I have some trouble with my AOD-Transmission.

Here in Germany the speed in town is max 50km/h (31miles/h).
When i drive exactly that speed the transmission shifts always up and down.

So i bought an B&M Shift Improver Kit.
It contains 2 Setups
-Stage 1 RV & Heavy Duty
-Stage 2: Street & Strip

An Econoline is no Race Car, so I've put in Stage 1

At first it didn't shift up anymore.
I forgot to put a Spring back in position, the next test drive same thing but this time it was a sticking valve

On the last test drive it shifted up at 3000rpm.
Seemed it was not enough oil in it.

Today i put in another quart, but the license is not valid until april
But it seems i overfilled the tranny, but it can be a rest in the filling tube.

I shifted into every gear positions and noticed that sometimes shifting between P and R a harsch klonk appears.
And in every gear i can let the brake loose and the car rolls exept in "1"

In this Gear it is driving like with pulled parking brake.
If you let off the gas, the Van stops immediatly
And drives off slowly only above 1300rpm.

The setting of the TV cable is OK

I'm running out of ideas what can be wrong.

 

First, I wouldn't expect the shift kit to help your issue. Those kits usually just give a firmer shift. I'm guessing the valve body is dirty. The valve body is very sensitive to any kind of dirt or foreign materials even fibers from a rag. If it isn't absolutely clean, it will not shift properly. You can pull it back out, take it completely apart and clean it and try it again or you can install a good used or rebuilt valve body.

The transmission fluid level can only be checked with the engine running, van on level ground and fully warmed up. It takes at least 10-15 minutes of driving the vehicle to get the transmission up to proper temperature. Idling will not do it. The long dipstick tube on the vans also make it very difficult to get a proper reading right after you have added oil. Overfilling the transmission can cause it to fail.

As for the original problem, the easiest thing to do at least for me, would be to shift it manually.

 

Well, the only thing i did wrong with checking the Level is, that it was cold.
The oil is new, so it is hard to see on the dipstick

And even cold it is over maximum.
I checked it earlier today.

Since it is not licenced now, i was testing it in the driveway.
I'm glad it is so long, that i came up to 25miles/h - but no upshift.

What does "firmer" shifts mean?
All i wanted is the transmission to stay in the high gear while cruising at low speeds.

The problem with dirt is a big issue, because the the parking space is a mix of gravel and sand.


Another thing: Can a stuck accumulator piston cause the same problem?
That one was hard to put back in.

 

It is/was not sufficient to disengage OD in town?

Sixto
'93 E150 Chateau 5.8 185K miles

 

A "firmer" shift is one that is faster, not as smooth, has less slippage and is more noticeable.

I don't think I understand the original problem. What gears does it shift up and down in? What gear do you want it to stay in?

If you think some dirt got into the valve body, more than likely it will need to be replaced or rebuilt.

 

You can try changing the springs in the governor body to weaker springs. That is what controls the shift points in an AOD.

 

If i counted right, ist shifts between 3rd and 4th.
The engine speed fluctuates between 1000 and 1400 rpm.

And I like cruising around in town in less rpm as possible, so I want the tranny to stay in the highest gear as possible

I don't care about faster and more noticeable shifts, but the less slippage seems to be the point.
All i wanted is an Transmission with an higher efficency

 

The slippage is controlled by the TV adjustment.
The TV adjustment controls the oil pressure in the transmission.

The governor controls at what speed each gear are achieved (shift points).

 

Now I think I understand. Your van is not designed to run in overdrive at 31 MPH and it will be more efficient in 3rd gear at that speed. If it were me, I'd be turning the OD off with the switch so it didn't keep changing from 3rd to OD.

 

An AOD does not have a switch to turn off the OD.
You just do not select it on the column.

 

If this is to maximize efficiency, you don't want to cruise in the stall range of the torque converter. Otherwise you're giving up engine output to TC slip. I imagine transmission programming prevents this. A shorter diff ratio might work to your advantage if you don't do much highway driving.

Sixto
'93 E150 Chateau 5.8 185K miles

 

Well, without opening the transmission (again) everything is just guesswork.

But my spinal disc hernitation is torturing me right now, so i take it easy with fixing the problem.

I don't want to change the gear ratio in the Differential, because when i hit the freeway, i like to drive up to 80 mph.

I get more and more the feeling the Shift Improver Kit was just wasted money.
And since i had to enlarge holes in that perforated plate, i can't return to stock configuration...

So, for my "crusing habits" in the low rpm is it better to get a torque converter with lower stall or with a lock-up?

And if I really messed up my valve body, would this be alternatives?

TCI StreetFighter Valve Bodies 432200 - SummitRacing.com
TCI Constant Pressure Valve Bodies 436020 - SummitRacing.com

 

All I know about automatic transmission operation is D to go forward and R to go backwards. That said, I get the sense performance modifications generally get the transmission to hold lower gears longer and drop to lower gears more readily and quickly.

The constant pressure valve body is aimed at resolving shift quality and the effect on clutches, not shift points, particularly after modifying the engine. A more powerful engine requires less throttle input but the transmission remains calibrated to the original engine parameters. I suppose in your case a new valve body is better than a miscalibrated valve body but the constant pressure valve body doesn't advertise itself to keep your transmission in high gear at low speed (TCI Constant Pressure Valve Body Provides Transmission "Peace Of Mind" - CPG Nation Forum). If you know any old MB Dieselers, ask them about the VCV and transmission modulator on a ZF 722.3 or 722.4 particularly after disabling the ALDA. As clutches wear resulting in sloppy shifts, folks reduce the vacuum signal to the modulator to stiffen shifts which gets a few more miles from the transmission.

Does the AOD have the equivalent of a mechanical throttle or kickdown signal to the transmission? Again looking at the 722.3 and 722.4, if you slacken the Bowden/control pressure cable between the throttle linkage and the transmission, you get earlier shifts. The downsides are you really have to jab the pedal to get a downshift and it upshifts way before it hits the governor limit even at WOT. Case in point, my '87 300D is in 4th gear by 30 mph but it'll shift about 800 rpm shy of the engine governor at WOT. That's what the shift lever is for, right?

The manual control claim of the StreetFighter is intriguing but I can't find more info or user instructions at TCI's website. How do you switch between modes and will it stay in high gear if you come to a stop?

Can you simply replace the AOD TC with an AOD-E locking TC? It should help mpg but it doesn't address the transmission's primal urge to upshift. If anything, reducing input shaft speed might cause the transmission to upshift even sooner.

Sixto
'93 E150 Chateau 5.8 185K miles

 

There is either a TV cable or rod, depending on model and year.

The other downside of adding slack here is that there may not be enough pressure to hold the clutches/bands when not shifting, which will quickly lead to a failed transmission.

No,, you cannot put an AODE torque converter in an AOD. It won't work. What would make it lock? Where is the control system for that? It's in the AODE, not in an AOD. The AOD has a mechanical lockup, which locks 60% in third gear and 100% in fourth gear, all the time. The AODE doesn't lock as often as the AOD, so even if you could do this it would hurt, not help.

Why would you say that? I don't follow your logic at all, but maybe that's because I know how this trans decides to shift. Input speed doesn't enter into that at all. It shifts on a combination of governor pressure working against TV pressure.

If you want it to upshift sooner, you need to modify the governor.

 

Fair enough. I was thinking you could use an aftermarket lock-up TC controller such as is available when using a 700R4 in an older car (TCI 2004R/700R4 Lock-Up Wiring Kits 376600 - SummitRacing.com).

Since the AOD has a mechanical locking TC, there would be no benefit in an AOD-E other than finer control. Certainly nothing to prevent a downshift or hunting at low speed.

As I said, what do I know? What is the logic/mechanism to upshift absent increased throttle input such as when you slow to a stop? There are times I feel the ZF lurch into low gear just before the car stops, and I can hear the ratchet sound in a Mopar 41TE.

More to the point of the thread, can this logic/mechanism be overridden to the favor of higher gear when cruising slowly enough to cause hunting between third and OD?

Looks like replacing the governor is within the realm of mortals - {transmission} AOD Governor swap . Cobra-Kai go find an un-Mustang governor.

Thanks for the education!

Sixto
'93 E150 Chateau 5.8 185K miles