1954 Ford ring gear

B

Bruce Compton Canada

Senior Member
Trying to help a friend find a ring gear for his 239 Y-Block with the automatic trans. Is there a flex plate or does the ring gear attach directly to the converter?? Also would it be the same as 1955-'57 Y-Block equipped automatics?
 
The drive coupling was more like a flex beam than a flex plate since they weren't round. The starter ring is on the torque converter for the early Ford-O Matics & Merc-O-Matics. A person has to make certain to get the correct one for the converter you have. This generally came as a cover plate and ring assembly P/N 1P-7950-E for 1954/55. The ring is spot welded to the converter cover plate.
 
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notice that the flex plate is advertised for 55 to 57.im thinking the 54 is an odd ball.could be wrong.
 
Thanks Darrell; I'm thinking the same thing. Wonder if anyone has a picture to compare. All Y-Blocks must use the same diameter and tooth count so mounting is the only question. If the new ring gear gets welded to the flex plate might be a difference as usually they are shrunk on. There is one on Ebay now (1P-7950-E) already on a flex plate but the application is not clear.
 
strikes me that i read the 239 and 223 are the same which is different than later y blocks.memory being what it is i cant be sure.
 
Bruce Compton said:
Thanks Darrell; I'm thinking the same thing. Wonder if anyone has a picture to compare. All Y-Blocks must use the same diameter and tooth count so mounting is the only question. If the new ring gear gets welded to the flex plate might be a difference as usually they are shrunk on. There is one on Ebay now (1P-7950-E) already on a flex plate but the application is not clear.
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Darrell is correct.

The RG (on pre-1958 FM) is located on the CONVERTOR COVER (BPN 7950) and not the FLEX-PLATE (BPN 6375)

1P 7950-E is correct for your 1954 239CI FM.

There was also a SERVICE UPGRADE for the FLEX-PLATE that was stronger than the original. Don't know how far you want to go.
 

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When the transmission cooling system was changed from an air cooled torque converter to the radiator cooled type then the converter changed but was still in a similar format until the Cruise-O-Matics came out in 1958. Surprisingly though, the air cooled transmission was still used for a few more years in light duty applications.

If a person finds the cover & ring assembly then a seal for the cover may need to be sourced as well.
 
I have a 1952 Ford 215 I-block 6 cyl with Ford-o-Matic that has the ring-gear mounted to the front cover and spot-welded on. My '55 272 V8 Ford-o-matic ring gear is the same way, but they are just a different diameter. The flex-plate has nothing to do it.
 
Ring gears for a Fordo are available for a 55/56/57, I don't know if that one is the same for a 54. CASCO shows it in their catalog. Maybe they can tell you.
 
There is a ring gear/plate on ebay right now, number 323884314489 . Is this the correct part for my friend's '54 239 EBU Y-Block? Thanks again for all the very informative comments, Bruce
 
i have a torque converter in my garage from a 58 223.i measured it against a 272 and its about 5/16 smaller in diameter than later y blocks.it measures the same as the one on ebay.any more than that i cant say.
 
You will also need (at the minimum as it is hard to say what all you will find) a converter cover to impeller seal - B3A 7963-A

You can find them NOS on EvilBay but I would suggest a current quality part found at an AUTO TRANS SUPPLY.
 
KULTULZ said:
You will also need (at the minimum as it is hard to say what all you will find) a converter cover to impeller seal - B3A 7963-A.
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CAUTION! While it is true that the converter front cover must be removed from the converter housing prior to removing the old ring gear and welding the new one on (to prevent burning/melting of old gasket/seal), it is important to note that the early air-cooled Ford-O-Matic converters had a FLAT, wide paper gasket rather than a large o-ring seal.
The difference is that the older style converters did NOT have the chamfered inner corner to accommodate an o-ring, so an o-ring will not fit on them. You have to have the giant round flat paper gasket with a million holes in it for the old converters.
As to the exact year they changed the design is unknown to me, but all the '55/56 air-cooled converters had the o-ring. '54 might have been the last year for the paper gasket. There's no way to tell which one you need until you take the front cover off the converter.
If you do need the flat paper gasket, you may need to cut one yourself out of new gasket paper stock from the auto parts store. I don't think anybody sells replacements for them anymore. Be careful punching the million holes as they will need to be fairly precision.
 
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