Im taking a 292 from one 63 W/ 3 speed manual tranny and was going to install it in my other 1963 W/ auto tranny, I was talkin to my ol drunk body man next door and he told me if that was a 2 speed tranny that I was wasting my time! any opinions? Sure enough I checked and it showed only 2 gears on indicator on column. Im going to count bolts on pan to see if its been swapped in past as soon as it gets daylight. I dont know a fmx from a c4 but im learnin!

 

I think your body man heighbor is referring to the Ford-O-Matic. The following is a reprint from an article published in Street Rodder

FORD-O-MATICS by Doc Frohmander

These transmissions are often maligned, but in their day, they were quite solid and serviceable units. They were what I call "stealth three-speeds". Nearly lost in history is the Ford-O shift trick that allowed you to make use of all three gears. The Ford-O had only two: "low" and "drive". The only way you got low was to manually shift into it. If you started out in drive, you got second gear and a single shift to third. So the trick was to start out in low, wind it up to were you wanted second, and manually upshift to the drive position. Unfortunately, if you stopped there, you got third when the trans wanted to shift-usually a lot lower rpm than you wanted. So to stay in second, you simply upshifted to drive from first and immediately dropped it back into low. The trans would react by shifting to second and staying there until you again shifted into drive. There-three speeds, and once you got the idea it was simple to do.

The Ford-O remains a usable trans and will support a reasonable healthy Y-block if it is in good shape. Another option: Use an adapter kit made by Flat-O Products that allows you to use a C4 transmission. Obviously, the C4 is the premium option; able to handle some serious strong drag engines in beefed form and easily handle everything a Y-block can produce. I personally have never seen this kit, but am told that it is a complete kit of parts that adapts the C4 with little fuss. The obvious advantages are the C4's strength, lightness and shift. (end)

Some other tricks that I have found with experimentation :

(1) Start in low. (2) Up-Shift into drive for second. (3) Down shift immediately into low to stay in second.

(4) Up-Shift into drive for third. (5) Down shift back into low if you need to go back to second for pick up.

(6) Up-Shift into drive which will put you in third again when slowing back down so as not to bang the

trans in first while coming to a stop.

(7) Once stopped you then can drop her back into low and start over again.

Hope this helps you in your decision. Steve

 

Thanks for the info Steve