can anyone tell me pros and cons od a AOD transmission i intend on using my truck for light towing after i get it running since i have a land scaping company that runs 24/7 i need everything on my truck reliable I've already kicked around a 5 speed swap off a later model truck do y'all have any ideas??

 

The AOD is a relatively week tranny in factory guise, but can be built to be fairly strong. And, the TV cable MUST be adjusted properly or it won't live long.

Another issue with the tranny is the OD ratio - .67:1. Ford seemed to think they could put relatively tall gears in a truck as well as the AOD and get better economy. However, the tranny would shift out of OD at the hint of a hill and then back in. Then out and in. Yes, the owners manual said to lock it out by downshifting, but…. I think the problem can be easily solved by reasonable gearing. A little math says that 4.10 gears become 2.81's when in OD, and those are tall gears. So, I'd put low gears in the rear, beef up the tranny, and enjoy a wide set of gears with a decent OD ratio.

 

The AOD is actually a pretty decent transmission, as long as the owner understands how it is meant to be used and understands its limitations.

The AOD was the very first Automatic Overdrive transmission around. It was introduced in the early 1980s for those times, which primarily demanded better fuel economy. The much lower RPMs that occurs as a result of the 0.67:1 overdrive gear is awesome for highway cruising, but it is not suitable for heavy towing duties or hill climbing because it is such a high gear.

If you ever find that your AOD starts shifting back and forth between 3rd gear and overdrive, go ahead and manually shift the lever into "D," or the OVERDRIVE LOCKOUT position. Ford states that right in the owner's manual! When excessive shifting or "hunting" between 3rd gear and overdrive occurs, that produces excess heat which will wear out the overdrive band prematurely and shorten the life of the transmission.

For towing duties, it is best to go ahead and manually put the selector in "D", or OVERDRIVE LOCKOUT until you get on a long stretch of level ground. This will not only give you better performance because your truck will be in a better power band in 3rd gear, but it will keep your AOD from overheating and extend the life of the transmission.

And if your truck doesn't already have one, I would also recommend an auxiliary transmission cooler. If you have a stock one, it will be located right in front of the radiator, on the passenger's side. Heat is what kills any automatic transmission!

The important things to help the AOD have a long life is:

1. - Make SURE the TV rod or cable is hooked up correctly and line pressure is correct!
2. - Do NOT let the AOD excessively shift between 3rd gear and overdrive!
3. - For towing duties, select the "D" gear instead of overdrive.
4. - An auxiliary transmission cooler is always a good idea.
5. - Change the fluid and filter every 3 years or 36,000 miles.

Read the thread below:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...th-an-aod.html

 

thanks for the info that gives me a better look on my tens i may run it for a few years and swap it out for a zf5 I've already got the pedal assay and some other stuff for a zf5 in my year truck so it'll happen just not right away thanks again!