Looking For Charlie Trans

all american boy

all american boy

Well-known member
Looked on the net and could not find his little website with diagrams of Cruisomatic's.


Did he retire?


What automatic trans is in '62-64 Lincoln Continental(JFK Car)?
 
He retired a while back but he left his web site up for information. Folks don't maintain that stuff forever so at some point it's bound to happen. It's too bad. It was a good site for information on a lot of older transmission types.

Ford used the large case cruise-o-matic clear up till the C6 came available. The 460 cars came with the C6 and the 462 in the last years of MEL operation. The 430 cars had the large case cruise-o-matic.

It opened for me but it may not be up for a lot longer. https://www.charlietranny.com/

It shows the 11.6-inch case for 61 thru 65 Lincoln 430. Charlie still sells parts but he no longer overhauls transmissions after a stroke he had.
 
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Thanks Rotorwrench


Get all the questions out here.


1 What bellhousing for Lincoln 430 to 50's Ford 3 speed?


2 Looking for article or instruction on how to BUILD a dual coil dual point distributor.


Convert Y block and 430 distributors to that kind of ignition.


Thanks
 
The MEL from 58 thru 60 had the same bell pattern as the FE blocks but that all changed in 1961. MEL applications from then on were all automatic. A person would have to get real creative and fabricate a bell housing to fit. It's similar to FE but the starter location is different. The 1961 MEL is a cross over and may be easier to get an FE bell to work somehow but the 62 to 65 has a big cast iron lump in the way. I don't know if a person could adapt with the removable automatic trans bell or not. It would take a lot of head scratching for sure.

On the ignition stuff, I don't know. I've seen dual coil caps with two towers & special rotors before but that stuff would all have to be fabricated. Molding plastic pieces is not my cup of tea.
 
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Thanks Rotorwrench


'MEL from 58 thru 60 had the same bell pattern as the FE blocks'


FE's came out in '58 too.Sounds like they kept it simple.Same big mold piece for the rear of engine.


'1961 MEL is a cross over' I have heard them called 'dual pattern'.


'It would take a lot of head scratching for sure.'


We can live with the Cruisomatic if need be.Use the 3 speed for the 292.


'I've see dual coil caps with two towers & special rotors before but that stuff would all have to be fabricated.'


April 1956 Hot Rod has article 'How To Build a Dual Coil Distributor'. I have seen the table of contents for that issue and article IS there.


They are on Ebay now at @ $10.Too high for me.I ain't spending $10 for one.$20 for 6 or so but not that much for just one.


Have found one article that tells you everything that need to be done but no specifics.


I know Hot Rod has articles that tell you every step.Seen them for lots of other stuff.
 
all american boy said:
Thanks Rotorwren


2 Looking for article or instruction on how to BUILD a dual coil dual point distributor.


Convert Y block and 430 distributors to that kind of ignition.


Thanks
Click to expand...


Don't waste time and money trying to cobble up an antiquated dual coil setup! Summit (and others) sell Pertonix kits that drop into your distributor and eliminate the points. Then you can run the signal through an MSD box if you want. Or just run any modern coil. You will have a better ignition than those old school set ups!
 
Rotorwrench


Thanks for trying to warn us off but we're 'going in'!


Doing it the postwar to end of '63 way.Maybe a little bit of mid and late 60's.


Electronic ignitions are in our '64 Cams Valves Ignitions Hot Rod book.


That is when they were starting to show up.


'How to Build a Dual Coil Distributor' is article in April '56 Hot Rod issue.


It would be not so good if we bought and it was for Ford Flathead V8.


Have to make sure it for Ford OHV V8.Which is kind of iffy.


Being a '56 magazine and OHV V8 Ford was only out '54 and '55.


Another article says dual coil is almost equal to a magneto.


Plus we have Sears Engine analyzer that can test spark output to make sure it works at 7,000 rpm.


We will go ahead and get that magazine because it says 'How to'.


Have one article that tells you 'what' to do but NOT HOW to do it.
 
Will add picture of Ford distributor converted to dual point dual coil.


It is from '64 Cams Valves Ignitions Hot Rod book.

In '64 book it has picture of Ford Transistorized nition Box.

Have to figure out what that is.Says it is good for racing and normal driving.

Says 'hotrodder's have stayed away from transistor ignition'.:)


Here is page with picture of Ford distributor home built with dual points for dual coils.


Picture is probably from '56 how to article.
 

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all american boy said:
Will add picture of Ford distributor converted to dual point dual coil.


It is from '64 Cams Valves Ignitions Hot Rod book.


Picture is probably from '56 how to article.


In '64 book it has picture of Ford Transistorized Ignition Box.



Have to figure out what that is.Says it is good for racing and normal driving.


Says 'hotrodder's have stayed away from transistor ignition'.:)
Click to expand...


"hotrodders have stayed away from transistor ignition". Yeah, but that was 50 years or longer ago! By now just about every hotrodder has switched to transistor (electronic) ignition! Go to any race track or car show,or local drive-in, and ask how many guys are still running points. Then ask how many have dual point, dual coil ignitions!
I think you can better use your time and money by simply converting to electronic ignition with one modern coil, and focus on making that 430 breathe better by porting the heads and selecting the right cam (one with a modern grind). Use modern technology to wake up that old lump of cast iron!
 
I had a 64 T-bird for a long time and it had the early transistorized ignition. It needed a new transistor when bought it and it was only 9-years old at the time. Needles to say, I converted it back to the regular breaker points and condenser set up. In theory, the transistorized set up has the breaker in the transistor to it's not really a true breaker less ignition. The more modern hall effect set up is better and has better quality electronics as long as it is a well designed unit that's made to take heat & cold changes and high rpms.

The bad thing about magnetos is that very few were ever set up to have adjustable advance and the reason is due to the way they are designed, the points have to open at E-gap. If they don't then the reversal of the magnetic field in the coil won't work worth a damn. This means that the whole unit would have to be rotated to change the advance. This is just not practical so they set them up for full advance and use either an impulse coupling drive or an electronic starting booster to retard the timing for starting. This complicates them for anything but full racing applications.

I grew up in the years where the FE engines were coming of age and they are the ones that I like. The MEL types are true big blocks and are heavier but they had their day. It's just my own personal feeling on the matter and I'll leave it at that.
 
Thanks 40Deluxe and Rotorwrench


UPDATE:Bought the April 1956 Hot Rod magazine last night.Has 'How to Build A Dual Coil Distributor' article.Darn well better be for OHV V8 not flathead or I am going to have a fit! Well.Even flathead one will help.I suppose.


It is going to take me from now until quittin' time tonight to answer all the points in your two responses.


I will get to everything.Let me answer a few this time.


'Yeah, but that was 50 years or longer ago!'


I know that. That is why the happy face is there.


'simply converting to electronic ignition'


You're close.


Going to do both.


Build the dual coil AND convert a distributor to Duraspark by Ford.Duraspark parts will be easier to find than Ford transistor ignition parts.Have a Duraspark upper and lower cap and rotor we never got to put on our old 292.


Then test both at 5-6-7,000 RPM.


'I had a 64 T-bird for a long time and it had the early transistorized ignition.'


You beat me too it.


Ford 427's had it.They used it on those factory funny cars or super stocks.


Studebaker Avanti's with R engine options had their own version.


Okay.More later.
 
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