how do I get the shifter arm off of the shaft? When I look in it after I take the kick down lever off it looks like a seal is in there around the stud. I want to rotate it up 180 degrees. In the mark vii the shifter arm points down in the thunderbirds it points up. I am using a thunderbird column shifter and linkage.

 

what year tbird?

 

I'm not real sure if the t-bird tranny is similar but on my 89 F150 AOD, I had to rotate the shift lever to install a Lokar "Nostalgia" shifter and it required dropping the pan on the transmission and loosening the large nut on the end of the shaft, inside the transmission housing. It was easy to do but turned into a very messy project, oil everywhere. The shift arm has since developed a leak and I get to do it again just to install an "o" ring seal on the shaft.

 

Dang!! I was hoping to leave this question for the trans Man, This is just my .02$
I have a 2.25 inch ididit column shift, purchased 3 yrs ago, purchased a "cable-shift" kit from ididit at the same time..cos that looked like a straight forward install..
Lokar came out with a new adjustable rod style that gives me more confidence..just got it last week , haven't had the chance to install,..but I gotta say , the stuff looks 1st class..and I personally like the feel of a solid linkage vs cable.
I haven't had the chance to go into the shifter assy on an AOD , but it appears to be a shaft, within a shaft...with a seal inside the outer shaft..kick-down on the inside shaft..anybody familiar with this??

 

it would be an 87 ish bird. Sounds like I will be droping the pan, hmm that may screw up the kickdown lever also.

 

GARY E , I 've got a real good idea what your asking , just haven't had the time to look at the assy yet, should not be a big deal, just messy as stated. M ay I suggest some researh on the tranny forum , I'll look at the project this weekend.

 

Hello. Maybe I can answer your question. I am a Ford transmission technician and am very familiar with these transmissions. The AOD/AODE/4R70W trannies have pretty much a similar shift lever design from 1980 up to current model year. Huntsman is correct. On most all of these the shift lever can simply be rotated. Drop the pan, remove the roll pin near the shaft on the pan rail, remove the nut, (7/8" if I recall) pull the lever out from the detent or "rooster comb" rotate it and reassemble. If you have an older non-electronic trans it is still the same other than the previously mentioned internal shaft for the tv/kickdown cable or rod. be sure the tang on the end is engaged with the valve in the valve body. You should feel it spring back as it is rotated. Be sure to adjust the TV properly on the non-computer AOD or the trans will burn up very quickly! I will be happy to give more info if needed. Hope this helps.

 

I installed this Lokar setup a few weeks ago in a '41 F1 with a Vortex/350 combo(not mine). I really liked the setup on it. Don't be afraid to bend the rod if needed, I had to do two 45 degree bends for it to work. Just be careful not to bend the end the trans. end connector is on too short or you won't be able to get the connector on it. I almost did that.

 

fiftysixford250,
redpanhead,
Thanks guy's , between you and Huntsman that is exactly what I read in the instructions, I hope that is what GARY E is descibing, and wish him luck on his project.
Thanks Again!!

 

I have an AOD from an '87 XR7 (floorshift) sitting outside. Unfortunately it's buried in a snowbank. Fortunately it's warm enough this weekend it may melt enough to see. I also have the 85 F150 AOD, and the 88 Tbird AOD still installed. IIRC, it's a matter of dropping the pan and filter, and reaching up in there, and pull a piece, flip it 180, and reinstall the piece. I also did this on a C6. Wasn't difficult.

 

ok got it out and flipped but the spring around the shaft that the 13/16ths nut is on flipped off so I wanted to double check that I have it installed correctly. Its hard to see in the pic but the tang is on the left side of the arm and the spring counteracts the spring coming in from the valvebody by the blue paint spot

also I was not to happy when I dropped the pan I found this little white piston thing, where does it go? the tranny fluid does not smell to good. The tranny seemed to be working okay, but had a nasty leak which I beleive is one of the quick connects on the tranny to the cooler lines. So I know it was ran low on fluid.

 

That don't look right now does it??????????
I am by no means a Tranny Man, but that don't look right........
I gotta rule , work's for me.
If it smell's funny,.. it needs some work!
Since ya got it this far ....find out where that piece will go/ should go ..before proceding any further...lets hope it's something simple!!
Is this a driver? Any trans problem indicator's? ...my $.02 Good Luck!!

 

It had trouble going into drive, but I attributed it to being low on fluid, it would leak almost a steady stream out. It did nice burnouts though Its a driver, I think I will put a new filter on it with some fresh fluid and run it. I am in pretty much a mock up stage now, its a long way from driving.

 

That little piece of plastic was installed in the dip stick hole at the plant for delivery. When they installed the trans dip stick tube they just punched it into the pan and it is there untill someone drops the pan. Had one in my pan even though the owner of the t'bird that it came from said the trans had been rebuilt.

Chuck

 

What he said.