I know some Fordomatic transmissions are built for heavier duty service than others, like 57 E & F Code cars and some station wagons...Police?  Did 56 312's come with a heavier duty transmission?  I may have a chance to pick one up for a spare and wonder what some of the differences are.  In 1957 I worked for Borg Warner, Spring Division, in Bellwood, IL.  I set up the machines that made the race cages for the one way clutches.  They used to test 57 Fords out behind the plant.  They had one man driving and the other sitting in the back seat looking at some instraments.  They would rip it from Drive to Reverse and really beat them up.

Paul J. - '57 E Code

Paul:

The quick way to identify the HD units is to look at the case and pan.  The light duty had a basically rectangular pan, the HD had a kick-out or bump on the right side for the larger rear servo.

My Dad worked at Warner Gear in Muncie, and as a kid I once went with him to the plant one Saturday.  They were doing the same test you mentioned, with a '52 Ford as I remember.  Inside the plant, they had a dyno set up with a Lincoln engine hooked to a FOM.  It idled for a few seconds, then the throttle went wide open, the trans went through its shifts, and then it was back to idle.  They did that until they broke it.  They were on their 3rd engine when the trans finally expired.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

The fordomatic gets a lot of neg press when it come to performance applications. I am sure that the gearing is not easily suited to racing, and there is some hp that always gets eaten up...but! my fordo has always taken the abuse that I have dished up - it is pretty stout.

dan

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Thanks for the info guys,

My 57 Fordomatic has and E ending suffix, I didn't look at the pan.  That will be easy to do now that I know to look for the bump in the pan on the transmission I am thinking about.  I tore up the Fordo in my 57 D Code as a kid.  The dealer wouldn't warranty it because I had the linkage wired to open the carb and a non stock air cleaner.   

Paul J. - '57 E Code