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Ford Automatic gearbox in a series 3


yellayomper

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New to this forum but it looks like I may get the right answers here!

I bought this gearbox set up a while back as i looking at converting to automatic transmission and this looked quite a rare piece of kit. Already running the essex engine so is a straight bolt onto the back of that. My only suspisions are the strength of the box itself. It a Ford C3 box as fitted to Mk1 and 2 Granada and Capris.

Looking at the mating of the transferbox to the ford auto there looks to have been an awful lot of work to get this to work.

I think the work was carried out by Steve Parker and Ashcrofts together using parts from Ashcrofts auto conversion for the Rover V8 to series transfer case.

Has anyone had any experience of this Ford set up? It looks as though I will have to cut the bell housing cross member as the front prop flange sits further back which would cause the prop to foul it.

How much more power will auto boxes take from standard? I've heard you can put up to 25% more power through them without issues.

Any info, pictures advice greatfully received.

IMG_0813.jpg

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I've just taken that setup out of a S11 and, am putting it in my S111 soon......

All I know about the C3 'box is that I've never killed one yet!

And I did try a few years ago.......

Had a 3.1 ex-Capri engine in a 3 tonne Transit towing....

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The 4wd housing on the fornt of the transfer box ahd been cut to about half its normal length - refitting an un-modified one may help with the clearance of the bell housing cross member, though it looks like you'll still have to alter it.

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The 4wd housing on the fornt of the transfer box ahd been cut to about half its normal length - refitting an un-modified one may help with the clearance of the bell housing cross member, though it looks like you'll still have to alter it.

The front nose of the transfer box is cut back to clear the autos wide sump pan. Believe me they wouldn't have just cut it off for no reason. All the Transfer selectors have been modified to allow for this also.

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I've just taken that setup out of a S11 and, am putting it in my S111 soon......

All I know about the C3 'box is that I've never killed one yet!

And I did try a few years ago.......

Had a 3.1 ex-Capri engine in a 3 tonne Transit towing....

Thanks for the reply. I don't suppose you have any photos of it fitted in the vehicle do you? I would like to see what was done to the chassis and whereabouts it sat in the chassis.

Thanks.

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  • 2 months later...

Gear Ratios:

2.47:1 1st gear

1.47:1 2nd gear

1.00:1 3rd gear

2.1:1 reverse

That's a stretch but the Essex V6 will do it of course. Not great for 1st low though 27.3:1 :eek

It's a long box, but clearly it has been done. It just seems a rather antique box - 3 speed, no overdrive and that inconveniently high 1st gear - to go to the effort of slotting in an 88". A C4 is the same length and bolt pattern and is a 4 spd. But you've got a C3, so enjoy!

Oh - and on the power issue, remember that the autobox, especially an old-fashioned low tech box like the C3, eats HP vs a comparable manual box. You can reasonably expect the C3 to eat about 25hp vs the manual box in the Ford Capri that it was an option on. As to power increases, please note that the C3 is a light duty auto box that was fitted to 4cyl and smaller V6 engines. The 3.0 litre Essex V6 was at the upper edge of its abilities back in the day. At anything over 140hp you are asking more of the C3 than it was designed to do. In any event, it's a lot strnger than a Series gearbox.

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