I am finally getting ready to install the AOD behind the flathead in Dollie. I installed the adapter from Speedway and mocked up the fit.





Next up I have to grind part of the block about 1/8" for clearance to install the later model starter. The transmission came out of a 93 F150 that only had about 70K miles, the fluid looks clean, but I plan to pull the pan and install a new filter kit, but I got to thinking about the Converter. Since I have access to it, should I remove it and drain the fluid in it and fill (or partial fill) the converter and then reinstall before refilling the transmission?

This may sound like a dumb question, but that's why I'm asking it here.

 

Well, Joe, your thread has been up three hours with no reply so I'll say what is on my mind. You know I am not an automatic transmission expert but I have played with at least one over the years. If I were in your position, I would change front and rear seals as well as the filter. They are 24 years old and my experience has been that an unused seal can become a leaky seal. Not a better time to change them. Oh, mission creep.
We want to see Dollie in Sept.

 

If I had it to do again I would change the governor out. More scope creep, but while you have easy access, go for it. My next project is to recalibrate to a hi-rev governor so the tranny doesn't try and get to OD or third gear so quick.

 

There should be a little plug in the front face (engine side) of the torque converter. That's the drain plug. Rotate the converter to the bottom and pull it out to drain. And yes, I would most certainly drain it, add about a gallon of fresh fluid, and reinstall after changing the front pump seal. Just be careful to make sure you get it all the way back in. There are usually four distinct "clunks" when seating an AOD converter. Sometimes it requires a bit of fiddling to get them completely engaged.

As far as pappacrunch's advice about the governor goes, I would normally agree, but since this unit came out of a truck, I'd be inclined to give it a try as-is first. There were three different governor's available in production AOD's and my experience has been that the truck's had the highest speed governors in them already. If it does shift too quickly, it's fairly easy to get to it to change it later without dropping the tranny. You just need to drop the driveline and remove the tailshaft housing to get to it.