automatic for an A

Raul makes the adapters that Art uses. Raul runs a hot Cragar and Art everything from a mild Miller to a hot 4-port Riley. Art puts more miles on his than anyone, and has had good success with the 904 trans, at least since he went to a heavy duty flex plate. BTW, Riley came out with his 4-port in 1933, in my opinion they are the best performing street and short track head ever built for the A & B.
 
Keith True said:
There was a man about 35 miles from me that was working on an automatic for his A for years.He had lost one leg,(diabetes)and was looking at losing the other one.He researched,thought,studied,measured,for a couple of years first.He wanted the least drain on the HP he could find,with the available HP,torque,and RPM of the A.He wound up going with either a Datsun or Nissan pickup trans from the 70's.The notion of using a Ford,GM,or Chrysler went right out the window on his first day of checking.When he died he had the trans mated to the engine,and the driveshaft mated to the trans.He had built a cable operated control using a stock lever,but the weight of it would drop the trans into lower gears when he hit a bump.He was in the process of making a friction plate and disc to hold it when he died.I don't know what happened to the car,I wound up with his unrestored Tudor but I bought that before he died.There is now a gas station where his house used to be.As for US made automatic transmissions,I thought that Dodge would lead the pack on going bad.The guy I use to rebuild the ones I take out for customers tells me that GM is what keeps him working.From the first snowfall of the season until spring he works overtime every week.He said they can't take the gaff of plowing.Dodge is next,and only a couple of Fords cross his bench a winter.I gave up trying to plow with a GM over 20 years ago.A worn out Ford C6 just keeps plugging along.People find it hard to believe I am plowing with a Dodge,automatic,Cummins powered,that just hit 200,000 miles with the original transmission.That truck has done nothing but plow,and tow its whole life.
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Keith, I would expect to hear something similar on a Dodge or GM fan site, except biased differently. I know many shop owners and they all have their own opinions as well. I also know many people who plow with GM trucks.

I would put my money on a good old TH-400 or 4L80E for a truck transmission any day.

Any how thats my opinion. I should know better then to get ******* in an argument about what brand is better.

I apologize for causing the thread to get side tracked.
 
PHP:
C4 is a great auto for A or B banger.
It takes a lot of effort however.
Two adapters and a custom flywheel.
I run this setup in the FAST races with good results.
 

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another (non stock) option is to find a 2000cc Pinto engine with its automatic; the Pinto fits well but needs all the mod's for engine mounts, etc.
 
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I've worked with several C-4's. To me that's the best transmission to adapt to a Model A/B.
They are supposed to use the least amount of power, are cheap to acquire and are easily rebuilt.
You would have to create an open drive setup, but that wouldn't be too difficult at all.
JMO
 
John LaVoy said:
Funny how this comes up right now. Yesterday my Ford automatic transmission arrived with the Bendtsen's Speed Gems adapter kit. This is going into the new project for Model A Times. I have spent a couple of days working with Art Moore and spoken with the person that builds the adapters for the Chrysler transmissions he has used. But wanted a Ford transmission in the Model A so went with the Ford A4OD out of a late 80s Ranger pickup. Over the next couple of issues we will be covering the progress of installing it in the chassis of the project.
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Can the A4OD be configured to keep the torque tube drive line?
 
CarlG said:
Can the A4OD be configured to keep the torque tube drive line?
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There i no A4OD ford transmission

He prob meant A4LD. Thats a C-3 with an overdrive which came out in 1985.. before that the ranger would have used a C-3
 
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GM automatic transmissions circa 1980s were junk. I had three transmission failures due to improperly heat treated parts.
 
kenparker said:
I, also, and toying with the idea of an Automatic behind a Model A engine. My missus, Lillian, cant drive a car with one of those clutch thingeees in it. Dick Sparks, who lurks and post occassionally here has done it and it did not look complicated. He used a Ford C-3 or C-4 3 speed auto probably from the 60's or early 70's. It is a relitively small trans. Gonna git 'rount to it soon.

Now, lets see how this stirs up the purist. he-he. ken
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Ken,

Tell Lillian that she needs a note from her doctor before you will put an automatic transmission into the Model A. She should be able to learn to drive the clutch thingy in a couple of hours if she really wants to (maybe she would just rather you drive). It would take you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to install an automatic.

Charlie Stephens
 
We installed one of Art Moore's auto trans kits with the Chrysler 904 about 15 years ago, with a stock engine and 5.5 head. Works great!!! Car is still running strong.

The reason the 904 trans was chosen years ago for this conversion, is the starter is mounted to the transmission. Makes the conversion much easier.

Car must be 12 volt (due to later starter), you must make a trans mount,and have hydraulic brakes (trans gets in the way of the stock cross shaft).

I didn't think, prior to doing this, that a stock Model A had enough power to run this trans. I was wrong. It works perfectly.

Call Art Moore, and have him set you up, but realize that you have to make the changes I listed above. If you need his phone #, call me.

Steve @ Bert's
modelastore.com
 
SteveB31 said:
We installed one of Art Moore's auto trans kits with the Chrysler 904 about 15 years ago, with a stock engine and 5.5 head. Works great!!! Car is still running strong.

The reason the 904 trans was chosen years ago for this conversion, is the starter is mounted to the transmission. Makes the conversion much easier.

Car must be 12 volt (due to later starter), you must make a trans mount,and have hydraulic brakes (trans gets in the way of the stock cross shaft).

I didn't think, prior to doing this, that a stock Model A had enough power to run this trans. I was wrong. It works perfectly.

Call Art Moore, and have him set you up, but realize that you have to make the changes I listed above. If you need his phone #, call me.

Steve @ Bert's
modelastore.com
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Hey Steve,
THANKS, for your input and clearing up some often stated misconceptions ,i.e.- not enough power to run an automatic, etc...
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
"Maybe" it's time to consider a more "modern" engine with an automatic???
Please don't SCREAM at me, I just woke up!
Bill W.
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Bill,

Bill,

I have to agree with you on this. It is good to have the engine and transmission matched as an assembly from the factory. I am partial to the old Chevy II engines or the current 181 cubic inch industrial version of that engine. Having said that there had better be a VERY GOOD reason accompanied by a note from the doctor for doing this.

Charlie Stephens
 
I have a 904 automatic in my 31 widebed pickup. The engine is freshly rebuilt has a counterbalanced crank and a riley 2 port head. In order to use this transmission I had to attach ladder bars to the rear. I also had to construct a crossmember to mount the ladderbars and rear of the transmission. I also made a crossmember to mount the front of the transmission as well as the front wishbone ball. I also have a cable attached from the transmission to the carburator that adjusts the shift point of the transmission. I have it set where it shifts into second at around 16mph and into 3rd around 32 both dependant on how hard you are accelerating. I am very happy with the way it runs drives and shifts. I have tried to attach pictures but am unsure if they will show up.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Beau
 

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Beau
What are u using for a converter spec wise // or a stock slant six converter

Mechanical lockup or non lockup

Rear ratio
 
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I don't know what the specs are on the converter but it has a a pilot dia. of 1.81, it has 122 tooth ring gear and it is a 27 spline non lock up converter. The trans is from a 1968 or later 225 slant 6 engine. As far as the rear ratio I don't really know I assume it is the stock 31 pickup rear unless it was changed at some point. Did pickups come with different ratio's? I assume it is pretty high. To check it I should jack up the rear and turn the tire 1 revolution and count how many times the drive shaft rotates? Does this sound correct? I have thought about doing this out of curiosity. I feel the sweet spot for driving is around 51 mph I have had it over 60 but it is reving pretty good at those speeds.
 
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