hey my trans is shifting way too soft-and way too early-think a shift kit would help? getting ready to do some towing-any recommendations on some types or name brands-any tips would be helpful

 

My 1993 F150 is also shifting too fast. It will hit overdrive before 30 mph. Then the torque converter "shutters." I had it to a transmission shop, he advised that a few years ago, a aftermarket box was available, to control the shift points to delay the shifts. The transmission shifts are controlled by the computer in the truck. He is attempting to find find one for me. Whoever made this, had discontinued it. So, if I hear something - I'll let you know. Maybe someone who reads this, will know what I am talking about. Anybody know where I can find one?

 

I used the B&M shift kit & it worked very good . You have the choice of street/strip or rv/towing . Lew

 

thats what I'm looking for-was it a hard job? did ya have to pull the trans or can it be done in the vehicle-I know the valve body needs to come out-have done a couple of old turbo 350 back in the day but they were on their backs on a bench-saw one on the internet for a tad under $40-looks like a good deal

 

you don't even have an aod if your stuff is controled by the computer.....

i don't like b&m they just make stuff shift real hard and break stuff tci and transgo are my favorite trans companies

 

do a google search for B&M they have one for an E4OD if that is the type trans ya have

 

The TV cable on the AOD does affect shift points and shift feel somewhat, some subtle adjustment here can bring better results. You'll know you have it set too high when it starts refusing to downshift and bogging the motor as you slow down. I have a Transgo kit in my tranny and it seems to work well and has helped the tranny survive behind a 5.8. It shifts pretty firmly but won't quite chirp the tires on a shift which is a happy medium between extending the tranny life and destroying U-joints.

 

....Its not bad about a 4 hr job . Just be carefull when you remove the valve body theres a lot of check valve ***** in there , but as long as you keep it level theres no problem .. If you use the B&M kit you will want to use the towing kit unless your like me & like to spin the tires thru second gear ..Any of the good name kits should work fine . The trans stays in just remove the pan & valve body ... Lew

 

i also second adjusting the tv cable just a smidgen tighter and it'll raise the shift points and make the trans shift harder

 

The TV cable on the AOD is the control for part-throttle shift points, this transmission does not have a vacuum modulator or an EPC solenoid for regulating line pressure, it's done entirely based on the TV cable - there is a direct relationship there, the tighter the cable the higher the shift points, and the other way around, no exceptions.

Excuse me, what? If you have the TV pressure set too high the trans will hold the lower gears for very long, and it will be very very easy to downshift, but it will never bog the motor or refuse to downshift. I should know, I drove my AOD at near max TV pressure for over a year! What you're describing is a result of having the TV pressure set too low, and what follows shortly afterwards is a transmission self-destruct.

Agreed, this is by far the best way of recalibrating the AOD valve body - gives you plenty of clamping force at the clutches, decreases shift time and therefore clutch slipping and wear, and at the same time does not cause too much stress on the driveline components. By the way it ain't gonna be the U-joints I'd be worried about, those are cheap and easy to fix, the planetary gears and their carrier inside the trans however are neither cheap nor easy to fix, and that's what I'd be real worried about if the valve body is set to shift stupid-hard.

 

thanks for all the replies guys-I'm taking all this into memory-trying to keep this trans from wearing it's self out with the early and mushy shifts-can't be good on the clutches/band

 

Well like it or not that's how my AOD behaves with too much line pressure, and from what I gather it's not uncommon.

 

Paul, that don't sound right at all. How the whole thing works is the TV cable commands certain line pressure, and the trans stays in the lower gear until the pressure being ramped up by the governor in the tailshaft housing equals the TV pressure, so running very high TV pressure means the engine has to wind up higher in the rpms so the tailshaft governor can make up for the difference. Any idea why your AOD behaves like it does?

 

I don't know how the AOD works so I'm at a loss to explain why it does this, but I'd like to know more because there are things about it I'd like to fix. It also seems that there is a limit to how much increasing line pressure will extend the shifts, no matter what you do it still won't hold each gear to 5500rpm.. barely 5000rpm most times and often only 4500rpm. I have seen a kit that claims to extend the shift points by changing the governor. I also plan to go through it and install every possible upgrade like hardened shafts and better bands and clutches at some point so it has a fighting chance of surviving behind my built 351.

 

mine is shifting real soft and mushy-was rebuilt like 6 years ago right before i bought it and the guy I bought it from sold it because the way it shifted-I'm just trying to make er last a bit longer-seems like it's mushy shifting it self to it's death?all that soft shift and slipping can't be good for it-hey it's a truck not a Lincoln