Yes you are right Matthewqb4 my 1981 did come with the rod but when I removed the original 302 and replaced it with a
351W that I built that has a 4bbl carb. I changed it using Ford parts that were available in the early 1990s. The cable
works very well in my application.

 

You could have kept the rod it is the same bit between the 351W and the 302

 

Fuel-saving measures and calibration. Full-size luxury cars with an AOD used less (minimum) TV pressure for softer, seamless shifting and a more conservative governor to shift earlier. Full-size trucks with an AOD used higher TV pressure to firm up the shifts and a more aggressive governor to allow the engine to wind up a little higher and to shift a little later. Mustangs with an AOD used higher TV pressure like the trucks but with an even more aggressive governor to wind up even higher and shift later than the trucks. The TV pressure can be adjusted to suit any application but the governor would have to be changed out.



"Far cheaper?" I don't think so. It won't be easier, either.


After reading your previous posts and closely examining a TV rod, you have convinced me and I agree with you that it is a better setup.

But unfortunately, it's not that simple. The problem is, there isn't *any* aftermarket carburetor that is set up to accept the TV rod.

In order to use a TV rod, you would need to have a stock Ford carburetor that has an AOD throttle shaft and accelerator pump. That limits you to AOD-specific Motorcraft 2150 2V emissions carburetors or the problematic/misunderstood Motorcraft variable venturi carburetor. I know that the AOD throttle shaft and accelerator pump can be transferred to a Ford Autolite 4100 4V carburetor, but can it be used in any other aftermarket carburetor? I think the answer is NO, and finding a decent 50+ year old Autolite 4100 isn't going to be easy - or cheap.

Then the next issue becomes the length of the TV rod. The TV rods were made to connect to a 2-barrel carburetor, which is mounted closer to the firewall. A 4-barrel carburetor is mounted further away from the firewall and will require a longer TV rod to reach the linkage. The aftermarket kickdown lever extension used on older Ford kickdown rods for this purpose will not work with the TV rod linkage without some sort of modification.


I did find a gentleman custom-making Ford kickdown rods, and he now offers a longer AOD TV rod. It is not cheap (a LOT more expensive than the Lokar TV cable), but it is a good product that fits right:

1983-1991 5.0L TV Rod for AOD Transmission-2V or 4V carb ? Kickdown Rods Galore & More


Glad you figured it out, Chief!

 

Actually any of the Edelbrock or Holley Adapters work it just depends on what stud you install. You use the post mount, and ream out the plastic bushing on the on the rod so it can be installed with an E-clip like the old 3 speed kick downs.

And the stock rod is more than long enough to accommodate 4 BBLS been there done that more times than I can count. Where you run in to issues is with 2 x 4BBLS then the rod needs sectioned but nothing a hack saw some tubing and silver solder won't fix.

The bottom side of the rod has a good 4-6" of adjustment available, at worst you may have to tweak the rod a bit.
Rods are easily found on any AOD carb application 302 or 351 from 1980-91 . There are still piles and piles of those vehicles in the wreckers. Basically any U pull it yard is going to have one at any given time. even the 3.8L rods can be made to work in a pinch with a bit of tweaking.
The complete rod assembly can usually be had for a few dollars (literally) from the U pull it yards compared to $70-90 for the Lokar, also Installation time is still going to less than a Lokar cable and easier to boot.
I have done what has to be hundreds of these installations/mods over the last 25 or so years. And as for the 2150 to 4100 throttle shaft swap you heard that from me as I posted pics of one of the conversions I did when this topic came up last time.........

 

I can see how that could work. Like I said, the kickdown rod adapter will need some sort of modification to work with an AOD TV rod.


I can see how that could work if you have the tools and know-how. But that will take longer to modify than it does to install a complete Lokar TV cable.


Yes, but that is on the *bottom* of rod where it is threaded to adjust the trunion block. The top of the rod is where the problem is.


"Piles and piles?" I don't think so. Most junkyards don't carry much of anything that old anymore. The fact is, TV rods are getting hard to find.

"Easier?" I disagree. Look at all of the modifications you listed above that would have to be made. You left out swapping throttle shafts and the accelerator pump, though. That is, IF you happen to also have an Autolite 4100. If you don't have one, the cost of finding (and rebuilding) a decent Autolite 4100 is going to negate any sort of savings over an aftermarket carburetor with an aftermarket TV cable.

You still didn't address the main issue with using the Ford TV rod over an aftermarket TV cable, and that is the AOD throttle shaft and accelerator pump that is needed to connect the TV rod to. Other than a 50+ year old Autolite 4100, what aftermarket carburetor will work with it?

NONE, right?

 

What modifications are you talking about ? To use the TV rod on the Holley or Edelbrock you use their AOD adapter, just ream out the bushing on the carb and trim, tools need a drill and drill and bit and knife. Think everyone owns that. It literally is a 5 min job.
And you DO NOT have to swap the throttle shafts you use the AOD adaptor bracket on the Holley and Edelbrock to mount the rod.
Sectioning a rod takes less than 10 mins tools needed torch hacksaw and solder you can ve soft solder if you want. And that ONLY needs to be done for dual 4 BBLS.

Also the bottom of the rod is NOT threaded in the trunnion block it is just a set screw. All you do is bring the rod up a bit at the trunnion and retweak the the last bend to give you the extra 1" of reach about a 1 min job. Anyone with 3 functional brain cells can do it. And 95% of the time this is not even needed.

Compared to the Lokar where you have to swap the TV bracket figure out if you are going tun over or under run the cable mount the cable trim the cable etc etc.. The rod is simpler easier to mount and a much faster install.

Furthermore the Accel Pump over travel is there on 2150's because of how Ford set up the throttle shaft on the AOD carbs. The Accel Pump rod is fixed to the throttle shaft with no over travel on the throttle shaft like was normally done, so the over travel was then put in the pump. It has NOTHING to do with it being a rod swap the road for a cable on these carbs and you still need the accel pump over travel. Remove the TV rod put the carb on a manual trans and you still need the accel pump overtravel.
And it is obvious you do not understand how this done and are trying hoard to prove a point on something you have never done and have no idea how to do.
And these cars and trucks are still turning up in the U pull it yards, if you happen to live in the rust belt it may mean more searching but anywhere else they are easily found. I could go today and get a half dozen TV rods for less than $20 from the local U pull it yard. There were used on ANY carb'd or CFI vehicle with the AOD there were literally tens of millions vehicles built with them.

The fact that you think the Accel pump over travel is needed with the rod on a carb shows you do not really fully understand using a rod or the advantages of it. The cables are great for garage queen but any vehicle that see daily use, off road, use or winter conditions, a rod is a far more reliable set up. And once set NEVER has to be touched again unlike cables

 

Matthew, you may correct in your assessment of the ease of finding old parts in Canada, but in the US, after "Cash for Clunkers" program, things are not as easy. Maybe you should consider a business importing old parts to the US. We would all be obliged.

 

What I am saying is, in order to use a TV rod, you *must* have the correct AOD-specific linkage.

As far as I know, the only way to get that is from an AOD-specific Motorcraft 2150 or AOD-specific Motorcraft Variable Venturi carburetor.

As far as I know, there is not an aftermarket carburetor that has the correct linkage for a TV rod.

If Holley or Edelbrock has an "AOD adapter," I have never seen or heard of one. (Are you referring to the cable corrector bracket that is bolted to the carburetor in order to use a TV cable?)


The only reason I think that is because the stock Ford throttle shaft for an AOD has the accelerator pump over travel.

If there is another way to use the Ford TV rod without the Ford throttle shaft, I would like to know.

 

No you do not need the correct AOD-specific linkage, Even the Ford auto trans kickdown can be modified to accept the TV rod, Alternatively you can modify the TV lever on the trans and leave the kick down alone, this is quite easy as it just means shortening the throw on a the trans lever to maintain the same ratio.
The TV rod works no differently than the Ford auto trans kickdown, it's exactly the same principle.
Really all you need to do is fit the rod mounting 1.500" (with the carb trans lever) from the throttle shaft centerline. That's it install done.
Adjustment is done with the set screw on the trunnion. Once set it never changes.

 

It seems to me that there are quite a few "modifications" that need to be done in order to use the Ford TV rod. Maybe that is why I can't find one single person who has attempted it. If is was as easy, cheaper, and better in every way like you are claiming, I wonder why it isn't more common?

There is still one more thing:

You mentioned an "AOD adapter kit" from Holley and Edelbrock in your previous post, and I still can't find any such thing. Do you mean the cable corrector bracket that is bolted to the carburetor to connect the TV cable to? If so, the stud on that bracket that is used to connect the TV cable fitting to is too large to fit a Ford TV rod. I suppose you could modify that as well. But then how do you fine tune the TV pressure if the TV rod is jerry-rigged to the TV cable corrector bracket? You can't. The only adjustment you will be able to make is the coarse adjustment at the trunnion block, underneath the vehicle. In order to fine tune the TV pressure with a Ford TV rod, you will need the Ford AOD throttle shaft.

RIGHT?

 

Setting the TV pressure is not more difficult than doing with the cable. In fact it's easier as the port is right there and so is the adjustment. To use the trunnion block you just loosen the bolt move the TV lever to where you need and tighten the set screw. if you use the trans kickdown and re arc's TV lever you use the kickdown adjustment. It is quite obvious you have never ever worked the TV rod as you obviously have no idea how it works. And no need to jerry rig the TV rod as it would be mounted the EXACT same way as a kick down rod. All you need to do to the rod is drill out the existing nylon bushing and mount with the E clip again not rocket science or replace the plastic bushing all together with the aftermarket steel bushing.. Again you do NOT need the AOD throttle shaft. Get off that already. That is just the idiot proof way to convert 4100's. But it NOT the only way. As it just 4 bolts and a nut and no need to correct the trans TV lever arc like when using the trans kickdown.
And lots of people have done this mod. Back before the cable kits were available what do you think people did ? And why do think the Steel AOD rod bushings that allow you to use the trans kickdown are still available ?
The adapter bracket will correct the arc or give you a place to correct the arc, it is NOT always needed.
Apparently drilling out a plastic bushing and bending a piece of steel or drilling a hole and using a set screw is just too complicated for you to handle. Cause that is the extent of the mods required.

 

The trunnion bock is used to set the coarse adjustment on the bottom of the TV rod. Then, you fine tune the TV pressure by a set screw on the AOD throttle lever that the TV rod attaches to. That is how Ford designed it to work. If you don't have a Ford AOD throttle shaft, there is no way to fine tune the TV pressure.


I see what you are saying about replacing the nylon bushing with a steel bushing and clip. That would certainly allow you to connect a Ford TV rod to an aftermarket TV cable adapter bracket. But that still leaves you with no way to fine tune the TV pressure.


An Autolite 4100 [with an AOD throttle shaft and accelerator pump] is the *only* way a 4-barrel carburetor can be used with a Ford TV rod and still retain BOTH ways to adjust the TV pressure.


The bronze bushings are still available through the aftermarket AND Ford to replace the MILLIONS of stock nylon bushings found in Ford kickdown rods, TV rods, and TV cables that tend to dry out and fall apart.


No, most people - including myself - can do those simple mods. But the end result is a modified Ford TV rod connected to an aftermarket TV cable bracket with only one way to adjust the TV pressure. Perhaps a complete aftermarket TV cable kit - with the ability to make *both* adjustments - might be the better option.

 

OMG Setting the PSI with the trunion is very simple it can be dialed in within 1 LB of pressure with no fuss. YOU DO NOT NEED both adjusters. It's exactly the same as adjusting the cable on the lokar only easier cause the parts are bigger and much much easier finely adjust as you are not working against any spring pressure. But then you would not know that as you have even laid a hand on one..... Yet you seem to think you know what you are talking about hell you thought the rod was threaded so it is quite obvious you have never even touched one.
And furthermore the carb connection is modified ball connection the bushing that sold are to mount it to the larger diam kick down style down post. So again it is pretty obvious you have no clue......
And unlike the cable once it is set you never have to touch it again so there is NO need for 2 adjustments and no risk of seized, stretched , gummed up or binding cables mounted on flimsy brackets.
I suggest you quit while you're ahead cause at this point you starting to make yourself look like a fool you do want to listen to those than know and figure you know better..... well I'm done trying to educate the dense.....

 

Gents,

After reading this thread I think that what I have going on with my truck applies here. Not sure. Need your opinions.

I am a new owner of a 1986 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat 4X4. It has a 302 EFI engine and the AOD transmission (I went under the truck and counted the bolts and compared it to the Haynes Manual).
The truck drives well but I think that it shifts "hard" into gear when driving. Usually if I start off slow from a stop it shifts into each gear ok - no jolt so to speak. But sometimes if I am starting from a stop with more acceleration then from gear to gear it shifts "hard" (maybe up to 35-40 MPH- I think??) and it will drop down into gear hard too on occasion. The transmission does not slip as if it is going out (had that before on a different car), but it's the hard shift that has me looking at the forums for a possible cause.

The odometer reads 49,200 or so. I am the 4th owner of the truck so do not know if these are the only miles or if the odometer is actually 149,200. I would not know how to tell if the odometer has rolled over. (The truck body is in amazing condition - no rust. Not that this is an indicator.)

My questions:
1) Could the possible cause of my hard shifting be the TV cable that you all talk about? Would an adjustment of this cable stop this hard shift? From the thread it seems like it could be this TV cable that I see under the truck.
2) Transmission issue: Could the fluid need to be changed? Again, I do not know what the true miles on the truck are (49,200 or 149,200). Transmission fluid level is fine (actually it is reading a little higher than the normal range - I added a little too much). The transmission fluid is dirty - no longer red but the color of dirty oil. Should I pull the plug and drain some fluid out so it is more in the normal range? It was hard shifting before I added fluid. Should I take it to a garage and have them drain all the fluid and replace it with fresh fluid? I have read on the Internet where some say "leave the transmission fluid alone if you have high miles" while others say to change it. Not sure who is right in that debate.

Sorry for these stupid questions but I am NOT a mechanic. I am learning as I go which is why I joined this group. I have waited 36 years to own this dream truck so I want to keep it running.

I hope that I gave you enough information to give an opinion.

 

No, it's not the same. With a Lokar TV cable, you can adjust both the coarse setting at the end fitting and fine tine it with the adjusting screws on the threaded sleeve. You really need both settings to get it right. Again, you will not be able to fine tune the TV pressure if the Ford TV rod is rigged to an aftermarket TV cable adapter bracket. Unless you get lucky, it is very difficult to dial in the TV pressure within a few pounds by the trunnion block alone. That is why Ford and Lokar went through the trouble of providing a way to fine tune the TV pressure.

You know I am right, Matthew. So let's stop with this nonsense.


The AOD is designed to shift firmer and quicker as the throttle is opened up more and the TV pressure increases. And sometimes, if you are slowly cruising along at 40 - 45 MPH, the AOD may drop into overdrive hard or with a "clunking" sound if you are running higher TV pressure.


Possibly. Here is a test you can try. Keeping the truck at 1500 RPM or below, find a straight, level road and let the transmission shift into each gear. At what speeds does the AOD shift?

1 - 2 = ?
2 - 3 = ?
3 - 4 = ?


If the fluid is that dirty, I would recommend changing it and the filter before making any other adjustments. But do not flush the system.


Welcome aboard, RedRider! I am happy to see someone keeping another Bullnose truck on the road!