mwye0627

This may not be an answer you like, but I strongly recommend going with a 4r70w if you want an automatic with overdrive. The fmx flexplate and crossmember work for the 4r70w swap as well, and the factory hard lines can be cut and modified to work with the 4R. I think I remember that the slots in the crossmember just need to be widened a bit.
There is the possibility of driveline angle issues with the gear vendors tailshaft, but this isn't always the case. The GV units have good reputations, but their overdrive is .80 I believe and the 4r70w is numerically lower (this is a good thing for highway cruising/mpg).  That means you can get numerically higher rear gears and have the benefits of more acceleration, without increasing highway cruise rpm.
Not to mention a 4r70w by itself is a ton lighter than an fmx with a GV unit, and since it has lower rotating mass that also means more HP eaten turning the driveline = less efficiency as well.
I was damn near doing this swap myself, when I came across a great deal on a toploader...so I'm prepping for that now.
Even if they are a good product, which is what I have read, to me they really don't make sense.

If you have ever looked close at a spot weld ,it is pinched half way through the metal ,cant be strong at all

I went a little on the cheap side.  I’d heard bad things about some of the aftermarket bezels, so I bought an original that had seen better days and made my own.  Ended up cutting out the sides and epoxying some 16 gauge on the outside.  Works well, fits, and cost me a lot less than the aftermarket stuff.

I’m not sure we want pictures of your back side...
... or your knob! :-)

When I worked for Watson Engineering, we also did the build on the Ford FR500R and FR500S factory race cars.  The company that Ford chose to do the design on these cars, Multimatic Motorsports in Canada, who also builds the new Ford GT, specified that ALL seams that are spot welded MUST be reinforced by MIG process.  We would use a cut-off wheel to slice through the outer panel into the inner panel in between each and every spot weld. Every spot weld, even the windshield opening, rear window opening, door jambs, rocker panels, inner roof seams, rear wheel well openings, Everything had to have 1 Inch long MIG welds in between the spot welds. The FIA certified engineers at MultiMatic explained that even with the full roll cage for rigidity, with ONLY Spot Welds on the body, these road race cars would ONLY last about 2 years.  With the additional MIG welds they would last 7+ years before the car would be "too loose" to continue to be competitive.  Also, working in the collision repair industry, I-CAR standards state that MIG process is perfectly suitable for steel frame and body welding.
 This rant is to further support Ridge's assertion that MIG is Much Better than SPOT Welds!!!  

When I worked for Watson Engineering, we also did the build on the Ford FR500R and FR500S factory race cars.  The company that Ford chose to do the design on these cars, Multimatic Motorsports in Canada, who also builds the new Ford GT, specified that ALL seams that are spot welded MUST be reinforced by MIG process.  We would use a cut-off wheel to slice through the outer panel into the inner panel in between each and every spot weld. Every spot weld, even the windshield opening, rear window opening, door jambs, rocker panels, inner roof seams, rear wheel well openings, Everything had to have 1 Inch long MIG welds in between the spot welds. The FIA certified engineers at MultiMatic explained that even with the full roll cage for rigidity, with ONLY Spot Welds on the body, these road race cars would ONLY last about 2 years.  With the additional MIG welds they would last 7+ years before the car would be "too loose" to continue to be competitive.  Also, working in the collision repair industry, I-CAR standards state that MIG process is perfectly suitable for steel frame and body welding.
 This rant is to further support Ridge's assertion that MIG is Much Better than SPOT Welds!!!  

Went back on face book and called him out ,he didnt respond this time ,i am almost sure he is from one of the shops building the new bodies .
Just imagine everyone that has had to replace frame rails or do extensive repairststructural parts of their cars , i have yet to see a car that someone has been killed in because it was welded with a mig .
I have removed a lot of panels ,and structural metal from cars ,and i can tell you they come apart much easier with factory spot welds than a part that has been mig welded
 

That's  our MTF  bumper.  We started  making  them 5 years ago.  This came about  when a customer  furnished us one from the  only  company  at the time making  them. After spending  close to  40 hours to make  it fit, we decided to make  our own.  That's  pretty much  how we end up making  new parts. 

Here is one of the photos i posted before. Look carefully at the bottom image as it might be hard to see what it is depicting. If one has driveshaft angles like this, i will definitely cause a vibration. This is the last example in my post above that I was trying to explain. The driveshaft must always be downhill more than the trans AND uphill more than the diff, or vise versa.
 
 

Sure...blame your Alzheimer's on a couple of concussions.  We all know better.

I have successfully used USC's All-Metal filler a few times.   Since it uses their special "Clear" hardener I believe it is epoxy based with aluminum particles embedded within it.  I do know that when it has properly cured, it is Very Hard.   I have even drilled and tapped it to accept small bolts and machine screws.  I have a few projects that I will be using it on next spring, including a rear extension panel.
Merry Christmas to ALL!!!

On my 351w/fmx/9 inch, I used an AOD (same case as AODE & 4R70W) and the drive shaft didn't need to be shortened. Now if you use an OD trans from a truck or van, the tail housing is one inch longer. I was also able to use the stock trans cross member after modifying it so both side mounting bolts are in single shear. One side has 2 ears that mount to the chassis, and the wider side interfered with the trans pan. As far as FMX vs C4, I measured both of mine and all the mounting point measurements were the same. If there is a next time, I'll be using a 4R70W.

 

You can also use a 4R70w out of a 3.8L V-6 mustang.   It still fits the Windsor block and has the 2 hole starter mount.  The only real difference is that it has 1 less intermediate clutch disc, but most people feel that is not an issue unless you are making over 600 HP, but the extra clutch disc can be easily added.   Also, the V-6 torque converter is just loose enough that it can stall up to 2600 rpm under the torque of a decent 302 engine.  The trans I got is out of a 2002 Mustang, so it has the desirable Mechanical Diode instead of the weaker sprag...   Good deal all around!!!

Like some of the other guys, I prefer the 4R70W swap.   Much better gear ratios...    1st=2.84:1   2nd=1.55:1  3rd= 1.0:1  4th=0.67:1
The super low 1st gear is great for accelerating out of the hole, and the 0.67 OD is much better than the Gear Vendors 0.80 OD.
I bought a 60,000 mile 4R70w + convertor for $350  and a brand new Baumann U.S.Shift Quick 1 controller for $430.  All together I will have around $1000 into my conversion, and with my 3.73 rear gear it should be a LOT of fun and still be able to easily cruse at freeway speeds...   :)   

for that kind of money do the 4R. 
 

Life just got worse.  The wife slipped on the RV steps, fell, and broke both right leg bones above the ankle.  I'm now going to have to be house/nurse maid for a couple of weeks on top of everything else...*sigh*  Will it ever end?

Wait until he finds out fox body convertibles were just coupes with the top cut off and a little extra bracing underneath. He'll have an aneurysm.

Time for an update, 
had tossed up strut or tubular front end?  Decided on the rrs struts and rack and pinion, phase two brakes, modified the shock towers, made up the engine mounts, fitted engine and transmission, fitted new canton oil pan, trans mount is next

I will be using NiCopp line for my fuel & return lines.

From the 69 Shop Manual.

happy thanksgiving as well, and it  well looks like none of us here have much of a life, lol.
 
 

Here is a Happy Thanksgiving wish to everyone here.

Florida you are asking if you can add a pressure valve to pump to limit pressure pump makes, right? I believe there is already a valve in the pump to limit pressure when engine rpm goes up.
As ridge said, wondering is because of the ball joint of the PS control valve. If there is too much play in that, wandering increases, limiting the pressure from pump won't help.
Limiting pressure will only decrease the assist/power level.
The ps control valve on my 70 grande has no play and it wandered some. I increased the caster to 6 degrees and it reduced the wandering considerably.