4.9 I6 rated 150 hp @ 3400 and 265 torque @ 2000
5.0 V8 rated 170 hp @ 3800 and 275 torque @ 2800


Really.

Not thinks, KNOWS. And yes I have, 300 felt like a dog compared to any 302 I have driven, but its irrelevant to what the actual numbers are.

 

Have you ever done that swap? i doubt. because you would know I am correct.
Do you know the difference final drive difference between an C6 ,AOD and a e40d? I BET NOT
It's not worth me getting in to a pissing match and wasting my time with someone that never has ran this combo.
The aod has the best final drive for the highway,way above the e40od.
I'm finished with you.

 

like i said you have never put a built aod behind a 6.
also sounds you had a wore out 6.
Find 1 person other than me on this forum that has put a built aod behind a 300 and they will tell you the same thing.

 

The 300-6 just "feels" more powerful than a 302 because it makes its power at much lower revs. So it doesn't seem like it's working as hard to do the same thing. A 300-6 E4OD will typically do 0-60 in 14-16 seconds, a 302 E4OD will usually get the job done in 10-12 seconds.

 

I find it intresting some say there were never a AOD behing the 300 I6. In my reasearch in putting a AOD behind the 300 I6, I found part numbers for the flexplate FOR the I6 AOD. Ford did have the 300/AOD package in the mid 80's. Some had the TV rod and others had the TV cable depending on the years.

As for using the AOD for towing and hauling. Its not a heavy duty tranny like the C6 or E4OD but if you be kind to it, it will work. I have the 302/AOD in my 89 F250. That weak 302 is going to be replaced with the 300 I6 as I do tow and haul. I need the TORQUE not the noise of the 302(does sound good when over 3200rpm!). I am debating of just replacing the 302 and use the AOD or use the rebuilt 300/e4od package I have from a 92 F150. If you are going to the E4OD tranny, you will have to get ALL the wiring and proper ECU as the E4OD is electronic shifted , AOD is not. For me either way will work as I use my truck as a truck!

Also there are others have the AOD behind a 351W too. Search the 80 to 86 Forums as there is more info about this.

 

Actaully, i have done a c6 to zf5 swap and didnt even get those numbers and manuals have less parasitic loss then autos so the difference should have been greater. 15 mpg is insane, thats what people wish they could get from a cummins 4bt conversion and your telling me that you got the same results by adding .67 overdrive gear? What about the claim you made about that same overdrive gear dropping your rpms by 2k. Do some simple math and you will find out that what your claiming is incorrect. The difference between a 1:1 drive gear and a .67:1 overdrive gear would mathmatically be 908 rpms.

 

First, Ford used the AOD behind the 4.9 as well. And the mid-1980s Crown Victoria Police cars got the AOD behind the 351 H.O.

Second, the AOD is perfectly fine for a truck. Everybody doesn't buy a pickup truck to tow a lot of weight or drag race, Chief.

Ford figured most people who bought an F150 used it mostly for highway driving and occasional hauling duties, and these people didn't need a 3/4 ton truck with big axles and a big-block motor with a heavy duty transmission that only had three gears. What most consumers wanted was a light truck with good highway manners that delivered good fuel economy, and the 5.0/AOD combination worked just fine for them. And as a result, this combo typically got gears suitable for maximum fuel economy, not for extreme towing duties. And that is why Ford sold so dang many of them with the 5.0/AOD combo.

The beauty of the AOD is that it has such a high overdrive gear (even higher than the later E4OD) that the 5.0 can easily be re-geared to be a better towing vehicle and still retain good fuel economy. With a set of 4.10 gears, the 5.0/AOD combo can pull most anything the stock suspension of an F150 can handle. Just remember to stay out of overdrive when towing and install a transmission cooler!

 

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Look, im not saying im right and anyone’s wrong, it’s my opinion. All transmissions are bound to go, just like everything else that has moving parts. It’s just a matter of when. Working in the automotive industry my whole life seeing aod's come and go on a weekly basis vs seeing one c6 every half a year says something. Either way I bet there is way more c6's on the road than aod's look at c6 history and when it left the ford vehicle, look at aod's when they started to when they left... lots of difference. Now there is lots of play in that statement when it comes to opinions. Personal experience, like I said went through enough in my life, get a headache just thinking of ever owning one again. Another simple fact... many stock 302's blow up aod's, it takes a lot of neglect and punishment to kill a c6. My point being "aod an upgrade?" I think not. I remember the days when I thought well if I build it up inside, it should handle it.... time and time again I just got disappointed. I remember the frustration of looking at my truck knowing I can’t drive it just yet. Can’t go cruisin, can’t enjoy a nice road trip, and can’t go get some ice cream with it on a hot summer day. I don’t wish that upon anyone. c6/300 combo? ford 9"? Don’t think you can get more reliable or indestructible than that

 

AOD & the T5 get bad raps for a couple simple reasons: misunderstanding and misuse. Let the TV cable get out of whack, or throw the shifter if a T5 around like mad teenager and you'll be cursing quickly. Same thing with trying to move massive amounts of weight with either.

Use it as a DD and .

For you, OP, I'd stay with the C6. You see that people's complaints come from using the AOD in the ways you say you do. Since you have a GM that is a DD? I'd stay with the C6. I mean, it's lasted you for 19years?

 

I believe you when you say you have seen many more AOD's destroyed than C6's. The fact of the matter is the C6 is stupid simple and dead reliable in stock form and all you have to do is point it and go. Well, the AOD isn't a C6; it is an Overdrive transmission that is a bit more complicated and misunderstood, and they were certainly abused.

You have to remember, the AOD was the very first Automatic Overdrive transmission, and most people didn't take the time to understand it's limitations. The main issue with the AOD is when the OVERDRIVE gear isn't used correctly. Ford specifically tells you not to tow in overdrive, and to use the "D" or OVERDRIVE LOCKOUT gear if the transmission starts to "hunt" between 3rd and 4th gears. This would safely put the transmission in 3rd gear, which was a 1:1 gear that would eliminate this problem and give you a better gear for low end torque.

Why did the AOD transmission sometimes "hunt" between gears? A combination of the extremely high 0.67:1 overdrive gear and high gears in the rear. Remember, this was the early 1980s and the idea here was maximum fuel economy on the highway when using the Overdrive gear. The AOD was something new and hardly anyone paid attention to the warning and treated it like it was an old C6. Since the C6 didn't have an Overdrive gear, it didn't have the problem of excessive shifting when towing or climbing hills in Overdrive that resulted in overheating of the transmission. That is what killed the AOD.

And that is one reason why the E4OD got the lower 0.70:1 Overdrive gear and a push button on the side of the gear selector to make it easier for the driver to lock the Overdrive gear out. Almost everyone understands the importance of not towing in Overdrive now, but hardly anyone understood that in the earlier years when the AOD was around.

Having said all that, I agree with you that the 300/C6/Ford 9" is the most bullet-proof and simple combination EVER MADE. But the fact remains that the AOD will return much better fuel economy (and that is why the original poster was considering the c6 to AOD swap) and will have a good life behind a 300 so long as it is used correctly and the TV cable is adjusted correctly.

 

Now I've never done the swap, and this is just my opinion on the matter. The C6 is an excellent transmission; tough, long lasting, and simple. Once its in a gear that's it. And that's about as automatic as an automatic transmission gets. But, I think the AOD would also be a good replacement/ upgrade for the C6. I know from experience that having an OD gear beats the hell out of not having one. And as long as you pay attention to it, and use it like it is meant to be used, it'll br close to the C6, even without being "built".
However, unless you can get a goodAOD cheaper than everything to rebuild a C6, id stick with the C6. If the truck was your DD it would be different, but it won't make that big of a difference to lose a few mpg's I'm sure

 

I did not mean to get a heated discussion started here.

When I first thought about doing a 3 speed to 4 speed upgrade last year, I called Performance Transmission in Texas. He did state that the 300 has much more torque than the 302. That’s why not many AODs were put behind the 300s (his words). And if I still wanted to do it, they would have to beef up an AOD for it to work. I also seem to remember him telling me the Mustang AODs tail shafts are different than the F150. I think with different lengths and splines, and that’s why I asked about the drive shaft.

Now back to the original reason why I wanted to go to an AOD…4th gear. If I shouldn’t tow or haul in 4th gear, then what’s the point? I do 1:1 now with my C6. I’m not talking about uphill, I manually down shift now for that. I mean long hauls on flat roads. If I shouldn’t use 4th gear for that, then I’m better off with rebuilding my current C6.

For all intents and purposes if I stay with a 1:1 ratio, then the C6 wins hands down with durability and longevity. I’m creeping on up to 300,000 miles and this is the 1st issue I’ve had. And I’ve over loaded the towing capacity several times (of course I babied it and not drove it like a sports car when loaded either).

Thanks for everyone’s inputs and suggestions. I’ve learned a lot and am now leaning on the side of staying with the C6. Should I rebuild my current one or buying a heavy duty/towing already made?

 

I'm not sure about spline count but I know the tailshaft would be different for a 4x4 pickup to bolt to the T-case.

As far as rebuild vs buy, I'd call some local shops and get quotes and compare with new prices online. I hear really bad things about monster tranmissions though. You'll probably be better off having a shop rebuild it, they'll offer a warranty and you won't have to pull it and ship it if it goes bad.

And don't forget a good tranny cooler and a temp gauge. I think I mentioned it already, but in case I didn't I have now.

 

I wonder why people keep thinking this? Im guessing because it makes its power down low?

Maybe just me but I would trust what ford said they produce for power over anyones "opinion"

I still say an AOD would work fine if ya built it up. If you need an overdrive that is a relatively simple way to go.

 

A built AOD would be more than adequate for an F-150. Guess what a 4R70W is? It's a wide ratio, electronically controlled AOD.