So, this is the deal. I am swapping a 5.0 stang motor into my YJ project and I was headed toward a 5 speed with a doubler setup behind it (NV3550 adapted to a Ford bell housing/Klune 4:1/NP205) but I am considering going to an auto. I already have the NV tranny, the Klune and the 205 but I can sell them and start over if that is what I decide to do.

The motor I have (and the whole 92 mustang) came with the AOD. I have read quite a bit about them and very few speak highly of the unit as they do of the 700R4. What is the deal with the AOD? If it is built well and kept cool, is it really that bad? I have 37s, 4.56 gears and I will have a good amount of reduction behind the tranny in the t-case. I wheel very carefully and I am not hard on parts. It would be nice to run all the stock stuff from the motor I have. Takes all the guesswork out of mixing parts and adapters.

Of course I need to have the tranny I have checked out and converted to a 4wd output or perhaps just get a 4wd AOD....whichever makes more sense.

Figured I would post in the Ford section and see what you guys think. Sorry about the Jeep part of the deal.:p

AOD trannys can be built to take some abuse - a freind had a 2wd 150 with a 5.0 and a blower and it seemed to hold up fine - he didnt tow or any thing - but he was at the local strip alot - he put around 45k on the truck over a few years before he sold it - and only the one rebuild -:smokin:
they had a bad rap when they first came out - just like the 700r - but there are quite a few mustangs running low 10s on them - find a good trany shop and have it looked over and some heavy duty clutch's and bands installed with a ggod shift kit and you will be set -

AOD trannys can be built to take some abuse - a freind had a 2wd 150 with a 5.0 and a blower and it seemed to hold up fine - he didnt tow or any thing - but he was at the local strip alot - he put around 45k on the truck over a few years before he sold it - and only the one rebuild -:smokin:
they had a bad rap when they first came out - just like the 700r - but there are quite a few mustangs running low 10s on them - find a good trany shop and have it looked over and some heavy duty clutch's and bands installed with a ggod shift kit and you will be set -

Yeah, I was just reading in the Advance Adapters section on Ford trannys. they mentioned the early tranny issues as well. Man, I hate changing course in midstream...especially after spending the money on the other stuff. Oh well...there is always the classifieds.

It just seems sooo much easier using all the Ford stuff that I already have.

If you can't do it yourself, plan on spending a good $1500 plus to make that AOD take the abuse it needs to on the trail.

I went through 2 AOD's in a little over a year and went with a c6 and was done with it.

I had extra clutches in the aod, hardened input, aftermarket valve body, etc....And still was able to slip the clutches after abusing it.

I spent $300 going through the c6 putting extra clutches in it, reprogramming kit, harder apply lever for 2nd band, etc. and it is holding up awesome.

Go with a c6. It is cheap to build and stout, if you are wanting to do a automatic.

Save the money you would need to spend on the AOD and use it elsewhere on your rig.

My .02

If you can't do it yourself, plan on spending a good $1500 plus to make that AOD take the abuse it needs to on the trail.

I went through 2 AOD's in a little over a year and went with a c6 and was done with it.

I had extra clutches in the aod, hardened input, aftermarket valve body, etc....And still was able to slip the clutches after abusing it.

I spent $300 going through the c6 putting extra clutches in it, reprogramming kit, harder apply lever for 2nd band, etc. and it is holding up awesome.

Go with a c6. It is cheap to build and stout, if you are wanting to do a automatic.

Save the money you would need to spend on the AOD and use it elsewhere on your rig.

My .02

Interesting how varied the responses are. No I cannot do it myself. I draw the line at auto trannys. I dont care for the power loss of the C6 or the lack of OD, but I know it is strong as all get out. I did read somewhere about a way to lessen the power loss though. I don't remember what it was, it did not interest me as much then.

Just depends if I can live with no OD. I will see a lot of highway time with this Jeep.

The AOD isnt too bad of a tranny, it will need some upgraded items to make it stronger. I would try to get some info from some of the mustang sites, they tend to know who to buy parts from and what parts. I have always heard the input shaft is a must, swapping the 2" overdrive band and drum from an AOD-E is a good upgrade, and the valve body is always a good plan too. If you gave it a good upgrade and those new parts, i think you would be good to go.

Oh and MAKE SURE YOU PROPERLY SET THE "TV" cable, that is the easiest way to kill an AOD. They will give up the ghost quick if you dont set this cable properly.

Interesting how varied the responses are. No I cannot do it myself. I draw the line at auto trannys. I dont care for the power loss of the C6 or the lack of OD, but I know it is strong as all get out. I did read somewhere about a way to lessen the power loss though. I don't remember what it was, it did not interest me as much then.

Just depends if I can live with no OD. I will see a lot of highway time with this Jeep.


I change my advice to you after reading this response. Stay with the manual.

P.S. I am a past transmission service tech .

I dunno man.. I don't think anyone has made a good auto tranny. I've read complaints of all of them. I myself just finished getting a 4l80e rebuilt last summer to the tune of $2500.. now I just pray it doesn't break before I sell it!! :D

I'd stick with the manual if I were you. They are just way more reliable all around. Doesn't matter what you put in there, if it's an auto, I'd be worried.

Oh and MAKE SURE YOU PROPERLY SET THE "TV" cable, that is the easiest way to kill an AOD. They will give up the ghost quick if you dont set this cable properly.

That is the downshift cable (under throttle load), yes? It does not look like that is a concern with the Jeep at this point, but it may be for my Bronco (91 full size), It seems to take a lot of gas pedal travel to get it to shift down, I usally do it by hand (at the dash switch).

How do you adjust that? I know the stang had a cable attached to the throttle linkage...I assume the Bronco is the same. Do you just adjust out some slack or?

You can check out this site for more information on upgrading aod transmissions i have one of their valve bodies in my aod and it works really well.

http://www.lentechautomatics.com/aodhome.html

The TV cable is not like the down shift rod or the cables some other trannies have, the aod only uses this cable for the shift timing unlike the c6 they have the kick down rod and the vacum modulator, thats why its hard to get the aod,s adjusted for correct shifting.

Sorry for the late response, The TV cable is only as far as i know on an AOD. From my understanding it controls the pressure that basically times when the tranny will shift. Its not really a matter of just adjusting slack out of the cable its more complicated than that. I have been told that the best way to set the TV cable is to hook up a pressure gauge to a port on the side of the AOD and adjust the cable until the pressure is correct.

I have not done it, im just going by what i have been told. I still have yet to install my AOD in anything yet.

So, if you go to a manual valve body, how does that affect the TV cable and the shift points/pressure, etc. Does that become non-existent?

I know on lentech's high end VB, the TV cable is not used, and the tranny uses a fixed line pressure.

So, if you go to a manual valve body, how does that affect the TV cable and the shift points/pressure, etc. Does that become non-existent?

As far as i know yes when you go to a FULL manual valve body the TV cable becomes non-existent. I think that it depends on the VB you purchase. If its FULL manual there is no TV from my understanding, but not all VB are full. I would imagine that talking to the manufacture of the VB would be a good idea to get the full story of what is needed on the trans