65 Ford Galaxie questions

I have a 65 Ford Galaxie. I put a 289 w/ Cruise-o-matic in it. Here are a couple of questions

1. The carb has a "hole" in the top above the bowl. This is a stock 2 barrel carb. Is this normal? It seems that fuel could slosh out or dirt could get in.

2. Automatic on the column. It seems that the shifter is the opposite of what it should be. example D is reverse. R is drive and P is drive. How is the shift rod suppose to be connected to the trans? I have pictures of mine if someone could compare to theirs.

Thanks in advance
Mark

the hole in the top of the carb should have a little felt or sotr of filter on it. its a breather hole.
i have a standard so i dont know about the shift indicator except there might be a way that the linkage was flipped between the tranny and column

Since you put that motor and trans in what year is it and what did it come in originally,every application of ford trans uses a different arm and can be changed by dropping the pan and valve body. Cruise-o-matic could be the aluminum case or cast iron case and what is yours,if its the aluminum case it is basicly a C-4 and if its the cast iron case its basicly a FMX that was used up into the late 70s. I need to know what trans you have to tell you what to do about the arm but since they basicly are the same mechanically from 65 to 68 you have those years to find the shifter arm from. Jeff

I'm not of the origin of the motor or trans. They were in a 66 Ford Custom. But I don't think that they were original to that car. I can take a look at the motor tag Friday. They were half installed and a mustang shifter was also half installed. I will have to take a closer look at the trans also on Friday.
Thanks for your help Jeff. Also CanadianAl do you have any idea where to get the "felt" piece? Maybe a Mustang place?

The shifter arm is supposed to point down in the 7 or 8 O clock position and if yours points up its wrong and might have a floor shift or later cable arm. Now on the hole in the carb,it sounds like its the one that is supposed to have a arm that bolts to two of the pump housing screws that opens when the throttle is opened and closed when at idle so if there is just a hole the linkage is missing and I think its a vent. Jeff

37mark sorry i took a look at my carb on my 66 i was wrong it has a hole in the top of the front of the top of it but no felt or anything . there is a one way valve/flapper in there cause i rebuillt the carb and remeber that. i have a old ford 2 bbl carb in my pile and it has the little felt piece on the top of it. probably keeps the gas from sloching out. i wouldnt worry about it.
also thught about your shifer trouble. what would happen if you took the shifer arm on the tranny and flipped it around so it points the other way. that may solve your problem.