Hello guys, I have a 1985 F150 with a carbed 302 it once was a EFI 302. It has an AOD trans and it will not shift out of 2nd gear. The truck is 4x4 if that helps any. Anyone got any suggestions as to what might be causing this?

 

Since it's been converted, was the throttle rod or cable hooked up to the tranny? On this tranny this rod controls the shifting of the tranny. It can make the tranny have very soft early shifts which tend to burn it up, and it can also make the tranny have very late harsh shifts. It needs to be just right, and the geometry of the linkage needs to be correct so the tranny can read the throttle position and adjust itself.

 

Adjustment info if it helps:


Ford AOD Transmission

 

Are 1st & 2nd OK?

I hope this isn't your situation, but it's not uncommon for failing AOD's to first lose OD, then 3rd.

 

if it just has first and second, your tranny is on its way out. if you try to keep driving it how it is, make sure to have a AAA membership cause you'll probably need it to get home one of these days

your options are as follows, in order of price tag
1) junkyard tranny - pull the pan off and inspect before you pay for it, fine black dust and fine metal filings are normal, metal chunks mean bad tranny.

2) rebuild yours at home - if you have a transmission jack, an average set of tools, a good set of snap-ring pliers, average mechanical skills, and the courage to open it up, this is a valid option as long as no hard parts are damaged. you'll also need two work tables of decent size, as parts laid out in order can easily fill a 4x8 foot table, and you want a table you can work on without disturbing all your parts.

3) pay a local shop to rebuild or replace it

as franklin said, that linkage is absolutely critical to your transmission. driving without it has been reported to destroy a good transmission in 5 miles or less. but regardless of whether its at fault here, your transmission is damaged.

let us know what route you plan to take and we'll guide you through the process - unless you just pay someone to install one for you

 

double post

 

After my second used AOD, I said the heck with it and had it re-built at a local shop, it wasn't cheap....

 

First and second are fine, and I may end up rebuilding it myself, after I check the linkage and everything over and i know one thing the passing gear is not hooked up to the carb at all.

 

This tranny does not have a "passing gear" linkage like the other trannies. It has a linkage that is the tranny's lifeblood, and if it's not right it's had it.

 

thats what killed it. as franklin said, that linkage isn't kickdown, its purpose is much like the vacuum can thingy on the back of a c6 - it controls hydraulic pressure inside the tranny, and is absolutely critical if you want the tranny to survive more than 10 miles.

as a result of this, i would guess that you've "simply" burned out some of the clutch packs in the tranny, and possibly had the dust from that plug up some fluid passages inside. so your rebuild will likely require all new friction surfaces, and a good cleaning of everything else. consider a new valve body, or at minimum open it up and clean it thoroughly, making sure not to lose or misplace the 2 or 3 ball bearings that live inside it, which can easily be lost after taking off its steel plate. i think there was another loose part in there too, so take pics along the way and be very aware for loose stuff like that.

this tranny is among the simplest ones to rebuild, but still be careful and precise about everything.

 

Your best and easiest bet at this point since the truck has been butchered would be to find a serviceable small block C6 and perform the swap to that. Much more user friendly and will likely be easier and cheaper than building the AOD and piecing all the proper setup to reattach the TV cable. It's a tougher trans. You will run higher RPM's on the hwy and get worse mileage, but with the carb swap worse MPG was inevitable anyway.

 

What all would be needed for this swap and will a C6 bolt up to a 302

 

A c6 4x4 tranny is a very common tranny for these trucks and is easily found behind 302's, 300 sixes and 351w's, which would all fit behind your 302.

The c6 is cheaper to rebuild, and is a tough tranny. It's bad point is fuel mileage. If you are going to use this truck mostly local, and towing a lot with it, then I agree the c6 is your best option. If you travel long distances lightly loaded, you might consider how much it will cost to fix the AOD versus the gas savings.