automatic trans for 239 flat head
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,724
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From: clinton,tn
automatic trans for 239 flat head
is there a way to hook up a automatic trans to a 239 flathead. i have a good flathead and had a wild ideal to put it in my 86 ranger that has a bad engine. just something else to do,like i don't have enough now.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
auto trans for the 239 flathead
Passenger cars with 239 flatties offered Fordomatic beginning in 1951. The same trans was used in 1951/53 Mercs.
1953 was the only year the Fordomatic/flattie combo was offered in F100's.
1953 was the only year the Fordomatic/flattie combo was offered in F100's.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 797
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From: Cape Coral FL
It is a pretty common to put a modern c4 or Ford aod transmission with an 8ba flathead. Kits are available. here is a link to a kit offered by Speedway. I like the idea of a flathead powered Ranger.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/7413...ad%20automatic
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/7413...ad%20automatic
I'll have the Roast Duck
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Northshore, MN
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
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From: Simi Valley, CA
And you only thought it was used by Ford? It was also used by Rambler.
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I'll have the Roast Duck
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Northshore, MN
If there ever was an automotive theme on the tv show "JEAPORDY", I'd put my money on Bill.
I've been reading up on ramblers lately, and I find it interesting that they used flathead 6's well into the 1960's.
(thinking of putting my Jeep 4.0 into an AMC 440 rambler)
I've been reading up on ramblers lately, and I find it interesting that they used flathead 6's well into the 1960's.
(thinking of putting my Jeep 4.0 into an AMC 440 rambler)
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Marietta, Ohio
???
BTW, I'm with havi on this one, the Retro-Ranger sounds strangely appealing. With the right exhaust system it would sound great and scare away all the other Rangers.
Later...
I'll have the Roast Duck
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 9,622
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From: Northshore, MN
Allow me to add that the Ranger engine bay will accept a 302, so fitting a flattie in there shouldn't be a problem. The transmission is likely a C5, or even worse, an A4LD. I would encourage a different trans altogether, and that includes a manual T5, or AOD.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
The C5 is a modified version of the C4.
The A4LD was the second worst trans Ford ever made...it actually was made in France originally.
The all time worst A/T Ford ever made is the AOD, which some ppl here think is the cat's meow.
It's more like something from the other end of the cat!
Posting Guru
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From: Marietta, Ohio
Later Man...
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Marietta, Ohio
Patiently waiting...
Later...
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
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From: Simi Valley, CA
I'm not sure about it but that sounds like the one I had in my '88 Starcraft custom Econoline van. With a 302. It was so heavy it couldn't get out of it's own way. I never had a tranny problem but I only had it for about a years and found a real good way to get out of it, so I did. What were the choices on the selector?
Later Man...
Later Man...
The major problem with the trans is...peeps drove the vehicle in heavy stop and go traffic in O/D. This caused the trans to constantly shift up/down, in/out of O/D.
Within days of driving like this, the trans fried.
The trick to keeping the AOD out of the transmission shop, where it costs 3 grand to fix the little darlin' is to STAY OUT OF O/D in heavy stop and go traffic and install the largest external trans cooler you can find.
Someone's prolly gonna come along and say.."mine work just fine." Uh huh, well you prolly don't live in a major metro area where stop and go traffic is a way of life. You're also damn lucky!
THE AOD cost FoMoCo MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of dollars in warranty repair costs. It also caused Ford to lose 1000's of repeat customers.
The AOD is the major reason why ppl dumped the vehicle as soon as possible and bought something else, most likely from Japan.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,299
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From: NM
I agree, Bill, but with some clarification. Up until around 1990, Ford beancounters or engineers deemed that most cars with AOD would get a light-duty servo for the OD band (or clutch?), taxi's and police cars got a medium duty one, and there was a HD one for trucks I think. Anyway, by 1990 just about all got the HD servo, and around the same time they changed from the ultra-difficult-to-adjust hard linkage to a cable system that was much better. A few years later they changed to electronic control. I know of no major issues with the later trans's, but they are still not anything in comparison to the typical 4L60E that GM cars of the period came with. You would think that Detroit would have figured out transmissions aren't the place to save money after the UltraDrive fiasco (which cost me $3k personally, and ended my love affair with Chryslers)...