Need AOD Advice

[Randle]

I am in the process of rebuilding a 70 F100, the truck had a 390 and C6 in it with the two piece drive shift. I am thinking about installing a 302 with an AOD, I know it want have the power of the 390 but it want be used to pull or haul anyway. My question is the AOD; I know I will have to get the TV cable to match my carb, but what changes will have to be made to the transmission mount, drive shaft and speedometer cable. Thanks for any incite.

[pincheweddo]

Since nobody answered I will throw out my rambling here. I have a friend with a 1962 Ford Falcon with a 302/AOD combo. They drive from west Texas to California once a year. The damn thing gets 28 mpg at 65 mph. He tried 75 mph and got 30 mpg. Figures if he does a 100 mph gas will start going back into the tank and he can sell it.

Now this dude is what I consider one of the best mechanics in our great state and he has been helping me for the last 30 years. He clams tuned right, a bump side should easily see 20 mpg with a 302/AOD combo and be so much quieter that we wouldn't know what we were driving.

Best thing to do that I understand is to find a car that has all the brackets, mounts, drive shaft, speedo and any other goodies and take the whole mess. If you use the original carb you can use the ford overdrive cable. If you use an after market you will need the high dollar TV Cable. No cable = bad news.

[Donnie]

Randle, Pinch is correct.. unless you have started gathering parts already......it would be easier & a lot less hassle if you could find a car, maybe wrecked or rusted out & buy the complete unit...getting a drivetrain, that is, engine & trans bolted together with linkage & all other things that you will need, including the converter........you will get away with a less expensive job than if you start piecing parts together from different auto's.
Fourth gear is DIRECT DRIVE in an AOD----there is NO FLUID LOSS in the converter...the front 1/2 of the converter, the part that is bolted to your flexplate is connected directly into your trans drum using the long center shaft splined into a damper (for shock absorb) in the converter..
There are NO ELECTRONICS involved in getting a lock up in 4th gear....These converters hardly ever fail, but the 3rd clutches do.
There are others who only like the 4R70W......this is a wide ratio AOD.......electronically controlled trans that uses a processor to control shifting & the converter clutch lock up apply.......an after mkt. controller is available to do this, so you don't need all the electronic's from the donor car..
The 3rd clutch is the weak link in both units....Shop around , do some price checking, listen to other opinions, check your wallet,
Evaluate your mechanical skills & make a decision........
The 4R70W uses a computer controlled lock up for a "direct Drive condition".......note here that all engine sizes use a different size clutch dia.
as in the 6cyl & small & large v8 each use different size lock-up clutch in the converter. There are hi & low stall units, 10 & 12 inch lock up discs.
I left out the fractions, but you see what I mean----all 4R70W converters are NOT the same....HTH........Donnie

[Randle]

Guys, thanks for the replies. Sense I made this post I found a completely rebuilt 300 with less then 500 mile on it. The man I got it from just finished rebuilding it and getting it in his van and had a stroke, so he could no longer use it. I am still planning on using a AOD behind it.
Thanks again for the replies

[ultraranger]

I'm one of the ones that prefers the 4R70W. It was the latest, greatest development of the AOD it evolved from.

If you're just dead-set on an AOD, know that all AODs are not created equal. First production of the AOD was 1980. Last year of production was 1993/'94. 1980-1987 models have several internal and lubrication (or lack of lubrication) flaws. Ford addressed and corrected many of these problems with 1988-1993 models.

1988-1993 5.0L Mustang AODs will have the largest "A" servo piston (compared to other AODs that have the smaller "B" servo or an even smaller "C" servo). They will also have more clutch discs in some of the drums compared to the AODs installed behind 6-cylinder engines. The servos will have, A, B or C stamped on them but, the only way to see which one it is would require removal of the transmission pan to see it.

The AOD can be built into a very strong transmission. In totally stock form though, they are generally very sluggish between gear shifts and at certain speeds/engine loads, the AODs frequently bounce between 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 4th --like the transmission can't make its mind up what gear it wants to be in. (must be the mechanical incarnation of a woman --you know? ...Times where it seems it just can't make its mind up what it wants to do ).

After I bought my '69 Ranger just over 2 years ago (240 w/C-4), I tossed around the idea of installing an AOD. However, I have a friend that has a '65 Mustang fastback & a '73 Mustang convertible. He had an AOD for a time in the '65 but later took it out. He's been running a 4R70W in both of them for several years now. I asked him about the 4Rs. He gave me some reference links on the 4R70W and I read and studied the information. Afterwards, it was clear to me the 4R70W was a better transmission.

[j41385]

This is from the Baumann website.

AOD transmissions use one of three overdrive band servos ("A", "B", or "C"), depending on application. Earlier non-performance units are equipped with the smaller "C" servo. This letter designation is cast into the servo cover and piston for easy identification.

The "B" servo is a larger unit used in most post-1985 V-8 applications, all 351 applications, and High Output applications (i.e. Mustang G.T. 5.0 L, Lincoln LSC). This unit provides a 30% increase in band application force over the "C" servo.

The "A" servo is the largest overdrive servo available for the AOD transmission. This piece is used only with 1992 and 1993 trucks and the Thunderbird "Super Coupe" supercharged 3.8 Liter V-6. It will provide a 50% increase in band application force over the small "C" servo and 16% over the "B" servo. If your vehicle already has the "B" servo, then the "A" servo will not drastically improve your 3-4 shifts, but if maximum overdrive band durability under harsh conditions and extra-crisp overdrive shifts are desired, this servo is a must.
http://www.becontrols.com/aodsupgr.htm

Something else to consider is that even though the super coupe AOD has the A servo, it still has the 1.5" overdrive band. The strongest factory unit is from the 1992 and 93 E and F150 that had a 5.0 and AOD combo. From the Factory it has the A servo, a 2" OD band, and the wide ratio gearset. That's why I took my time and waited until I found one from a 1993 F150, and swapped out my c6 for it. And I love it.

[Randle]

Thanks for the replies. That is some good info. Sounds like the 92 or 93 truck is what I need.

[j41385]

Been thinking about this thread periodically since I last replied. Since you are doing the same swap I did, I will expand a bit on details.

When you take the 390 out if you don't already know, you can use the same frame mounts or perches as some people call them. You simply move them forward into the next set of factory pre drilled holes. having done that, the aod and c6 use the same trans cross member. However when I went from 390 and c6 to 300 and small block c6 I did have to move the cross member a bit, which involved drilling a couple holes. Later when swapping from c6 to AOD it was a direct bolt in swap, other than the front portion of the 2 piece drive shaft needed shortened 3-4 inches. I can measure the chunk I had cut out later on if you need (I still have it in the garage ).

The Shift pattern our trucks had with the c6 as you know is PRND21. The AOD shift pattern is PRN(OD)D1. So I just borrowed a lable maker from my mom and put OD over the original D, and D over the original 2.

Thinking about it further, I had the advantage of having a 4 barrel carb on my 300. I say advantage because more parts are available for those than for a 1 barrel. So I got some linkage correctors for my edelbrock 4v carb and it fit together nicely with the stock throttle valve cable from the 93 f150 5.0 aod trans.

When looking for trucks in junkyards that may have an aod, keep in mind that in 1992 and 1993 ford f150s were offered with the 300, 302, and 351. the 300 and 351 only had 2 automatic trans options- the e40d and the c6
the 5.0 had options of the aod, c6, and e4od. You can tell by the shift pattern of the junk yard truck what it had. the e4od being electronic had an od cancel switch.

On the vehicle id tag on the door frame under trans an aod truck will have a Y code.

Also I found out I couldn't use my c6 flexplate. So I went to napa and got one from an 86 F150 with a 300/aod combo. It has to be zero balance, and it has to be for the aod. Nothing else will work.

Hope this helps.

[Randle]

Thanks J41385, that is some really good information, and you have answered some questions for me. One question, on the drive shaft, what front yoke did you use. The only other thing I see unanswered is the hookup of the TV cable to a 1 barrel carb. Thanks again for the info.

[Donnie]

Hi, if you end up with a 3/4 shuttle as was suggested in an earlier post, this can be corrected by replacing a worn too small check ball in the valve body.....and lazy shifting, if the unit is in GOOD shape, installing a TransGo valve body program..although not an easy valve body to work on, will take care of shift concerns..... providing your cable/ rod whichever you use is CORRECTLY set........Donnie

[j41385]

I used this yoke and got it from these people. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fms-m-4841-b

If you can find a 4 barrel intake and carb used for cheap, use these brackets to use the stock throttle valve cable.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-376700
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-700203

[Randle]

Thanks a lot that should get me going on that part. Now just finish my body work so I can start putting it all back together. Thanks again that saves me a lot of digging.