Look for the later flywheel before you invest a lot of money, they are getting very hard to find. No one that I know of repop's them so those of us that have one or two are holding on too them. If you don't have the part # let me know and I can get it for you. I have found one NOS one on ebay in the last few years, but who knows when one will show up, just have too keep looking. Using the early pump and converter may be the easy way to go, but in my mind the later setup is the way to go if you can locate the flexplate.

Glen Henderson



Freedom is not Free

Letohatchee, AL

looks like getting the later fly wheel woudl be the easiest path.  I know the converter for the FMX is in very good shape and the pump on my Ford o Matic is damaged. 

If your '55 transmission has a 29 spline input shaft, then all you need to do is to take out the 4 bolts holding the front pump and swap pumps.  If it has the more likely 17 spline input, then your converter won't fit the FMX unless you either swap input shafts (complete teardown of both trans) or get a converter with the 29 spline turbine.  If you are having yours rebuilt, maybe the rebuilder can put the correct spline in the converter for you.

If you chose to adapt the FMX converter, you will need a flywheel from a '59 or later Y block.  The Bird converter has the starter ring gear on it, the FMX does not.  The later flywheel does.  I guess a converter rebuilder could put a ring gear on an FMX converter, have never looked into that.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

I have found a good FMX for my conversion in my 55 tbird.  One of the "ears" is broken on the front pump in my ford omatic so that is a problem in swaping the pumps.  The FMX I have found has a fresh converter with it.  I got a copy of the Sept 99 article on the Y Notta a Y Block about the tranny swap.  At the very least if I can solve the front pump issue I would want to have my current  ford o matic torque converter rebuilt to make sure its up to par so I don't have to tear the car apart.  Other option would be to do like the article suggested and not swap out the pump but have the FMX torque converter rebuilt to hook up with the Y block. 

Thoughts on best way to proceed?