Want to adapt a F-O-M to my flat 6. Advice?

[JSeery]

Might do some research on installing a C4 without making any permanent modifications so that it could be easily switch back to stick.

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by toby

The carbs are stock one barrels and the intake is an Edmunds.

In order to mate a Flat-O-Matic (C-4) you would have to change to a truck configuration with a truck rear engine plate, oil pan and pickup, half bell and then deal with the steering to clear the truck oil pan(the truck oil pan is towards the rear of the engine while the car is more towards the center). The center sump of the car makes room for the steering assembly.

Thanks!

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by JSeery

Might do some research on installing a C4 without making any permanent modifications so that it could be easily switch back to stick.

One truth you can rely on is that I will do nothing to this car that can't be easily and quickly brought back to original. Any part I remove,like the chrome tail light extensions,gets preserved and put away for whoever buys the car at my estate sale.

I even plan to put LeBaron Bonny upholstery in it. The smell of wool upholstery on a warm day when the windows have been rolled up sure brings back the childhood memories for me.

[scicala]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-FORDOMA...item339c7e193a


I did find this link to a 1951 Fordomatic brochure on EBAY. If you look at one of the pages and blow it up, it says the Fordomatic was available for V8 and 6 cylinder engines. So guessing it was available with the 226 6 cyl., but doesn't mean there are any out there.

Sal

[Rowdy]

If you find one to rebuild I have afew NOS transmission parts with the prefix 1P. While I am not certian of their application, they seem to be for an automatic of some sort. Rod

[LazarusLong]

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[QUOTE=scicala;106639

I did find this link to a 1951 Fordomatic brochure on EBAY. If you look at one of the pages and blow it up, it says the Fordomatic was available for V8 and 6 cylinder engines. So guessing it was available with the 226 6 cyl., but doesn't mean there are any out there.

Sal[/QUOTE]

Thank you!

That brochure now belongs to me.

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Rowdy

If you find one to rebuild I have afew NOS transmission parts with the prefix 1P. While I am not certian of their application, they seem to be for an automatic of some sort. Rod

Thanks. I have some manuals/brochures on order,and will have to get back with you on that one once they come in and I can figure out what is for what.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by LazarusLong

Thank you!

That brochure now belongs to me.

Good catch!!

[bk53]

There are still FOM to y-block guys out there. Check out the local tri-5 t-bird crowd. as 51 merc said, rigging the kick down or kick up or whatever it is would need to be got thru. Together with all the other issue folks mentioned. As stock as my 53 f100 with fom is, I can't tell you how many times I've considered an AOD.

[JSeery]

Love AODs, I have rebuilt several for later Fox mustangs.

[tubman]

I would suggest that you post a wanted ad anywhere practical (here, the H.A.M.B, the EFv8 club (if you're not a member, join), all the shoebox internet forums you can find, Auto-trader, etc., etc., etc.). The guys doing restorations of extremely rare cars always seem to eventually find what they need to complete a project. Your advantage is that if you do find it, you can probably afford it. Also, troll eBay and Craigslist. Have you talked to the folks at Shoebox Central" yet? The guys that are diligent in their search usually find what they need.

[rotorwrench]

Many folks took the O-matics out and put something else in. They are out there and prices are still affordable. The largest expense would be for shipping if you can't find one locally.

One of the things that was hard on them was if you get stuck in cold weather you had to be real carefull not to shift hard from forward gears to reverse & back. A lot of them ended up with cracked cases in that kind of situation.

[Motorhead6]

I'm fairly certain that the FOM behind 312's had cooling lines to the radiator while all prior ones were air cooled and require a different TC and ducted bell housing. The 312 came out in '56 and I know some '56's had air cooling and some had water cooling. Guessing the difference is the 312 (or perhaps all had it once the 312 was introduced). '57 and later all had water cooling as far as I know. Just a consideration.

[rotorwrench]

1956 was change year for the o-matics. The 1955 ones had improvements over the late 1950 ones up through 54. There were more changes over the years but the basic medium case remained very similar clear up to the mid 60s. There are a few guys on the HAMB that know them pretty well. I'm more familiar with the medium case cruise-o-matic ones put into the big T-birds but they all still work basically the same and they also have the same quirks. The only major difference was that the later ones started out in 1st gear instead of 2nd.

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by tubman

I would suggest that you post a wanted ad anywhere practical (here, the H.A.M.B, the EFv8 club (if you're not a member, join), all the shoebox internet forums you can find, Auto-trader, etc., etc., etc.). The guys doing restorations of extremely rare cars always seem to eventually find what they need to complete a project. Your advantage is that if you do find it, you can probably afford it. Also, troll eBay and Craigslist. Have you talked to the folks at Shoebox Central" yet? The guys that are diligent in their search usually find what they need.

Thanks for the tips. I am now working on all of them.

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by Motorhead6

I'm fairly certain that the FOM behind 312's had cooling lines to the radiator while all prior ones were air cooled and require a different TC and ducted bell housing. The 312 came out in '56 and I know some '56's had air cooling and some had water cooling. Guessing the difference is the 312 (or perhaps all had it once the 312 was introduced). '57 and later all had water cooling as far as I know. Just a consideration.

Thanks. IIRC,the 55 Fords were the last Fords with air cooled auto trans.

That's not really a problem,though. It's easy to install a add-on cooler for the tranny.

And if I have to buy a new radiator because I can't find a new core,it is just as cheap to get one with bottom tanks tapped for AT cooler lines as it is one that isn't.

The ironic part on radiators is I can buy a after-market all-aluminum radiator made specifically to fit into a shoebox for 240 bucks in cluding shipping,and the cheapest brass/copper radiator I have found yet was over 500 bucks.

The ones they make for SBC conversions also work for stock flat 6 engines.

[LazarusLong]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

1956 was change year for the o-matics. The 1955 ones had improvements over the late 1950 ones up through 54. There were more changes over the years but the basic medium case remained very similar clear up to the mid 60s. There are a few guys on the HAMB that know them pretty well. I'm more familiar with the medium case cruise-o-matic ones put into the big T-birds but they all still work basically the same and they also have the same quirks. The only major difference was that the later ones started out in 1st gear instead of 2nd.

All FOM's made before 1959 were actually 3 speed transmissions. The ones made in and after 1959 are two speed transmissions.

IIRC,the 2 speed 59 and later FOM's are easy to identify because they have aluminum cases.

[tubman]

BTW, I'm hip to the Lazarus Long thing. Read much science fiction? I love the old stuff.

[bobH]

Originally Posted by LazarusLong

Thanks. IIRC,the 55 Fords were the last Fords with air cooled auto trans.

That's not really a problem,though. It's easy to install a add-on cooler for the tranny.

And if I have to buy a new radiator because I can't find a new core,it is just as cheap to get one with bottom tanks tapped for AT cooler lines as it is one that isn't.

The ironic part on radiators is I can buy a after-market all-aluminum radiator made specifically to fit into a shoebox for 240 bucks in cluding shipping,and the cheapest brass/copper radiator I have found yet was over 500 bucks.

The ones they make for SBC conversions also work for stock flat 6 engines.

After buying 6 (SIX) aluminum radiators that are/were cheap POS's, and having them all eaten out by electrolysis, and learning that the material is/was extremely thin, I now have a custom-made genuine brass radiator, perhaps expensive initially, but after a few years, VERY INexpensive. This is all on ONE car that is now 20 years old, and currently has nearly 300K miles. The six radiators all failed within a 4-5 year period. It got so bad that I took to carrying a new, spare radiator on trips. I once changed out the radiator in Death Valley, with very strange looks from folks surprised by my carrying a new spare.
My point, be careful. I'm sure there are some good aluminum radiators out there. I just didn't have good luck on that one car.
On the other hand, I have another car (Jeep) that I've had an aluminum radiator in for over 10 years. No problem with it.

[rotorwrench]

Originally Posted by LazarusLong

All FOM's made before 1959 were actually 3 speed transmissions. The ones made in and after 1959 are two speed transmissions.

IIRC,the 2 speed 59 and later FOM's are easy to identify because they have aluminum cases.

The two speeds are the small case version. They are different than the medium case 3-speed versions. Those were all three speeds but the early ones all start in 2nd. You have to manually shift for 1st gear on the early ones. That is just the way they were made. There is also a large case version but they were used in Lincolns.

The mediums were made in cast iron case till the FMX came out. My old 64 T-Bird had a cast iron medium case version.