Ford-o-matic Help!

A

AldeanFan

Junior Member
Calling all Ford Transmission experts, I don't know alot about transmissions and I've gone as far as Im comfortable going. Please excuse me if I'm not using the correct terminology.

I'm trying to get my '54 Country Squire on the road. and the transmission is being a problem. As far as I know it has the factory 239 yblock and fordomatic transmission.

When the car runs in Park it feels like it is under load. When you shift in to what's indicated as reverse, it acts like it is in park or neutral. When you shift in to drive it has good reverse. If I pull the shift lever all the way down it will go in to drive then kind of fall out of gear.

I checked the shifter and linkage and it looks ok so I dropped the pan to see if there's an internal linkage problem I can see. What I found is that the ball on the shifter that rides in the groove in the manual valve was in the incorrect position. I moved the manual valve with my finger and when it rotated it moved away from the linkage, almost as if either the valve is bent.

What should my next step be?
 
It sounds like your linkage is just out of adjustment. I would start there before I dug into the ******.

wbedwards
 
AldeanFan said:
Calling all Ford Transmission experts, I don't know alot about transmissions and I've gone as far as Im comfortable going. Please excuse me if I'm not using the correct terminology.

I'm trying to get my '54 Country Squire on the road. and the transmission is being a problem. As far as I know it has the factory 239 yblock and fordomatic transmission.

When the car runs in Park it feels like it is under load. When you shift in to what's indicated as reverse, it acts like it is in park or neutral. When you shift in to drive it has good reverse. If I pull the shift lever all the way down it will go in to drive then kind of fall out of gear.

I checked the shifter and linkage and it looks ok so I dropped the pan to see if there's an internal linkage problem I can see. What I found is that the ball on the shifter that rides in the groove in the manual valve was in the incorrect position. I moved the manual valve with my finger and when it rotated it moved away from the linkage, almost as if either the valve is bent.

What should my next step be?
Click to expand...

When you rotate the spool valve and it moves away from the lever tells me the valve is bent. very carefully remove the valve body and replace the valve. The valve can be straightened if you can't find a replacement.
Bill
 
Thanks Bill, that's where I was leaning.
any idea where I can get a new valve, or how to straighten the one I have?
 
AldeanFan said:
Thanks Bill, that's where I was leaning.
any idea where I can get a new valve, or how to straighten the one I have?
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll find a new one. With the valve body off and the valve in the bore locate the area of the bend by rotating. Once located very carefully pry in the other direction a little bit at a time and then rotate to check progress.
Otherwise find a used valve body of the same year.
Bill
 
Re: Ford-o-matic Help! - FIXED!

Thanks so much for your help, we fixed it last night.

After removing the valve body, which turned out to me much less complicated than it appears, we pulled out the valve and it was clearly bent. I straightened it until it moved freely in the bore, removed a bur off of the valve with a fine file, cleaned it up and put her back together. It now goes in to gear smoothly and we have reverse and forward gears, at least on stands in the garage. I'll drive her to the end of the driveway and back this weekend to verify the transmission works under load but this problem is definitely solved.

Thanks again!
Mark
 
I agree sounds like a linkage adjustment required. Does anyone have any tips as to how to remove the clutch piston in the rear clutch assembly on a 51 model fordomatic. I tried air pressure on the main shaft as in the repair manual but no success.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top