Transmission

[Fairlane]

Just got transmission rebuilt and guy is telling me it is suppose to start out in second gear not first, I was pretty sure it started out in first gear before, any input from seasoned driver.

[Graham Rollo]

mine starts off in second, only get 1st when pulling into low

[Mark Norris]

Its my understanding the Ford-0-Matic transmission in Dr position only operates to selected 2rd and 3rd gear (it sets off in 2nd and moves to 3rd as the speed picks up and can be dropped to 2nd using the kickdown). Lw is used to select 1st gear, and only that gear, for hill starts etc.

[lld]

My understanding as well.

Larry

[Mark Norris]

Having read through a few Fordomatic service manuals, including the Ford's own 1956 Fordomatic manual, it appears we were wrong.

In Dr the transmission normally starts off in 2nd and moves to 3rd in the normal manner. However if the car is travelling at less than 16 mph then activating kickdown will move the transmission to 1st. The in period Snap-on manual puts this as a range of 15 - 19 mph, the 16 mph figure comes from Ford's own manual.

In Lo the transmission only operates in 1st as we thought ....however the Mark ii owners manual (page 17) states that if engaged in Lo and using engine braking downhill then above 20 mph the transmission initially shifts into 2nd and then down shifts into 1st once the speed drops below that figure.

[Egenolf]

Having read through a few Fordomatic service manuals, including the Ford's own 1956 Fordomatic manual, it appears we were wrong.

In Dr the transmission normally starts off in 2nd and moves to 3rd in the normal manner. However if the car is travelling at less than 16 mph then activating kickdown will move the transmission to 1st. The in period Snap-on manual puts this as a range of 15 - 19 mph, the 16 mph figure comes from Ford's own manual.

In Lo the transmission only operates in 1st as we thought ....however the Mark ii owners manual (page 17) states that if engaged in Lo and using engine braking downhill then above 20 mph the transmission initially shifts into 2nd and then down shifts into 1st once the speed drops below that figure.

After doing the throttle linkage adjustment properly, my Mark II (1966) shifts exactly as Mark described it.

When I fully depress the accelerator pedal from a standing position, the transmission shifts back in 1st and moves in 2nd and 3rd depending from speed.

[Don Henschel]

It is exactly the same as the newer Cruisomatics with the D1&D2 for hill control and my father had a sixties Tbird and was scared to pull it into low down a hill thinking 1rst was the only option. I corrected him on that and personally I think that starting out in second is a piss poor design with first only occurring when the gas pedal is floored😡 I'm reminded of this with a 5400 pound car requiring serious octane fuel I cannot get, starting out in second!! This car screams out for a 4 speed Hydromatic it would have received several years earlier instead of this junk! I have looked into possible mods just to find out an additional Sprag clutch is required along with a more advanced valve body like the slightly newer transmissions. I would welcome a D1 D2 L prindle giving me the option of starting out in 1,2,3 or 2,3 but that isn't an option missing one position. FMC dropped the ball here!