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1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

'88 f150 won't shift

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Old Sep 5, 2010 | 08:14 PM
  #1  
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'88 f150 won't shift

Hey all, my first post here and hoping you can point me in the right direction.
I was given a 1988 F150 that had been sitting for a few years. I took it home,put some fenders on it,changed the steering column etc and got it running. Actually,it fired right up after sitting for several years! It's got a 5.8l engine. I wanted to take it for a little test drive and discovered it won't shift out of 1st gear. Looked around and found a loose vacuum hose. It comes from the intake and goes over to a box beside the brake booster,but in the middle there is a T with another hose. That hose is just hanging loose,but it has the little plastic fitting in it to hook up to another hose and it is audibly sucking air. I figured this might be the problem but I can find no place where the hose might go. I've looked all over the tranny and can find nothing. These tranny's do use vacuum toshift,no? Where does that line attach? Really appreciate nay help you can gice, the truck runs great and I wanna drive!
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 12:19 AM
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If the trans is a C6 (3 speed), it will have a vacuum modulator. IIRC, on the passenger side of the trans, facing rearwards, in the the notch area just above the pan. Usually a rubber hose from vacuum modulator to steel line, steel line up to underhood, where it switches to rubber hose again.

If its a AOD (4 speed), then there is no vacuum connected to the trans. An AOD has the TV cable (a mechanical wire cable) from throttle to trans to transmit engine load info to the trans. I don't know if the AOD was ever put behind truck 5.8L engines. Was put behind 5.0L's.
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 01:25 AM
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The previous owner blew the tranny and this one is an AOD, I believe. So,since the loose vac hose isn't the problem,what else should I be looking at? I was told to take off and clean the electrical connections,so I'll do that, is there anything else I can try?
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 04:05 AM
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http://www.**************/myfiles/transmission.jpg Count the pan bolts and compare here. You need to know what the trans is.
Great info from Torky2.
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 12:03 PM
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does this tranny not have a modulator valve?
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 12:06 PM
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Nice,thanks. Just checked,14 bolts-looks like an AOD.
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 12:14 PM
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https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ont-shift.html Read the post in this thread by Conanski on how to adjust the TV cable and then check yours.
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 01:53 PM
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75Three90
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From: Santa Fe Tx
if its been sitting for a few years id get a tranny filter, take the pan off and let the tranny fuild drain after its done put in the new filter then the pan go up top and start fillign it up should take about 6-10 quarts
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 08:33 PM
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Is there any advantage to going with a synthetic fluid or should I just use regular for Mercon? Also, if this issue is caused by a sticking valve or something similar,is there any additive I should put in to help free things up?
 
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Old Sep 6, 2010 | 10:25 PM
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From: Santa Fe Tx
its just a precation but Trans X works GREAT lol it got me through a hard time before its awesome just rember YELLOW bottle add it when you do you filter change
 
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