Hot Rod Forum banner

Fmx

6K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  fordfan1788 
#1 ·
can any one tell me if a fmx is as strong as a turbo 400 andcan i run it with the kickdown cable of it i have herd you can
 
#6 ·
We are talking about a cast iron case FMX correct? There is no TV (Throttle Valve) cable. It works off a modulator valve and kickdown linkage for shifts. The kickdown can be eliminated with a manual valve body.

Now the AOD has a TV cable. Which tranny are you working with?
 
#7 ·
My experience has been that the FMX is a great trans for a 2 ton vehicle that is driven to the grocery store and church on Sunday. It can hold up to towing if it is set-up right with all the linkages and vacuum line hooked up right. For performance, I wouldn't even try it. They will not last with the kick-down disconnected, as it will quickly burn it up due to low pressure under load.

Due to the cast iron case, it does make a good boat anchor!:evil:
 
#8 ·
i think its cactus anyway because its staying in 1st when i take of in drive and staying in there no mater how many revs i give it when i click it back to second it will change in to it and when i click it in to drive again it will change at around 4000 grand into it but if i go any slower than 70 kmh it will click back to second any ideas ???????? do you recon i throw it away and put the c4 in it or buy a c6 or put in it
 
#9 ·
Older FMX transmissions use a TV cable just like the AOD does. The lighter duty aluminum body ones and even cast iron case ones. Later models (don't know exactly when the change occured, but sometime around 66) use the vacuum modulator for pressure control. You'll have one or the other. Some vac modulated models use an electric kick-down solenoid. The TV cable serves as a kick-down when pushed in all the way and car is under a certain speed. The FMX is a development of the Borg-Warner/Studebaker transmission. BW and Stude started co-developing a trans, and Ford joined them. Some parts will even interchange. Other than Stude, AMC bought these from Borg-Warner, as well as Jaguar and Volvo. The Aisin-Warner used in Lexus, Infinity, Toyota, and 4.0L Jeeps is a derivative as well. Aisin-Warner is the Japanese division of Borg-Warner (may be a separate entity now).
 
#10 · (Edited)
I've had FMX's (originally cast iron cruiso's) in vehicles back as far as the '50's and they all have kickdown rods and modulators not TV rods, all the Ford automatics, up until the AOD used them. On the earlier ones they operated off of a linkage that was attached to the intake manifold and it may give the appearance of a TV linkage for those used to that type, but it is a kickdown. I think the FMX is probably as strong as the TH400 ( a lot heavier) it was used behins the 427 Thunderbolts in the early to mid 60's, so it has plenty of strength, just that damned weight.

Addendum;
apparently after checking some old parts books, there was one version offered in '58-'60 (concurrently with the others) that didn't use a modulator like the others, either that or it was different enough not to be available any longer.
 
#11 ·
I did trans work from the mid 70's until the mid 80's. We did work on the FMX's every once in a while. The internals are as heavy as the case. The biggest problem I had found with them is that they would burn up easy if the kick down was not adjusted properly. Since they usually were in the heavier cars, it was very important to have the trans down shift at the right load point. I never remember seeing one with a TV cable on it, or no modulator for that matter. As I recall they had hard rods or tubes that connected to the arm on the trans like the C-4 and C-6. Up at the top the linkage usually was connected in steps to the carb, in that there was a swivel and another rod before the carb. They obviously had to be strong to a point, as they were used in vehicles that weighed 2 tons or more.

I guess if you are building a lead sled, they would not be that bad. Not if you can find someone that can rebuild one. They are definately a bird of a different breed.
 
#13 ·
I know the FMX/Cruise-O-Matic were developed with Borg Warner and Studebaker (I have an article from the late 50s about when they came out). I did a little more research myself. Apparently only the lighter duty versions used the TV cable. I'm more used to the aluminum case versions used behind sixes. I looked at the one in my V-8 Rambler and sure enough, a vacuum modulator. It's a 63 with the cast iron B-W, like the old Cruise-O-Matic. Checked my books after that -- all the model 10/11/12 (the big iron units) use a modulator as well as the medium duty aluminum case model 40/4x.

Only the light duty model 35/37/38 used the TV cable, and they were only used behind 232 and smaller sixes (and only a year or two behind the 232, apparently it didn't hold well behind anything over 200 inches). I didn't look to see what Ford used behind the 170/240, most of you guys don't mess much with sixes either!! I do, but mostly the bigger late model AMC/Jeep (have a 4.0L EFI bored/stroked out to 4.6L -- everyone thinks I have a Mustang or Crown Vic V-8 when I tell them the size!!). But I had a Rambler with the 196/M-35 for a long time, and have pulled many of them out.

There are some tricks to building the B-W/FMX, but as stated -- finding someone who knows how to build one is a different story. Check Volvo and foreign car specialists. Volvo used a model 55 (almost the same as FMX internally, but it used a TV cable) through 79 or 80, and Jaguar used a similar trans even behind the V-12 through 83 or so (then they switched to the TH-400).
 
#15 ·
Interesting discussion on the FMX has developed. You can see some similarities in design of parts to the FMX inside the AOD.

We just repaired an old Cast Iron cruise-O(same basic design as FMX) with a cracked center support. A buddy of mine has the tools that bolt onto the center support, you drill and tap a hole for a bolt to hold the pieces together.

A variation of these trannys were used in so many different brands of vehicles. I always enjoyed knowing that some of the vehicles the "nose in the air type people" drove were built with common Ford or GM parts


Another segway; I am building a Ford 200 CID 6 cylinder with a Australian Ford cylinder head for a 62 Falcon. I will drag race the car with a full manual C-4 behind the 6 cylinder engine. People ask me "why?" and I don't really have a good answer cept I want to..... :)
 
#16 ·
Farna.... The aluminum models were definately lighter. I used to take them out by hand. I did drop them once in a while, when I was trying to avoid the hot fluid coming out of the convertor. Ford used a 2 speed for years before they started with the C-4. As I recall the 2 speed was expensive to rebuild. We used to put a penny(those copper things that we have laying around) in somewhere on the valve body. It's been so long that I can't remember anymore what that was for. The FMX/Cruiso's came in many times because they had lost pressure from the alum. tubes coming loose. Of course by the time they got to us, they were toast. Don't remember replacing many hard parts in them though. I never liked the alum valve bodies being bolted to the cast iron case. Guess that is why they had tubes in there. I used to take a punch to enlarge the tubes and make them fit tighter. As I recall there were supposed to be straps to hold them in place. Sometimes they were missing.

OH well. It would be more fun to remember the old days, if they weren't so long ago and I could remember them better.:rolleyes:
 
#17 ·
so as long as the vacume modulator is hooked up it should be right i rang a few auto trannie places up in perth and the said idont need the kick down rod . the told me the major problem with them is no one makes high pro parts for them and there is only one type of shift kit for them can you tell me were thw modle numer is written on it i know it came out of a XBGT .

I had a VJ valiant ute with a 265 hemi bored 30 tho E38 cam and a 500 holly on it and tha only had a borg warner 35 behind it and i never had any troble with it i dont kno if our AUSTRALIAN gear is the same as yours thow
 
#19 ·
Nice post KULTULZ,I know here there are a few shift kits available. You can run without the kickdown but when you kick the gas to pass the trans won't downshift right away (that's the purpose of the rod) and you may have to manually downshift to get the quick passing acceleration.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Technology Description Update

farna said:
Older FMX transmissions use a TV cable just like the AOD does. The lighter duty aluminum body ones and even cast iron case ones. Later models (don't know exactly when the change occured, but sometime around 66) use the vacuum modulator for pressure control. You'll have one or the other.
While Carousing With My Browser early this morning, I came across this post. Please let me clarify the discussion here for whomever may use this information for future reference;

The FMX (FORD-MERC-DUAL RANGE) transmission was a culmination of older CRUISE-O-MATIC (MERC-O-MATIC-MX/TWIN TURBO-LX) technology and was an improved design introduced in the 1968 model year. It employed a kickdown rod and modulator valve.

The FORD-O-MATIC (single range) was redesigned in 1958 becoming the dual range CRUISE-O-MATIC (dual range). Both designs used Throttle Valve Linkage (not cable but same method). In 1961, FORD gain updated design with the introduction of the modulator valve and the TV linkage was discontinued.
 
#21 ·
ya dont try to run an FMX with out a kickdown rod mine made it all of about 300miles and towards the end it was blowing oil out do to high pressue i asume and almost caught the car on fire going down the high way so if i were you i wouldnt do it unless you got a manual drive body good luck
JOHN
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top