her. I'll have to do some math and figure out what the actual highway rpms would be. Are the auto and manual rear gears different to account for torque converter slip or is the final gear ratio on the maunal or auto trans not 1:1? Thanks, Chris
The Jalopy Journal
