1952-59 Ford Torque converter problems...

As I have mentioned before a small group of friends from out car club have been building a project car on the cheap using lots of hands (donated labor) and some donated parts (when available) . It has a 292 Y-Block and a C4 mated up using a kit from Gene Benson at Flat-O-Matic in Salem Oregon. That is always another option and saves close to 100 lbs from a cast iron cruise o or Ford o matic. When our car is done it will be sold and the proceeds are donated to a charity of our choice, this is the fourth build we have done. It takes a long time because we only work on it on Thursday nights. Here are a couple of photos from last night, the FIRST FIRE UP of the 292 that hasn't ran in at least 15 years. Hittin on all 8, 50lbs of oil pressure, no coolant, no exhaust, but it sounded pretty damn good! What more could a guy ask for! Mark

 

Very Kool!

 

I’m pleased with the installation of a 62 medium case Cruise-O where the 56 air cooled Ford-O was. Shift arm on the trans was shortened 1/2” and the arm on the column shifter was lengthened the size of the original bushing which gave me the added spot on the indicator.
Art Carr’s shop did the work. The 56 air cooled torque converter stayed with a change on the hub and the case got the water cooling. Art said this a good way to go since I didn’t want to start looking for parts and he did not have them in his stash.
Speedo drive was a combination of parts they were able to do and I added a speed-o gear box on the side when I replaced the complete rear end.
This trans can hold up behind a 352-390 so I’m not worried about it and I’ve got the 3-speed auto I wanted. Would I do it again…..no I’d use a C-4 with the adapting bellhousing and not the plate style…

 

Discussed the FMX swap for FordO in my friends 56 pickup with a y-block.The workers in the shop will start on his supplied FMX when the have the FordO out. As said here they will redrilled the 56 bellhousing to work. The guys in the shop of well aware of what it will take.

They build torque converters daily and are going to do a combo on this one to keep the original parts of the 56 and mate the back half of the FMX. The converter will remain to be air cooled with this construction. According to my friend the converter is the only minor hang up.

PLEASE DON’T ASK ME HERE ABOUT THIS AS DO NOT KNOW HOW OR WHAT THEY DO. They have a torque converter dyno and know what they are doing.

The rebuilding of the transmission will be mostly stock. He’s going to change the drive shaft to what ever it needs and not mess with the tail of the stock trans at all. We have a local shop that will come to a trans shop or your home, measure everything, and deliver the driveshaft back the next day. I’ve used them 3 times myself.

There will be a minor speedo difference that will be handled by a reversing and speed differencing trans which attaches to the rear of the speedo behind the dash instead of under the car. ( I should have done this too). Texasindustrialelectric.com can make these.