?Why won't my AOD shift out of first gear?

[boone_shop]

Trans is mounted behind a 302 and ever since the last owner installed the combo into this truck it refuses to shift out of first gear. The kickdown cable is missing but I understand this has nothing to do with what gear it is in. I know it is a very general question with many potential problems but I am pretty sure that it worked just fine before. also the neutral safety switch isn't hooked up properly. any insight would be wonderful

[83kingcab]

Are you sure its an AOD and not a AODE?

[wanderer-RRORC]

check the vacume sylanoid on the trans...if its not hooked up..it wont shift..

[Ak_F250]

Thats not a kickdown cable thats missing, its the TV cable. It makes the transmission shift. You need to get one and have it installed and adjusted by a shop that knows how to do it. Adjustment involves hooking a pressure gauge to the trans and driving it to get it to shift at the right times. That should fix your problems.

[Wildjon300ci]

If you've already tried driving without the TV cable...that trans is more than likely done for.

[Hickfied]

If you drove it much at all without the TV cable, it is most likely fried. I seen one go for 3-4 miles without, and it was fine... seen one go 10 miles without it and it was fried.

[Belooky]

I just thought about this. You say it wont come out of first gear. As in you cant physically move the shifter ouy of first gear? or it just wont move very much?

[Jy Dog]

Originally Posted by Belooky

I just thought about this. You say it wont come out of first gear. As in you cant physically move the shifter ouy of first gear? or it just wont move very much?

At this stage it doesn't matter. The T.V. cable (the one he doesn't have hooked up) is what runs the line pressure in the transmission. When at idle the cable runs very low line pressure. As you depress the throttle it immediately ups the line pressure to hold the clutches tight. By running variable line pressure like this, they are able to take some of the harshness out of the shifts when you let off it and it shifts.

IF you run it and throttle it much at all with the cable unhooked you will bake the clutches immediately.

I don't know how much he has run it, but I would bet he has glazed the clutches at the very least.

The lesson learned, here is this. Take a few minutes on the internet to search your project to make sure you are hooking everything up and setting stuff up correctly. A quick search would have revealed many threads on how important the T.V. cable is on an AOD.

I've learned stuff the hard way, as well. You just bite the bullet and decide you are going to be more careful next time.

[boone_shop]

I drove the thing maybe 1/4 of a mile. when I got the 302 dialed in. it was at that point that I began my research of the TV cable system and it hasn't moved since. as for how much the original installer drove it. I doubt very much that he did. the timing was so screwed up and the firing order backwards that it wouldn't run when I got it. As for the shifter it is a new cable operated floor shifter from B&M and it seems to be fine. also wondering if the OD setting was a 4 position selectable shifter or if it just shifted from 3-4 with the shifter in 3

[TheGreenDominicker]

I'm probably talking about something I have no business talking about but...

where did he get the trany? Maybe it's been rebuilt...

someone did that for a friend of mine and the guy left a little piece out out of it by accident when he re-assembled it and it did the same exact thing. I might be wrong but I think it was one of the balls from the valve body. Simple mistake that someone could end up passing off onto someone else by accident.
I guess then it wouldn't build up enough pressure to make the shift

$.02

[Belooky]

Firstly when it comes to the AOD, I do know what im talking about. read his other thread. Secondly an AOD will move with no TV cable but will act like its stuck in 1st. hence why i asked if thats what it was doing or if it physically couldnt be moved out of first

[boone_shop]

thank you guys for your advice. I am off to the Turlock swap meet this weekend and I will be returning with the lokar Hi-tech TV cable kit. they reccomend using their throttle spring bracket with this kit. is there a certain spring rate that is required to return the cable? or is it just to ease the install?

[Jy Dog]

Originally Posted by Belooky

Firstly when it comes to the AOD, I do know what im talking about. read his other thread. Secondly an AOD will move with no TV cable but will act like its stuck in 1st. hence why i asked if thats what it was doing or if it physically couldnt be moved out of first

All I was getting at is that if he got on the throttle at all, it won't matter, the clutches will be smoked. Didn't mean you didn't know what you were talking about. I should have clarified. Hopefully, he can get the cable hooked up, adjusted properly with a pressure guage off of the port, and not have experienced any damage.