In an effort to make sure the slush box guys don't get left out, everybody post up their info and experience on what it takes to be able to have an auto, steep gears, and still have good drivability on the highway: The Ford AOD

 

Part One: Research

I started my AOD quest with a lot of research around the Web to understand what would and would not be needed to pull this off in my 1967 that was a C4 prior to this project.

To start, the best online resource for info on the different transmission options is the Baumann Engineering site. Their AOD/E/4R70W specific info page: http://www.baumannengineering.com/aodefund.htm

As for the basics of the swap I used the well known and often used writeup by Dan Jones on the Mustang Shop Web site: http://www.themustangshop.com/c4toaod.cfm as a basic guide and also took some info and visual guidance from the Mustang & Fords writeup at: http://www.mustangandfords.com/howto/5280/

 

Part Two: My Method

There's always the way others do it and then there's the way I do it so here it goes.

For reference my "original" setup prior to the AOD conversion was a 1967 convertible with a 351W, a C4, B&M tranny cooler with AN lines, Mcleod starter, aluminum driveshaft, lokar throttle cable, X-pipe, 9" rear, and TCP subframe connectors. I mention all these items because at one point or another they affected the conversion for me.

In the parts collection phase I acquired these parts:

• AOD
• PI AOD Torque Converter (3,000 stall)
• Ron Morris AOD crossmember
• Poly AOD tranny mount
• Lokar AOD TV cable
• Lokar AOD floor mount shifter
• 164 Tooth flex plate
• "AOD" Block plate and inspection cover
• JBA midlength headers
• JBA "AOD" H-pipe
• Assortment of mandrel S-bends from Flowmaster
• AOD wire harness
• Correct speedometer gear
• AN fittings/adapters
• Autometer tranny temp gauge
• Autometer tranny temp sender housing
• Compression/Transmission pressure tool/gauge

*Note: any parts with "AOD" in quotes mean that's how they were marketed

I knew from the start this would require some serious reworking of my exhaust setup so I took the opportunity to drop the Headman longtubes and upgrade to a set of JBA shorties (also dumped the Flows and changed to Borlas).

One thing to note is that I did not have to modify my driveshaft at all (my AOD was sourced from a '92 Mustang GT) and I used the same C4 yoke that was already there. (Purchased the aluminum driveshaft many years ago from M+)

Since the installation pretty much followed the other conversion outlines, I just used different parts I will cover specific problems I encountered with my part selections.

"AOD" Block plate and inspection cover I purchased new off eBay. Well it turned out to actually be an FMX plate after it was all installed so I had to fab up a custom inspection cover myself. There is a difference between the AOD and FMX covers so don't buy one that "works for both".

Ron Morris AOD crossmember is designed for use with AODs and Tremecs. This "universal" nature causes exhaust system design difficulty since it takes up more space rear of the transmission to adapt for either transmission, this caused headaches when designing the H-pipe.

JBA "AOD" H-pipe turned out to be a total joke. It would not fit around the AOD properly let alone clear the tunnel restrictions of a convertible. Not what you expect when you order the part from the president of the company in person, but oh well. I ended up cutting it up and using it for pieces to make my own H-pipe. Building the H-pipe was difficult due to several areas from the AOD conversion. The TV lever had to be cleared properly on the driver side, the TCP subframe connectors for convertibles intrude on the path of the H-pipe if you go really wide, and finally the Ron Morris crossmember extends back somewhat so the crossover section must be moved far back on the pipe.

Lokar AOD floor mount shifter turned out to be the biggest headache of the conversion and I nearly gave up on it and just used the shifter adapter on about one thousand occasions, but I persisted. This was mainly interior conversions so I will leave it for another writeup sometime.

Last weekend was the first time the wheels touched the ground in a long time. So once I dial in the TV cable using the gauge I will add Part Three that will cover the results.

 

Part Two and a Half: Notes/Hurdles

Tonight I hooked up the TV pressure gauge. Holy PIA!!! I had to drop the H-Pipe in the front by unbolting it from the headers. Then in order to thread the hose of the guage in I had to go to the 7/16" Crows Foot on the 3/8" socket using just the right combonations of extensions to clear the floor pan and H-Pipe.

This experience remined me how good it is to have a set of Crows Feet on hand.

 

Jay, are your problems with the conversion mostly related to you other mods or bad parts?

 

That's a tricky question... the shifter install issues were a combination of my insistence on using this shifter coupled with the fact that Lokar has built the thing "to tall". What I mean by too tall is that the vertical space the shifter mechanism requires makes it challenging to work with (and results in Rat Fink shifter setups if you don't get the shortest model they offer).

Other headaches with the exhaust were a combination of bad part designs being mixed to cause greater problems.

For example the Ron Morris crossmember takes up a lot of space behind the transmission:



And this causes problems when trying to get an exhaust cross over sorted out (complicated by the difficulty a convertible already has due to the extra seat pans and floor cross member).

Here is a Windsor Fox version that does not have the problem (their problem is they never have them in stock and are backordered forever):



The TV gauge situation is not going to be avoided, it's going to be tight no matter what... unless you were running about a 1 3/4" H-Pipe (which some people might actually do and be happy like pigs in mud).

Overall if you are just attacking the thing and doing a less thorough job of it (say kinking exhaust pipe, not installing gauges, welding your own crossmember out of scrap angle iron, etc...) you could do it easier.

Next nightmare is to figure out why the internal sheath of the Lokar TV cable is slipping and taking away the cable travel.

 

Jay, could you repost the photo with the sticker moved a little more to the right. I can only read the first three numbers of your credit card.

 

I know, I "zoomed it" to make sure enough was concealled. :bang:

 

Part Two and Three Quarters: Special Tool

I have spent a lot of time doing research on the proper method of setting TV cable pressure. The best descriptions of this process always refer to a specialty tool by OTC with the number: T86L-70332A. Well I've had no luck locating such a tool, however my last attempt the counter person mentioned ROTUNDA. So that got me googling and I managed to located the tool that is used to properly do this without burning down 2 AODs and being "dominated".

The tool looks like this:



And the description is Rotunda Throttle Valve Gauge 307-152 you can find it through Amazon.com which is just a storefront for etoolcart.com. Direct link: http://www.etoolcart.com/index.asp?PageAct...PROD&ProdID=116

 

Part Three: TV Adjusted

This weekend I used the tool and the pressure gauge to set the TV cable according to manufacturer's recs... the tool is used by wedging it between the cable stop and the arm on the carb. to simulate cable pull at a set distance. At this distance you measure the pressure the transmission is seeing in Neutral. The magic number is around 33lbs. of pressure. Once that is dialed in you remove the tool and check that at "nominal" it is under 5lbs.

Given this measurement it does not appear any sort of carb adapter is necessary when using a Demon carb with a Lokar AOD TV Cable. The Lokar instructions make no mention of the adapters on the market that are used on Holley and Edelbrocks that other forums have insisted are necessary.

I don't have road test YET since the rockers decided to wiggle out on me ... another frantic overnight parts order