Does anyone know if I can use a 55 converter in a 56 transmission?The hub that slides into the front pump is slightly longer on the 56 converter than on the 55 converter.The difference is about 3/64ths.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

There should be no difference between a 55 or 56 2 piece aluminum converter for a V8. The drive hub is the same, the impeller is the same and the turbine is the same, some are 17 spline others are 29 spline.



Likely what has happened for the lengths to be different from the other is sometime in the past the drive hub has been replaced. The drive hubs were available from the aftermarket and may not have been exactly manufactured same as the Ford original. Other possibilities are that these Borg-Warner torque converters were used in industrial applications on fork lifts. The hub may have came from one of those.

marv

Hello Marvh.I have a question about the 56 Fordo.I took the front pump off to replace the seal before I reinstall my motor.There is no gasket on it and there is supposed to be one.Is that gasket neccessary or can I use a "formagasket" like the copper tube I have?When I reinstall that pump the openings line up with the ones in the front of the transmission?Didnt mark it when I took the pump off.Thanks

  

If what I think you mean is the gasket seal between the pump and the trans case the originals used a rubberized cork gasket, it was about 1/8" thick and about 5/16" wide This gasket is necessary or it will leak.



The pump will only fit one way as the bolt centres are not equidistant to each other.



marv

Thanks Marvh.That is the gasket I was asking about.Missing on mine.Have to try and round one up.

  

I thought there should be no difference in the two converters but for some reason there is that slight difference.I am certain that neither of these transmissions has ever been worked on.They are both low mileage local one-owner cars that I bought from the original owners.

I don't think the difference is enough to cause a problem.While I had the two laying side by side I did discover a couple differences in the 55 and 56 transmissions that I didn't know about.The speedometer drive placement is different and the shift and downshift levers are reversed and the output shaft splines are different.I guess these are just little things Ford did to make us pay attention!!!!!

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

Interesting, could you shoot us a picture as would like to see that. If you look at the pan are they both the same size, just wondering if one was a medium case like out of a 312 car or Merc. Also by the shift levers is a dataplate with numbers and letters on it could you give those as it will tell what the trans was originally installed in if not original.

marv.

Marv,the only numbers still showing on the tag on the 55 transmission are 46847.The 56 tag has I05-30839.The speedometer cable gear drives from the top of the driven gear in the 56 and from the bottom in the 55.The 55 has a coarser spline output shaft than the 56.The 55 has the kickdown lever next to the case and the 56 has the shift lever next to the case.Othewise,externally at least,they are identical.I'll try to post some pictures,but I'm not exactly a computer whiz so I don't know if I can or not.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

Marv........I'll try some pictures.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

That shift linkage is different. The ones I have seen look like the 55 trans.

Maybe the t-bird guys will recognize it (I am not familiar with the t-birds

as being from a poor farming community t-birds did not exist due to

the owners having to many kids for a two seater or having to take a crate of

eggs or a can of cream to town).



The dataplate should have a set of letters such as PAW7003, PBL etc.

That will tell me what the trans originally came from. Could you check

on the length of the cast case as the small case were 9 7/8" long and

medium case were 10 7/32"long

marv