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FoMoCo FMX

6K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  greazyball 
#1 ·
okay,whats the problem with an FMX automatic transmission? I have run them before with no troubles at all,my dad ran them for decades hauling tons and tons and tons of sandblasting grit/equipment,cars,trucks,trailers you name it,he has hauled it.And i was never kind to any car i owned that had an automatic.I have used C4's mostly neither trans ever gave any trouble.So im wondering why i hear or read so much negativity about the FMX and C6,I get alot of mumbo jumbo about the C4 being superior less parasitic drag,etc i guess if you want to drag race with an automatic then maybe things like that matter.Im a firm believer in a shift kit and a cooler and NOT sending trans fluid thru the radiator.I dont know,im not a so called pro drag racer,mechanic,etc.But i do know a good transmission when i use one,And if you take care of it,use it as it was intended to be used,Then there should be little troubles
 
#2 ·
FMX is heavy. i have one in a 69 torino i just got and it looks like no one has ever done anything to it. the car has 81k and sat for at least 17 years but the transmission shifts perfectly. i traded a 67 cougar that i had just had the c4 rebuilt in and the fmx shifts harder than the fresh built c4. it does weigh almost as much as an engine, though. i have a c6 in a 79 f 100 and it sounds like the front pump might be going but i think it has 144k original miles on it. had a 59 f 100 with a built up 460 and c6 last year and the c6 was jam up. i've had a couple of other old fords with c6's and have never had any trouble out of them. i'm not a racer, though.
 
#3 ·
yeah,tey sure are heavy.I just put one in my 55 willys truck.I wanted another 4spd but couldnt find the one i needed for less than 3 bills,then i still needed a clutch kit and flywheel,But the time i had it all apid for i was looking at nearly 700 dollars.But i had the fmx sitting there,i never paid a dime for it.And it came out of a 79 mercury cougar along with the 302 i also put in my truck both were factory rebuilds.So i decided to use the fmx due to money issues.I got alot of flak about switching from a standard to an fmx.Like i said,My dad and i have always run fords and never had trouble with any automatics.I was just curious that maybe we had gotten lucky all these years and everyone else thought fmx were junk.For a truck i would prefer a standard but money talks and i couldnt justify 700 bucks when i had a nice rebuilt fmx just sitting on a rack not being used
 
#4 ·
the back counter guy at the parts store i go to is an old school ford guy. he says the fmx is the most forgiving automatic they ever made. he says that he could never keep 2nd gear in a c6 but he pretty much dogged stuff out from what he says. i don't romp my stuff that often.
 
#5 ·
The FMX is almost bullet proof. It is one of the best automatics Ford ever made. How do I know? I would starve to death if I sold only FMX parts since I have seldom sold more than ONE FMX part in any year of the last 30 years. C4 parts put food on my table day after day, month after month, and year after year.

It is heavy, for sure, about 40 pounds heavier than a C6. But it has less parasitic drag than either the C4 or the C6, so you get more horses to the wheels.
 
#7 ·
mmerlinn said:
The FMX is almost bullet proof. It is one of the best automatics Ford ever made. How do I know? I would starve to death if I sold only FMX parts since I have seldom sold more than ONE FMX part in any year of the last 30 years. C4 parts put food on my table day after day, month after month, and year after year.

It is heavy, for sure, about 40 pounds heavier than a C6. But it has less parasitic drag than either the C4 or the C6, so you get more horses to the wheels.
i think the fluid in the one in my 69 torino is from the factory. i'm scared to change it and i like the way it shifts. i'm going to agree with merlin. it must be a really tough transmission and i wasn't impressed with the c4 in my cougar.
the c6 in the 59 seemed pretty impressive but i don't know what mods it may have had (shift kit, stall).
 
#8 ·
i give up! i cant seem to come up with a simple solution for a floor shifter in the truck i tried building one,i tried adapting my hurst vmatic II..which i traded for a B&M..that didnt work the way i wanted...so i tried adapting a couple of factory floor shifters from a pinto,torino and another cougar.I QUIT!! right now im using a 'hillbilly shifter' basically a metal rod sticking up thru the trans hump connected to the trans.I ordered a shifter from 'Lokar' its a shifter designed specifically for the FMX.I needed my truck for work,its been down all spring,summer and now its fall.I had to stop clowning around and get the thing on the road.I was trying to avoid my usual 'rush,rush,hurry hurry hurry get it done...fix the mistakes later' approach.Anyways the only thing that didnt get done the way i wanted was the shifter and the wiring harness could have come out a bit better,But overall im happier with the way the truck came out compared to other vehicles i built.A few cosmetic things still need to be adressed but i like the truck!
 
#10 ·
I will,i should have it here in a couple more days,Im looking forward to getting it...but at the same time,im loathing to get it..why? because i know once i begin installing it and get familiar with it...its going to 'click' in my head where i messed up with the other shifters or rather adapting the others.But thats okay,I got my *** kicked this time..but they wont get me again!
 
#11 ·
Fmx

The FMX came out in 1958 as the "cast iron Cruiseomatic" It was used in pretty much everything in one form or another for many years. Studebaker used it as the Flightomatic. It is heavy because it was built the old fashioned way, to last. They can be modified if desired, there are shops that specialise in these things. They are still used in vintage drag cars. Just remember when you change oil in them, they are the ONLY Ford trans to use type F fluid. It can be hard to find, however type F fluid was used in farm applications, so it's still very much available, just not in the "quickie" chain stores. DON'T use type FA, this was used in C4 and C6 trans only. They are not interchangeable. Type F fluid as some astute people will know is the auto fluid used in modified trans no matter what kind they are. The C4 and C6 trans are another story altogether, they need a lot of modifying for heavy duty use. The only drawback with these old trans is none of them have an overdrive. But you know, we drove millions of miles on these old trans with no overdrive, it is not really a mandatory thing, believe it or not.
 
#12 ·
Fmx ii

Gennie used to make a bolt on shifter for the FMX, are they still in business? Lokar might have crushed them just like Vintage Air did to Old Time Air. Too bad. Another thing, when you change oil in them, the converter can be drained also. There are two drain plugs in the face of the converter, 180 degrees apart. One will be at the top to let air in while the lower will let the oil out. Make sure there is PLENTY of oil in the trans when you refill before you start the engine, so nothing runs dry for any length of time. Very important. They hold a lot of oil, I would guess about 12 quarts or so. But then again, the C6 holds a lot of oil too.
 
#13 ·
thanks for both tips on the transmission..one Type F fluid..bought that purely by dumb luck haha!..and 2..i found out that i dont know everything..i THOUGHT 7 ton 8 quarts would be enough..when i got the truck running to begin checking this or that..the damned thing wouldnt move after i shifted it into drive or reverse!! i was sure that the transmission was bad after sitting so many years..new fluid,low miles on a factory rebuild,new modulator valve, what was going on????!!!...i cursed and i swore and kicked the truck!...then i remembered my dad saying way back when i was kid...'Stop it with your damned temper tantrums and begin checking AGAIN and AGAIN til you figure it out! are you sure the fluid level is correct??..woops...i went online and found i was nearly 4qts shy of a full transmission..so i added 3 more qts and wow an amazing thing happened,the truck moved when i put it in gear!! hahaha!!!
 
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