Just a little something that might help


$0.82 Bushing Saves $1340 Ford Transmission



If you or a friend drives one of the millions of rear wheel drive Ford cars or pickups built in the 1980s and early 1990s with the four speed (AOD) automatic transmission, then drop everything and inspect the throttle valve bushing on that Ford!

The AOD transmission in my son’s 5.0L ’90 Lincoln Mark VII shifted a little slowly and slipped (unusual increase in engine rpm) a couple of times on the way home from the grocery store. We searched an excellent Mark VII forum (thelincolnmarkviiclub.org) and found urgent warnings about failed throttle valve bushings causing severe damage to AOD transmissions.

This little plastic bushing (original Ford part number, E0AZ7F330A) was part of almost every Ford rear wheel drive and front wheel drive automatic transmission shift linkage. Usually if a shift linkage bushing disintegrates from too much heat and/or age, then the transmission linkage might feel loose or bind up.

Unfortunately, on the AOD rear wheel drive transmission, this bushing was used to physically connect the throttle cable to the throttle valve rod that moves a cable regulating fluid pressure in the transmission. As seen in the photo, a pin on the throttle valve rod fits through a hole in a metal bracket attached to the throttle cable. The bushing holds the pin in place. Pressing the gas pedal moves the throttle cable that moves the cable running to the transmission.



When the bushing falls apart, gravity pulls the pin out of the bracket on the throttle cable. The transmission no longer gets feedback from the throttle and does not maintain the appropriate transmission fluid pressure. The transmission slips and can burn up and fail in a short time.

The transmission in my son’s Lincoln seems to be working fine after I inserted a new bushing, but the slipping probably shortened its remaining life. Do not assume that everybody with old Fords must already know about this. I drove a 20+ year old Ford Crown Victoria 5.0L for eight years and never had any problem with its plastic bushing. I was just lucky. Check the bushing on any ‘80s and early ‘90s F-150s, Mustangs, Town Cars, etc., with the AOD transmission. Find new Shift Linkage Bushings in the RockAuto catalog under "Transmission-Automatic". This bushing (ATP LO28 or Dorman 74043) currently starts at $0.82 at RockAuto. A remanufactured Ford AOD transmission (Marshall 118113) currently costs about $1340. A new throttle valve bushing is definitely worthwhile preventative maintenance!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

Good post. The TV cable bushing on trucks is different than what's used on cars, in this case it's more of a clip that snaps onto a ball on the throttle linkage, there are no pins or other parts to fall off and the clip is not replaceable you have to buy the complete cable. In general these clips don't break unless somebody tried to remove it, doesn't understand how it attaches and breaks it in the process.
I'd would also point out that the AOD is a rare find in these trucks after 1991, the 4R70w and E4OD electronically controlled transmissions replaced it in 99% of trucks built.