1957 Transmission cooler lines placement

[GABirdsall]

My wife's '57 baby bird has, at some point in it's history, had the original ford-o-matic transmission replaced with a cruise-o-matic (at least according tot he data plate on the transmission). Whoever did the swap did a really crappy job with the cooler lines. I've been trying to fab new cooler lines with no success. One line needs a very tight bend to clear the frame where it comes out of the transmission...far tighter than I can make and still have enough room on the tune to form a double flare. Does anyone know if there's an off the shelf tube assemby that was used to swap a cruise-o-matic trans into our birds?

This page contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.

 

[4VE]

Here is a start. After reading the article for differences, only 1 stands out and that is that the FOM starts out in 2nd while the COM starts out in 1st. My 55 has the original FOM and the former owner installed a limited slip diff. I put Cooper Cobra, 205/75/R15 radials on it. When I drop it into 1st to start out, run it up to 3 grand and upshift, I can turn them for a really nice chirp. That is from both tires breaking track. I can't imagine how the skinny little bias ply original tires would do. Probably leave two, double S greasers behind and a lot of blue smoke. So if I were you, I would consider two suggestions. One being to get the original FOM back in it. That requires the engine to be pulled. Another would be to run flex lines to and from the cooler. Today's hydraulic hose materials are capable of a lot of heat and pressure. You can likely get a set of hoses made up at any hydraulics shop in the area.
Here's the article: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=611142

 

[55blacktie]

I'll try to be more direct. I'm replacing my Fordomatic/w C4 and using -6an ptfe hose for cooler lines. You'll probably need 90-degree swivel fittings at the transmission and possibly one at the radiator. The fittings that go into the radiator are 1/8 npt, and probably the same at the transmission.

 

[GABirdsall]

I'll try to be more direct. I'm replacing my Fordomatic/w C4 and using -6an ptfe hose for cooler lines. You'll probably need 90-degree swivel fittings at the transmission and possibly one at the radiator. The fittings that go into the radiator are 1/8 npt, and probably the same at the transmission.

That's kinda the path was going down, but am a bit worried about pressure drop and turbulence created using a hard 90 degree elbow rather than a "6D" bend. Thnks for the response!

 

[55blacktie]

The degree of angle of the fitting probably depends more on the amount of space you have available. -6an ptfe hose is pretty flexible. Some manufacturers recommend using their brand of hose/w their fittings. I'm using Deatschwerks hose and hose ends. You will probably have to use another brand's male-to-male 1/8 npt-to- -6an adapters. I'll be using Fergola adapters, but my Russell adapters I'm using for the fuel line between fuel pump and carburetor are also compatible with the Deatschwerks hose ends.

My only concern at this point is installing the hose ends on the hose, but there are videos for same.

 

[Pink T-Bird]

Somewhere in the recesses of my brain it says a Ford-o-Matic is a 2 speed aluminum case introduced in '59 for the 223, 292, and a Cruise-o-Matic is a 3 speed cast iron case that came in 3 flavors - large case, medium case, and small case for everything Ford, Edsel, Mercury, Lincoln until replaced by the proliferation of C4, C6 and FMX flavors in the 60s.....

When was there a 3 speed Ford-0-matic? Was that the original '51 Borg Warner?

To the poster's question - I agree a modern flex line is likely your best bet. After the tight turn you can go to a steel line for a period correct look in the engine bay. There is one old timer trick to consider - pack the steel line with fine sand and tape or plug the ends, then use your tubing bender to get a super tight radius bend without collapsing the tubing. You then need to be sure to clean and flush the line really well afterwards.

 

[jimntempe]

Somewhere in the recesses of my brain it says a Ford-o-Matic is a 2 speed aluminum case introduced in '59 for the 223, 292, and a Cruise-o-Matic is a 3 speed cast iron case that came in 3 flavors - large case, medium case, and small case for everything Ford, Edsel, Mercury, Lincoln until replaced by the proliferation of C4, C6 and FMX flavors in the 60s.....

When was there a 3 speed Ford-0-matic? Was that the original '51 Borg Warner?

To the poster's question - I agree a modern flex line is likely your best bet. After the tight turn you can go to a steel line for a period correct look in the engine bay. There is one old timer trick to consider - pack the steel line with fine sand and tape or plug the ends, then use your tubing bender to get a super tight radius bend without collapsing the tubing. You then need to be sure to clean and flush the line really well afterwards.

Up until 1958 all fordomatics were three speeds but started in 2nd gear at least thru 1960 for some applications. We know the tbirds started in second gear and my uncle had a 1960 merc with a 312 and it started in second gear. No one read the owners manual and they didn't know it had a first gear until my cousin (my age at the time, 16) discovered it downshifted when floored at a stoplight... Dad was not in the car.... It soon needed a new transmission.

Back to 1958.. In 58 Ford introduced a new transmission, maybe that was the aluminum one, which was a true two speed. It might have been what they used in the Falcons.

 

[paul5456]

Up until 1958 all fordomatics were three speeds but started in 2nd gear at least thru 1960 for some applications. We know the tbirds started in second gear and my uncle had a 1960 merc with a 312 and it started in second gear. No one read the owners manual and they didn't know it had a first gear until my cousin (my age at the time, 16) discovered it downshifted when floored at a stoplight... Dad was not in the car.... It soon needed a new transmission.

Back to 1958.. In 58 Ford introduced a new transmission, maybe that was the aluminum one, which was a true two speed. It might have been what they used in the Falcons.

To my knowledge, the true two speed fordo's started with the 59 model year.

 

[doug7740]

Ford Automatic Origins

The Cruise-O-Matic derived from the original Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission that debuted in 1951. The Ford-O-Matic was Ford’s first automatic transmission for mass-produced cars and trucks. There also was a Merc-O-Matic for Ford’s Mercury line of cars. The names were simply marketing terms at a time when automatic transmissions were new technology and a novelty for buyers. These transmissions featured a two-piece cast-iron case and a cast-iron or aluminum bell housing. The Ford-O-Matics transferred engine power for Cadillacs during a brief period in 1953 when General Motors’ transmission factory caught fire. Some Dodge and International-Harvester vehicles, as well as Checker Cabs, were also equipped with the Ford-O-Matic.

Cruise-O-Matic

The Ford-O-Matic was a cumbersome, frustrating piece of technology. It started in second gear when placed in “Drive” and then shifted to third. Drivers had to manually shift into low at the “L” position and use it as a first gear. Drivers had a tendency to forget to manually shift out of low to Drive, often putting a strain on the transmission and shortening its life. The Cruise-O-Matic arrived in 1958 and solved that problem. The Cruise-O-Matic featured a sprag, which offered another “D” or Drive position and marked with a green dot. The new automatic still featured a Low position, but the sprag allowed the transmission to shift automatically from low to second to third. This green dot gear pattern remained until 1967, when Ford replaced it with the now-common 1-2-D pattern for three-speeds.

C-4

The C-4 arrived in 1964 and like the Cruise-O-Matic was a hydraulically controlled rear-wheel-drive automatic. It was commonly matched with six-cylinder and small-block V-8 engines. The C-4 differed from the Cruise-O-Matic with its three-piece case consisting of the main case, bell housing and tail housing. Although it used a Simpson planetary gear set like the Cruise-O-Matic, the C-4 was considerably lighter. While the Cruise-O-Matic featured a three-bolt bell housing pattern, the C-4 had a five-bolt bell housing pattern in 1964 and six-bolt pattern starting in 1965. The C-4’s bolt patterns allowed the transmission to be easily adapted to many different engines. The C-4 also featured two dipstick variations: The dipstick in the case for passenger cars and the dipstick fitted directly in the transmission pan for trucks.

Gear Ratios

The gear ratios for the Cruise-O-Matic and C4 transmissions varied slightly. The Cruise-O-Matic had a 2.40-to-1 first gear ratio, 1.47-to-1 second gear and a 1.00-to-1 direct gear third. The reverse gear was 2.00-to-1. The C-4 had a 2.46-to-1 first gear, 1.46-to-1 second and 1.00-to-1 direct gear third. Its reverse was 2.18-to-1.

Below is an article by Ron Trella that covers the automatic transmissions that were used in the early birds.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue