What gears are in a Ford Cruise-O-Matic?

1241 Views 4 Replies 2 Participants Last post by 67cpe, May 6, 2014

65'Coupe

Discussion Starter · May 5, 2014

Just curious but after buying my 65' (with an I6) a while back the guy said it was an aftermarket 3-speed automatic (he took out the manual and put in the automatic I don't know why) but I can only feel it shift once? It'll go into 2nd around 25-35 mph depending on how high i have the RPMs. Then I noticed just today on the shifter that there's Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and then before Low there's an O. Now I'm not sure if that means Overdrive or what does it mean? If it is an overdrive gear then would it make it a "3" speed transmission?

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Ivy66GT

· #2 · May 5, 2014

No, I highly doubt that its an overdrive. Ford C4s were all 3-speeds but they had a 'green dot' position and a non-green dot drive position on the earlier models. http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/classic-tech/686673-does-my-transmission-have-overdrive.html One starts in 1st gear, the other starts in 2nd.

As far as gear ratios: Transmission Gear Ratios - TCI® Auto

GM had the 2-speed Powerglide automatic, not Ford.

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· #3 · May 6, 2014

hello;

it's likely a std 3 spd c4 trans.

the shift from 1st to 2nd can be nearly impossible to tell on lots of these. if your engine is not wailing at 65 mph you are in 3rd, not second.

start in the second dot up then the third dot up. the car should accelerate much more slowly in one or the other.

you want the position it accelerates quicker in otherwise you are taking off in second gear and you will burn your trans out.

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Ivy66GT

· #4 · May 6, 2014

67cpe said:
...otherwise you are taking off in second gear and you will burn your trans out.

That is a myth. Its got a torque converter, there is no more harm starting in 2nd than in 1st. Nothing slips except the oil in the torque converter.

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· #5 · May 6, 2014 (Edited)

All the professional tranny builders I know, including the one we had working for us for around 18 years said the same thing.

Irregardless, since taking off in second obviously puts more torque on the clutches than taking off in first does it seems to me that it would simply be better to err on the side of caution and take off in the gear the factory intended and designed the trans to be taken off in.

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