It's up to you really, are you capable of buying parts and doing it yourself and having your truck out of comission during that time while saving money but your time is being taken up. Or pay someone which is an upwards of 1k or more and your truck isn't usable, or buy a re manufactured and just swap it out.

 

I would go to a local transmission shop to get the AOD rebuilt unless I was taking my 302 powered longbed pickup truck to the dragstrip.

A good local shop is going to offer you a warranty and be *close by* if you have any problems with their rebuild. Otherwise, you are going to have to drop your "top end" racing transmission you paid extra for yourself and go through the trouble of shipping it back and then waiting for it to be repaired and shipped back to you.

$900 to rebuild an AOD sounds like a pretty good deal, as long as they offer some sort of warranty. If you were quoted $900 to rebuild your current AOD, but a "top end" rebuild is $1,250, that is a difference of $350. If you are not racing your truck, you are wasting $350 that could be kept in your pocket or spent elsewhere on your truck. Also, keep in mind that the local transmission shop will do all the work for you. With the "top end" shipped rebuild you are going to have to do all the labor and adjustments yourself. If you have a stock or even warmed over 302, you don't need that "top end" racing transmission that is advertised for "450+ horsepower" with "racetrack" and "tire-spinning shifts."

That "top end" AOD rebuild is built for serious racing that is going to "bang through the gears", not a daily driver. That means it is going to shift HARD. It will not shift smooth like the stock AOD does. Just keep that in mind before you make your decision.

 

One way to make the AOD better and stronger , is to use the wide ratio gear sets and input shaft from a 4R70W.....Lew

 

Interesting! Good to know, "I love it when a plan comes together." Thanks a lot you guys, really, lots of help.
I think I will take it to get rebuilt.

 

i was thinking of getting an AOD for my 351w but i think that i'll keep my C4 since i won't be doing that much hwy driving twice a year maybe and have it rebuilt by a local shop for $600 to hold around 450HP my truck is close to that hp mark.

 

Well I also have a C6 that came out of my first truck, an 86 F150. But really just want to sell it.