Was this transmission also called a C4; aluminum, right ? I read that the C6 was produced from '66 to '96, so wasn't used in the 63 TBird. Is the 63 TBird a specific version or will any Cruise-O-Matic fit and linkages work ?
A 63 T-Bird probably has a cast iron MX style transmission. That's what was in my 65 Bird. At the start of production, the C4's were only in the lighter cars and smaller engines. It will probably have an aluminum bell housing. I believe by 63 they went to a vacuum modulator, earlier versions only had throttle linkage. As far as what will fit, it needs to have an FE bell housing and the correct length tail housing. Cruise-O-Matic is a sales term and was applied to most full 3 speed Ford transmissions.
I don't think a C4 was introduced until '64. Cruis-o-matic behind a 352 or 390 would be an MX / FMX style cast iron case tranny.
I have a '63 Thunderbird, and it's definitely the cast iron Cruise-O-Matic. Like the early C4, it has a green dot gear selector, but it's not a C4, as the others have said.
Yep, Early C4's do not last long behind big FE's that make a bunch of torque in heavy full size cars. That is why Ford developed the C6 as the MX / FMX Cruis-O-Matic was becoming dated.
The MX/FMX was built for Ford by Borg-Warner. It's an older 3-speed design dating from the 1950s; versions of it were also used in Studebaker, IH, Jaguar, AMC, et al. jack vines
Ford did offer c4 for fullsize in 64 and so on. I have personally see 64 galaxie with 289 and c4 factory option.
Yep, you have a MX transmission, which was the larger of Ford's two automatics at that time. Unlike GM, Ford didn't build a bunch of different automatics with most up to '64 being variations on the original trans introduced in '51. '51-57 was the original Fordomatic. Contrary to popular belief, these were true three speeds, but started in 2nd gear when in 'Drive' unless floored or if 'Low' was manually selected. Most of these were air-cooled, with a multi-piece torque convertor with a finned aluminum cover. I believe that Ford switched to water cooling mid-year in '56 as I've seen both types installed. These had cast-iron bellhousings and tailshaft housings (early versions, late ones were aluminum). This was a B/W design which Ford licensed. The deal was B/W built half of needed units for the first 5 years, after which Ford took over all manufacturing for themselves. B/W continued to build a similar version for other manufacturers. '58-65, Ford redesigned the Fordomatic, splitting it into two types: the FX (small) and the MX (big) with an additional split as the Fordomatic and the new Cruisomatic (AKA the 'green dot'). Initially the F version could be had in either the original configuration as a 'two speed' (while still being a true three speed) or the new Cruisomatic which featured true three-speed operation with its revised valve body if the D1 selection was made. The D2 selection started the car in second, low was manually selected only unless you floored the gas from a stop. Aluminum bellhousings appeared on most applications. '59-64 Fordomatic. The only true two-speed automatic that Ford ever built and replaced the three-speed Fordomatic. This was a lighter-duty transmission, limited to smaller cars and some larger cars with smaller motors. Based on the Fordomatic, it was the first Ford transmission that had the bellhousing/case cast in aluminum as a one-piece unit. While I'm showing this as discontinued in '64, some units were installed in '65 behind the discontinued five-bolt block 260 V8 until supplies of that motor were exhausted early in the year. The C4 started taking over these lighter-duty applications starting in '64. I'll note here that the first two years of C4 production were configured as 'Cruisomatics' with D1/D2 selections. '66-79. Big changes... With the introduction of the C6, Ford consolidated the FX/MX into a single design, the FMX. Keeping the strength of the original MX but in a smaller/lighter design (even though it retained the cast-iron case), this became the new 'medium duty' automatic. Mostly used behind Ford's 350-400 inch motors (other than hipo versions), this was still a mainstay for Ford's transmission choices. The 'Cruisomatic' configuration was gone, with their full transmission line going to 'Select Shift' with the now-conventional P-R-N-D-2-1 layout. These still used a separate bellhousing, so some trans swapping with earlier versions is possible. While not as strong as a C6, in 'normal' street use these are a durable box with much lower internal drag. The C4 was considered as Ford's 'light duty' automatic and was limited to 302 and smaller motors, although some did leak into 351 applications in the late 70 when smog controls reduced power to early 302 levels. Trucks got the C6, regardless of motor size.
I used a '63 MX Cruise-O in my Mysterion reproduction. I only used one tranny, one working engine and one dummy engine. That's what Ed used. He built the frame for the car planning on using '56 Olds engines with Hydramatics but Ford gave him three 390s with MXs to use in his customs. He use two in the Mysterion and put the other in his '55 Chevy daily driver.
Art Carrs shop installed a 1962 Thunderbird Cruise-O in my 56 Victoria behind its factory 292. The car had an air cooled trans originally. They ended up using the 56 air cooled converter by changing the hub and water cooled trans body. The 62 used a vacuum modulator for shifting and side control arm is for down shifting only. It was a great addition to the car and allowed me to install a rear end that would take higher gears. With a fabricated extension on the column shifter and shortening the link on the trans I was able to add a 6th position on the indicator. It now has green and white dot.
Just clarify things, Ford did not refer to the C4 and C6, by that name. Ford referred to them both as Cruise O Matics. The aftermarket coined those names because all of the part numbers on those transmissions began with either C4 or C6. Ford part numbers consist of three separate sections. The center number is referred to as the basic part number. This started back in the Model A days. An example is a carburetor. All Ford carburetors have a basic part number of 9510. The prefix will tell you what year the part was first used I E C4 meant is was first introduced in 1964 and C6 means that it was introduced in 1966. The second two characters indicate car or truck line. AZ full size car TZ was truck, and so on. The suffix represents changes in the part that doesn't require a change in the prefix, usually A would mean first series B second series ad so forth. Because of all those transmission numbers beginning with C4 or C6, the aftermarket and eventually Ford gave them the nickname of either C4 or C6.
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