The equivalant???
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Ford-o-matic was offered in a 2 speed.
'Glide lives on due its strength and handiness in drag racing.
Ford-o-matic 2 speeds....ANYONE still running one of those?
Parts if you need them:
http://www.autotran.us/fm2kits1.html
google search for more. Seems to be a rather unloved box...
BUT:
During the early to mid '60s, GM kept the PG as the default auto trans in many vehicles, while Ford offered only 3 speeds in the COM, C4, C6, FMX and other iterations. Thus, Ford was ahead in that game for some time until TH350/400 started to show up in the mid '60s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerglide
'Glide lives on due its strength and handiness in drag racing.
Ford-o-matic 2 speeds....ANYONE still running one of those?
Parts if you need them:
http://www.autotran.us/fm2kits1.html
google search for more. Seems to be a rather unloved box...
BUT:
During the early to mid '60s, GM kept the PG as the default auto trans in many vehicles, while Ford offered only 3 speeds in the COM, C4, C6, FMX and other iterations. Thus, Ford was ahead in that game for some time until TH350/400 started to show up in the mid '60s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerglide
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 5,228
Likes: 5
From: Running Springs CA
The Plymouth Hydrive was the Mopar equivalent 2-speed plus torque converter automatic, after a succession of semi-automatic transmissions. Chrysler's Torqueflite may have been the first "modern" three-speed. GM was the leader long before the TH350/400. Lincolns used Hydramatics, developed by Oldsmobile, before Ford had its own. Those were four speeds with a fluid-coupling.
Jim
Jim
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,511
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From: Marion, VA
Originally Posted by 85e150six4mtod
Ford-o-matic was offered in a 2 speed.
'Glide lives on due its strength and handiness in drag racing.
Ford-o-matic 2 speeds....ANYONE still running one of those?
Parts if you need them:
http://www.autotran.us/fm2kits1.html
google search for more. Seems to be a rather unloved box...
BUT:
During the early to mid '60s, GM kept the PG as the default auto trans in many vehicles, while Ford offered only 3 speeds in the COM, C4, C6, FMX and other iterations. Thus, Ford was ahead in that game for some time until TH350/400 started to show up in the mid '60s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerglide
'Glide lives on due its strength and handiness in drag racing.
Ford-o-matic 2 speeds....ANYONE still running one of those?
Parts if you need them:
http://www.autotran.us/fm2kits1.html
google search for more. Seems to be a rather unloved box...
BUT:
During the early to mid '60s, GM kept the PG as the default auto trans in many vehicles, while Ford offered only 3 speeds in the COM, C4, C6, FMX and other iterations. Thus, Ford was ahead in that game for some time until TH350/400 started to show up in the mid '60s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerglide
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,511
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From: Marion, VA
Originally Posted by 85e150six4mtod
From what I can gather, Ford had both 2 and 3 speeds at the same time.
Nothing like being able to 70 in first gear....
Nothing like being able to 70 in first gear....
When I go 70 MPH in my Fairlane, the engine is turning very fast (and the Powerglides were the same way). They feel like they need to change to a higher gear (or two) We didn't think much about it 40 years ago because we seldom went long distances on the interstate.
Gone but not forgotten.
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,521
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by jimandmandy
The Plymouth Hydrive was the Mopar equivalent 2-speed plus torque converter automatic, after a succession of semi-automatic transmissions. Chrysler's Torqueflite may have been the first "modern" three-speed. GM was the leader long before the TH350/400. Lincolns used Hydramatics, developed by Oldsmobile, before Ford had its own. Those were four speeds with a fluid-coupling.
Jim
Jim
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So the Powerglide was Gm's cheap fall back pretty much if their 3speeds were to go to junk in the beginning huh.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Running Springs CA
The TH350 and TH400 were completely different transmissions, 350 essentially a three-speed Powerglide for light-duty applications. What became the TH400 was introduced in 1961 Oldsmobiles. With marketing names like "Jetaway" and "Super Turbine" it can be difficult to tell what it really is. GM divisions each had unique engines and the transmissions did not always interchange. One of the strangest was in my dad's Olds Toronado. The TH425 it was called, rotated 180 degrees, placed to the left of the engine and driven by a primary chain.
Jim
Jim
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From: Marion, VA
Originally Posted by 385seriesHemi
So the Powerglide was Gm's cheap fall back pretty much if their 3speeds were to go to junk in the beginning huh.
The Powerglides were semi-automatic before 53 (you had to change from low to high manually). GM added the Turboglide as an optional transmission in 57. It was a disaster with many failures and I think they discontinued it after 61. It was so bad that GM made a conversion kit to change out the Turboglide for a Powerglide. Somewhere in the mid 60s, the Turbo-hydramatics became optional before they discontinued the Powerglide.
The Powerglide was a simple and dependable transmission but it really sapped the power of the engine and made the cars use a lot of gas due to the gearing.
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From: Marion, VA
Originally Posted by dono
I believe I read somewhere that Rolls Royce also used the Hydramatics.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
Lots of companies used the TH400, including Jeep/AMC, Grumman, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, and I think Ferrari or Lamborghini used it at one point as well.
IIRC, that was designed by John DeLorean.
IIRC, that was designed by John DeLorean.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 5,228
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From: Running Springs CA
Back to the original question. The 1951 Ford-O-Matic/Merc-O-Matic was more advanced than the original Powerglide.
Extensive use of aluminum.
Automatic shifting between two top gears.
P-R-N-D-L shift pattern.
An additional, manually selected, low gear for a total of three forward speeds.
http://fileserver.urimarketing.com/w...N11%201951.pdf
Jim
Extensive use of aluminum.
Automatic shifting between two top gears.
P-R-N-D-L shift pattern.
An additional, manually selected, low gear for a total of three forward speeds.
http://fileserver.urimarketing.com/w...N11%201951.pdf
Jim
