hi Guys,
I've got a ford 302 with AOD tranny out of Lincoln from early 80s.I heard many different opinions about AOD,would like to know yours.any recommendation?thanks,Tushy

 

Early '80's would have the linkage from the carb to the trans? These are a weak trans, Ford upgraded the OD servo three levels above what is likely in your trans. If you do a websearch you'll find "easy" upgrades to the servo. Adjustment of the linkage from carb is absolutely critical to life expectancy of the trans!! Later models used a cable from a throttle body to the trans, and were much easier to adjust.

Other than that, an AOD is basically a little beefier than a C4 and has a great OD ratio.

 

thanks for your help,so if I understood well,upgrade the servo and use cable from the throttle?cheers

 

The AOD is my favorite automatic transmission. They're simple, tough, and easy to get parts for. My only real complaint with them is the mushy stock shift calibration. A Baumann Controls shift kit can cure that with no problem, though. I've built a couple of them now. The latest is being abused daily behind a healthy 351W in my buddy's 4x4 and just keeps coming back for more - although we did use all the good parts and made a few modifications internally. They can be built to handle anything from mild to wild. There are several guys that run them behind 700-900 horsepower blown and turbocharged drag motors.

As with any major powertrain assembly built by anybody, it does have some inherent weaknesses in stock form that can become an issue if you start cranking up the power level. Ford made upgrades throughout the production run to address some of these issues and the later it was built, the better. The '80 and '81 units should be scrapped altogether, '82 to '88 were OK behind a stock engine, and the '89 to '93 units were the best. The toughest stock units came in '92-'93 trucks and vans. Your intended usage and powerplant will dictate what you need or can get away with as far as year and necessary upgrades. If you're using the stock Lincoln 302, then you might not need any more than a good shift kit to make it hold up.

As Ross mentioned, the throttle valve setup is critical to making it work right and stay together, but it really isn't that big of a deal. Some guys way overthink it and make a bigger issue than it needs to be. There are a lot of videos, write-ups and tutorials on the 'net about how to set up up and adjust it. In a nutshell, it's just a cable or linkage that translates engine throttle position into throttle valve movement on the transmission. The TV lever on the tranny and the throttle must always move together through their entire range of motion. If the cable isn't hooked up or the adjustment is way off, line pressure won't be high enough and the clutches and bands will slip badly and burn up.

The OD band is on the smallish side in all but the '92-'93 truck units. To compensate, most guys run a large apply servo to get it applied quickly and tightly and guard against slippage. The 3 stock servo levels were A, B, and C. The aftermarket provides even large A++ servos as well. The general rule is that a C servo doesn't belong in anything other than a V6 grocery getter, B is good for most stockish or mild performance applications, A is necessary for higher horsepower or towing, and the aftermarket A++ is mostly for race-only.

There are LOTS of other upgrades that can be done, but most are overkill for a cruiser.

 

As BlueOvalRage stated the key is the TV adjustment. Lokar makes a decent cable with a bracket for about $75 if you don't have the original setup. I just got my 53 tagged and on the road last Friday. At first my AOD would not shift out of first gear. It would rev to 4K about 35mph and still not shift. I thought my $100 Craigslist transmission was crap and worried I needed to pull the engine/tranny again. Using a transmission pressure gauge I determined my TV line pressure was stuck at 70psi, way to high. You want it to read 0-5psi at idle. I had to fabricate a spring to pull the TV bracket back to get it to zero. After that it pulls nicely to 30psi then shifts. First to Second is still a little rough but the rest are like butter. I still have some tweaking to do but recommend you do check the TV line pressure and get your bracket configured correctly. There is alot to read on the Web and Bauman has a great FAQ section on the AOD. I have a stock 351W with a mild RV cam in front of mine.

 

I have a 302 / AOD from an 84 Mustang. Other than converting to carb from CFI it is as from the factory. I bought the complete car and drove it around enough to make sure the engine/trans worked well. Car had about 80,000 on it I seem to remember. It has proven to be a reliable, fun set up for my 53 F100. I don't baby it and drive it with spirit. It has been problem free for many miles to this point. I have another car [46] with 302 and C4, I drove it this morning and wished that I could find the time to swap the AOD I have for it. Three speed auto just seems lacking anymore. By the way, the stock 3.92 rear end in the 53 sure makes acceleration fun with the AOD.