The Fordomatic may not be from a Thunderbird, I'll find out when I get it out of the car and can ID it from the plate.  Mine only has one rear facing duct and it is on the passenger side.  It looks to me like it should not have any problem pulling the engine/tranny with the air duct still attached.  I will include a couple of pictures to show what it looks like.

I might be missing something here. The small crossmember bolts at the front of the X member, and the trans mount bolts to it, and then the trans. With all the bolts out, you should be able to smack it forward, and let it fall out. But at that point the trans will fall down on the top of the X member. Given age and gunk, even with the bolts all out, it might stick. Put a bottle jack under the trans, take the weight off, and use a block to smack it forward.

If that little crossmember isn't out, or it's stuck, or the trans is stuck to it, that motor isn't coming out without a fight. You don't want to fight it with the motor on the hoist. And you need the clearance at the X member to let the tailshaft drop and get the angle right to start to lift the whole works.

I don't mean to sound negative, but I also want you to get it out easy and be safe.

I can't speak to the air duct, it's been too many years. But I'm pretty sure the air cooled 55 had an "intake and exhaust" on the bell. Might have been a scoop, or just an opening. My memory said both, but the catalog only showed one.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Well, thanks to many of you, I now have the old Y-block and Fordomatic out of the 56 Tbird.  I'll show a couple of pictures.  My latest question is trying to identify the Fordomatic.  I've checked many of the bits of information from the forums such as Charlie's Tranny and Cici's Garage and other links, but I'm still not sure where mine falls.  I now have both a casting number from the housing and the information off the oval tag on the side of the transmission.  Can anyone identify this tranny with the following information?
Stamp on Housing:  PMB - 7976 - A
Information on oval tag:  PAB - 7003 - C2 on the left side of the oval, and 50 - 44072 on the right side of the oval

thanks,

Ohttps://www.ctci.org/gilsgarage/TransID.phpK. Pete

Ah, I was looking for a PMB - A, but Gil only listed the ones for Thunderbirds.  I'll bet the one I have didn't originally come on a Thunderbird but either fit, or was made to fit.  Maybe someone else can help determine what it originally came from?  I'm guessing a 1954 Ford passenger car.

thanks,

Zuburg.  I've looked . . . '49-'59 Ford Text and a Hollander '54-66 Interchange . . . I can't get down to a service I.D. prefix of PAB in Ford, Mercury, or Ford truck!  Yeah.  I'm scratching my head!  


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

The only thing close I could find with a -C2 was
PAH 7003-C2  TRUCK
PAP 7003-C2  TAXI
PAR 7003-C2  56 FORD

I can not ID your FOM but the 55/57 Tbird used a MEDIUM CASE 10 1/4 inch long and the 51/59 Ford used a SMALL CASE 9 7/8 inch long. Also the pan and pan gasket are different on them. Pete

Darn, I thought once I could find the numbers and plate information, I would find out what I actually have.  I assume that if this bolts to a 239 it will also bolt up to a 292?  I guess I should just go forward with my plan to rebuild this transmission and mate it up to my new 292 long block I have coming and hope for the best.

I don't have the sheet metal duct cover on the driver's side of this transmission.  Is this necessary or advisable for the transmission?  If so, any idea where I can find one?

thanks,

Zuburg, looking at Hoosiers post over on the ford barn, and assuming when you and he say "housing" you mean the tailshaft, and that Pete's comment is correct, expand you're search. Could very well be someone changed the tailshaft from the original bird trans to put an otherwise good but earlier Fordo in it. I have no idea what else this would entail, but back in those days any trans shop would know what to switch to salvage something. My bird has a truck Dana 44 in it, no doubt a junkyard solution to replace a bad rear axle. Old cars, who knows.

Going back to cleaning things up, I never thought of a cheap HF tarp. A company called Uline sells a variety of oil absorbent items. We used to use them on constructions site, and they were available at most boatyards. Might be able to lay the tarp, put the tube type barrier around, and contain the mess. Want you do when you roll it all up is up to you.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ