WAs the AOD the original trans in this truck? If so, at only 25 years, it certainly has shown it's potential for weakness.

 

Yes, It's original - 163,000 miles without being touched,so some went OK.
I think it's been treated pretty well though.

If/when it dies I think I'll either go C6 or a close ratio T19 - I don't need a creeper low gear. But meanwhile I'll just do the best I can for it & use it.

 

I really wont get why the AOD has such a bad rap. My F150 has 228 on the tranny with out anything other than a added cooler, small one at that and reg oil changes and filter. Given it only has a little 302 pumpimg through it. Mind you this little truck pulled a 28ft travel trailer for many a mile over some steep passes in the Canadian Rocky's. Hauled countless load over its max weight limit and yanked many a stump.

It may need a replacment sooner than later but with all this I can't think of why these get such a bad rap.

 

Check out this thread on the 460 forum...

http://460ford.com/viewtopic.php?t=22886

Apparently there is a way to make an AOD last. I still wouldn't run one though. Personally I dislike slushboxes. I also don't like all the work that needs to be put into any slushbox to make it as strong as a normal truck manual transmission, such as the NP435 or even ZF5 (fine german engineering).

I just don't see the point in an automatic. You waste fuel with one, turning more RPM for a given MPH, and losing rotational energy to heat energy that must be dissipated through coolers. Horribly inefficient, and also more susceptible to failure from fluid contamination. I've run a NP435 that was completely full of murky water, after my vent hose broke. Try driving 30 miles on a C6 full of murky water!

 

I feel the same way (although you can't beat an automatic for inner city driving)

But I specifically needed a F250 with a GVWR under 7700lb to avoid having to do a right-hand drive conversion when it gets back to NZ.

This one is 7300lb, absolutely rust free, & with under 4000 miles on a rebuilt 351W - one family since 1987, so I can live with the automatic for now. I had an inspection done on the truck & the transmission came through fine.

 

My AOD has certainly exceeded it's reputation then.. It's going on 8 years behind the much stronger than stock 5.8 in my truck. FWIW, the AOD is unique among automatics in that it completely bypasses the torque converter in 3rd and 4th gears.

 

Plowing snow with a automatic is much easier than with a manual. Backing up to hitch a trailer or hook the snowplow up is much easier. Negotiating around trees and down little pathways in the woods to haul firewood is much easier. No smoking clutches. Also, most wives can drive an automatic, which makes the argument of needed a big truck a little easier.

Also, most automatic equipped trucks are rated higher for towing than their equally equipped manual brothers, because of the slippage of the torque convertor keeps the engine more in it's powerband and gives you somewhat like an extra gear.

 

If you want to have better gas mileage the AOD will be better. But more complicated then a C6 to maintain.

But if you need the power go with the C6 by far.

The AOD is a weak POS in factory specs. It can be built up but it's expensive.And requires parts from different model transmissions.

The AOD has a Throttle valve hooked between the throttle and the transmission. It works throughout the throttle stroke. And if it is not set properly with a pressure guage hooked to the transmission the motors rpms will burn it up quick.

The C6 is only a 3 speed with a kick down that dose not have to be hooked up to run, but it is much simpler and 5 times stronger in my opinion. I tore a C6 down and rebuilt it in 2 days and only had to look at the book once rebuilding it.

Parts are a lot cheaper for the C6 also.

They make 2 C6 versions the small block and the big block. The guts are the same, just the case is different.

The AOD is a POS in my opinion . Especially if you pull a trailer or put bigger tires on your truck. The 1st gear clutches wear out quick and the sludge cloggs all the other parts up like the valve body and govener , then the shifting problems start.Then after they heat up and start to warp the valve bodys and then it's rebuild time.

If you want to learn about how expensive an AOD is go to www.ClickClickRacing.com , they are mustang racers and they will tell and show you everything about an AOD.

A new crate C6 is $700 from advanced auto.
A crate AOD is $1500.
So much for the gas mileage.........

 

Ive put over 300.000 on every ford tranny ive had. c4 c6 running aod now little over 400,000 miles still works great, towing with it last 300,000, has factory cooler on it...........I do complete fluid change at least once a year, depending on mileage. its 1989, hope to hell its go another 300,000......

 

I'll chime in...

211,000 on the original AOD (81 F150 2wd). It pulled my race car and trailer for 8 years 20 times a season. changed the fluid once (at 108,000) and it is still working fine. I'll bet it could easily hit 300,000 with no issues (and 1 more fluid change).

The biggest thing it don't tow in overdrive! Mine has the factory external oil cooler which probably helps and is currently being driven by a 5.0 HO SEFI Mass air engine from a Fox Mustang.

That said, I have a 4r70w in the garage waiting to go in. Why? Because it has a much lower first gear and it isn't worth tearing apart the AOD to install the planetary gears when this tranny has 18,000 miles on it and I won it on ebay for $45. I did purchase a later Mustang computer to control the tranny (1995 version).

Run it till it drops then make your decision...granted it could be a long, long time before it drops.

Kenny

 

Franklin2: I've never plowed, but I have towed plenty of times and off go out in the woods every other weekend. I never had any trouble backup my manual trans trucks to a trailer. Never had trouble getting around trees and down tight trails, and I've taken my trucks down trails that were more like quad trails. Always been easy for me, and I've never damaged a clutch either, at least in any of my trucks.

I prefer a manual for both towing and especially for wheeling. Automatics make me very uncomfortable when off roading. I am not easy on my truck in the woods. I've had to bail out of my last truck when the water got to my neck, I didn't wanna get stuck in the cab under water too muddy to see in. ZF5 worked fine when I pulled the truck out (drove home on it), I doubt an automatic, especially an AOD, would be fine when filled with water.

I strongly dislike the lack of direct gear control with an automatic, the slushy mushy feeling of driving one, the susceptibility to foreign contamination in the fluid (same reason I'll never run a BW 1356), the lack of effective engine braking when compared to a manual transmission, the amount of heat they produce, the vulnerability to failure due to the external failure points (trans lines can be broken no matter how well you tuck them out of harms way), the inefficiency and waste of fuel when compared to a manual transmission.

Now the whole woman thing. I've always thought it's fun to teach women how to drive stickshift. It's easier in a truck actually. Just tell 'em to use first gear to get moving, can't stall it in first on pavement (unless you got one of those flimsy Mazda transmissions with no granny gear).

In addition to prefering manual transmissions over automatics I also prefer manual transfer cases, none of that push button crap. It's another unreliable failure point. Electronics don't like water, dirt, or mud. I prefer a twin stick setup actually, for the most control possible. Simplicity is beautiful, and more importantly, simplicity is reliable. Manual transmissions are very simple.

I will confess, my F-250 does have a C6. The only reason I haven't put my ZF5 in yet is I am debating if it's worth that work when I could just go with a ZF5 behind a 460 and be much better off for not a whole lot more work. So I'm figuring 460, ZF5, NP205 twin sticked and I'll be golden.

 

Been wheeling for many a moon and there is no way I would prefer a manual over an automatic transmission in the rough stuff. Get stopped on a steep grade and try to get out of a pickle like that with a manual. Heel on brake, toes on gas, eeease out the clutch, tighten sphincter... been there, done that.

Try talking on a cell phone or drinking coffee while dealing with stop and go traffic with a manual.

My off road and real world experience says auto all the way.

Oh yeah, I just bought a truck with a C6 where the old AOD used to be. Shift lever almost gouging my leg to get it in Drive and 10mpg to boot. Rebuilt 351w and swapping back to the AOD a fixin' to happen.

Modern AOD builds have addressed the problems of yesteryear and you can get the revamped versions for around $600.00 delivered off ebay.

 

You'll definitely lose gas mileage with a c6, but they're virtually indestructable. And since its a 3/4 ton truck i would definitely try to put in a c6 or an e4od, which are also very strong trannys.

 

Ive had a couple of AODs in my past and i really don't understand all the negativity. From my experiences its been a real good trans. Now with that being said will it tow 10-15k on a daily basis? No!! But was it really designed for that purpose? No!! I think alot of times the AOD was just plain and simple overworked. Like i was saying the AOD wasn't really designed for a F-250 or someone who worked the crap out of there F-150. It was designed for the old lady in her Crown Vic that didn't want to feel shifts.

 

Cadunkle, I completely agree with everything you have said. You are right on, man. Manuals are better over an automatic every time UNLESS you want consistent quarter mile times. Especially off roading. Give me my manual.

Get something geared like an NP435 and you can NOT beat that with an automatic. T-18/T-19/NP435/ and the tough ZF 5-speeds are the best trannies to have. First gear is like 6.68:1 and reverse is 8.xx:1. And you have full control of the vehicle.