Fordomatic's interchangeability questions


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By bergmanj - 9 Years Ago
Hi, folks.

Question regarding fordomatic transmissions: I have a '55 steeltop Crown in which the present motor is on its last legs. I also have another motor (a 292 bored to 297) which is being “refurbished” to replace the present motor. The replacement was purportedly from a truck, and has the transmission with the truck bellhousing motor mounts.

Transmission is a model PAT-7003-B2 with a serial number prefix of 54, on a bright-green tag. It has a plain steel torque converter with a seperate heat exchanger on the transmission.

The closest I can come to identifying it is from a Crown Victoria Association passenger car listing showing a PAT-7003-A2 as for a F-100 truck.

What, if any, compatibility issues might there be in trying to use this transmission in my Crown (with my passenger-car bellhousing)?

Can I use the air-cooled aluminum torque conveter with this transmission; are the input & converter input splines the same; what about shift points, internal hydraulic control pressures and adjustments, etc?

Thanks for any comments & suggestions which you may have.  Oh, and , please, no attachments or photo's: I'm on awfully slow & unreliable dial-up, which takes "forever", even for plain text.

Regards, JLB
By Pete 55Tbird - 9 Years Ago
The FOM from a truck has the case  drilled and tapped for cooler line fittings like the late 56 FOM. You can use a radiator that has a cooler in the bottom to aid in
cooling your transmission. If the steel torque converter has the starter ring gear on it you should be able to use it or the aluminum one. The only control you have over the shift speeds is from the governor. As an automatic transmissions worst enemy is excess heat the water cooled option is the better choice. What is the condition of the replacement FOM? Pete
By 2721955meteor - 9 Years Ago
if the trans is from a truck,54- 56- it should have a short tail shaft and air cooled torqe.,the 56 merk i converted to 5speed had a air to oil cooler bolted to the trans as well as their ducted bell housing with mounts cast into the case for rear mount. not sure of later f100s re tail shaft length.the mere was of course canadian build and may not be the same as us build.
By NoShortcuts - 9 Years Ago
Bergmanj.  I don't have the Ford Text Catalog with part numbers for '55 or '56 trucks.  Based upon the Ford transmission identification numbers in the '57 - '63 truck catalog and the numbers in the '49 - '59 car catalog, the way the ID letters run, I believe that the transmission you have was originally a '56 application.

In the '57 - '63 truck text catalog, there are 4 different transmissions listed for the 1957 272 engine.  The listing are for the F100; F250; F350, P350/400; and P500.

I speculate that the differences between these FordoMatic transmissions may be in the internal construction of the torque converters (blade pitch) and the valve bodies (shifting points).  I speculate that the differences within those components is directly related to the vehicles they were intended to be used in.  Vehicles' unladen weight, anticipated (intended) principal or usual operating speed, vehicle load to be moved or carried, vehicle final drive ratio (differential gearing and tire size).

Even if I had the Ford truck Text Catalog for the transmission you have it would only identify what torque converter part number was used in which of the 4 transmissions but not identify the internal difference.  The same would be the case with the valve body.  Quite possibly a different part number would be identified, but not an explanation of what the difference is in their construction.

I've been through this type of review of the difference in the components used in '57 ignition distributors for different y-block applications (C, D, E, and F code V-8s) and Holley 4000s used in '56 (M and P codes) compared to '57 E code applications.  While part numbers for something like a distributor cam may be different the Ford book does not explain that one is a 13 degree cam and the other a 10 degree.  The 10 degree and 13 degree distributor cams had to do with the length of the slots in the distributor cam and the maximum amount of timing advance supplied by the centrifugal advance mechanism.  Ford used a different amount of maximum ignition timing advance for the supercharged engine than what was used on the C, D, and E code y-block engines.    

IF you can determine that the transmission was used in an F100, I'd be more inclined to trust using it in your '55 Vick than if it was originally used in an F-350 or a P-500.

Perhaps someone on a Ford truck Forum would be able to shed more solid information on what I've speculated about.  
By bergmanj - 9 Years Ago
Thanks, folks!
All good general information, some of which I didn't know before.
I'll attempt to look-up the links provided (dial-up being terribly slow & unreliable).
Anyone else with further info?
Regards,   JLB