More info. https://www.becontrols.com/tvlinkage.shtml

 

If you're as sick of hearing about TV adjustment as I am, here's something useful for testing the valve body before you remove the trans and tear it down. Page 96 shows the pressures for the other test ports. I've been looking for 2 weeks for this chart for my own truck that's doing the same thing and a friend at Ford just sent it to me.

PDF ONLINE - Ford AOD – ATSG (Automatic Transmission Service Group) (procarmanuals.com)

 

Like Stephen, I would not jump to the rebuild right off the bat.

Assuming it takes fewer than three men and a boy to push it, the brakes are probably good enough for testing. If it won't roll, don't focus on the tranny.

Others have talked about the TV cable. A seat of the pants test is if the cable is too loose or disconnected, the shift from 1 to 2 will be virtually nonexistent. The truck will just ooze from 1 through 2 and eventually you will feel the shift to 3. 3 and OD will sort of tug of war with each other at 45ish mph. I learned that when the cable became disconnected from the throttle.

I had the pressures tested as Stephen suggested, and even with the pressures in specs, the shifts from 1 to 2 are softer than I would like. 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 are crisp without snapping my neck.

(Those are solely my experiences and are probably wrong.)

 

The simplest way, and the best way IMO

Have a helper hold the throttle wide open (engine off), pull the cable to maximum travel and set it there. WOT= MAX line pressure. This is also the best setting for the overall life of the transmission. Although it can cause it to drive somewhat awkwardly because the shift points will be higher.

Depending on exactly which style cable you have, this is done slightly differently.

 

..........

 

This is exactly what I felt, I took it down the road for the first time and I had a rough time getting to speed. light throttle will (barely) accelerate the truck, and medium to heavy throttle, it just stalls out. I had to floor the truck to get to about 30 mph. around 35-40 it shifted into OD. I didn't even feel where 2-3 went. I'll check my TV cable today.

 

Tv cable is adjusted. Still no change. Pretty sure my tranny is grits. I’m aware c4 and c6 transmissions also fit (I lose overdrive), but a c4 is currently my budget friendly option. What has to be adapted/changed in order for it to be put in to have my truck on the road again???

 

These places in Florida say they have a AOD for a 300 six for sale.

1989
Transmission Assembly
Ford E150 Van ** 6 MONTH WARRANTY ** 0 A 304100 $Call Sanford Auto Salvage USA-FL(Sanford) Request_Quote 407-321-3371 / 800-334-2841 Request_Insurance_Quote
698 1987
Transmission Assembly
Ford Truck F150 X 21A155 $Call B & S Auto Salvage USA-FL(Wildwood) Request_Quote 352-748-1150 Request_Insurance_Quote
707 1989
Transmission Assembly
Ford Truck F150 IN BUSINESS SINCE 1925!! 4.9L,AOT 93,512 A 27132 $490.05 Langston's Used Auto Parts USA-FL(Tampa) Request_Quote 1-813-988-7341 Request_Insurance_Quote
768 1986
Transmission Assembly
Ford Truck F150 AT, 4x2, AOD transmission, 6-300 (4.9L) X AL12257 $500 Affordable Auto Salvage USA-FL(Tampa) Request_Quote 813-672-9015 / 813-672-6391 Request_Insurance_Quote
773 1989
Transmission Assembly
Ford Truck F150 AT, 4x2, AOD transmission, 6-300 (4.9L) X 69040272 $Call Rastro 103 Used Auto Parts USA-FL(Hialeah) Request_Quote 305-687-8527` Request_Insurance_Quote
891

 

I don't know about the 2WD versions (there's at least 2 different length tail shafts) but if you have the 4x4 AOD is only 3/16ths of an inch longer than the C6. Everything and everyone online says you need new crossmembers and mounts but for me it fit fine in the slotted holes on my crossmember. The AOD and C6 linkage is different though. With my C6 linkage i could go 1,2,D and N but thats as far as it would reach. the ration on the bell crank is different. I had to get the bracket at the bellhousing, the bell crank, and the rod from the bell crank to the shift lever on the transmission since its a slightly different offset than the C6 rod. I also swapped out the C6 kickdown rod and adapted a factory TV bracket from a donor truck to work on my intake and carb. The cooler lines on the AOD are both at the front, on the C6 one matches up perfectly, the other i had to cut about a foot out of when i swapped C6 to AOD. Depending on the year AOD you have, It may have a different size hole for the cooler lines but you can get brass adapters at home depot or lowes. C6 is generally considered a more reliable tranny than the c4. mine went over 400k miles and 23 years of 4200 rpms (80 mph) on the highway before it quit on me. You'll miss overdrive if you spend any time on the highway though.

 

I agree with sticking with the overdrive. Besides all the noise and extra engine wear, fuel is expensive and getting more so. It may not take very long to pay back the extra cost if you drive a lot of miles.

 

Update:
i got my hands on a AOD from an 88 town car, but now I’m running into the issue that the tail shaft housing is about an inch longer than my old AOD. Can I swap the shorter one onto the Lincoln AOD? Do I have to take apart both transmissions to do so?

 

Yes, and the tailshaft has to be switched as well. COMPLETE disassembly required.
Not easy


Shorten the driveshaft or find a truck trans

 

Update]

Lincoln trans was installed, driveshaft was shortened, tv cable adjusted as told, trans fluid filled. I soon encountered a leak at one of the cooler lines. Huge puddle of trans fluid on the floor, basically covering my entire driveway. and now it does not move in drive, it just rolls. Reverse seems to work just fine. I’m more than positive it won’t move since it all spilled out with the leak right?

 

They take 12 quarts. If there's less than about 10 in it, no, it's not going to do much.

You also have to prime the valve body & circuits before it will actually do anything.

 

I can verify, if it's a little low, say that two qt's or so the truck will not move. I found that out while replacing a little fluid in mine, I sucked a couple of qt's, tried to move it, so it would move fluid around, then suck a little more out. When finding it would not move, I put fresh fluid in to top it off.