rebuilding my AOD

Topic: rebuilding my AOD (Read 2776 times) previous topic - next topic

rebuilding my AOD

April 23, 2011, 10:01:35 PM

Every spring it seems like there is a new leak somewhere on my trans and now it seems to be slipping a tad. The underside of my car has a nice tranny fluid undercoating from the few times I've drove it this spring...so there is a pretty good leak somewhere on the trans.

It is still all original factory 1988 AOD and is the only major component on the car that has not been rebuilt, reconditioned, or replaced. My plan is to take the car on Power Tour this year, but now I am fearful the AOD will poop out on me.

My question: What do you guys recommend for a tranny rebuild? I have a local shop that is very good on autos (they build a lot of drag car transmissions) so I would probably have them do the rebuild for me. I plan to go talk to them this week about getting it in ASAP.

I want a basically stock-style AOD with minor upgrades. I have heard alot about the SC wide ratio upgrade, and about all sorts of different valve bodies and converters for different applications. My car is a basically stock 5.0 HO with 3.73 rearend, what combo would you guys recommend?

I have done some searching around the net but there are so many products and combos out there I am left scratching my head!

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #1 – April 23, 2011, 10:31:17 PM

If you didn't need it done ASAP and the bird wasn't your dd, I'd say check out badshoe's DVD's and rebuild it yourself. It's what I'm going to do....eventually. Really, his vids are comprehensive and informative even if you decide not to rebuild and have someone else do it.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #2 – April 23, 2011, 10:50:16 PM

Auto tranmissions are the one thing I would not work on myself. I watched a friend rebuild the tranny in a newer F-150 and there is no way I would have the tools or talent to tackle the job on my own.

I'm pretty much not afraid to tear into anything on the car, but I think I will leave this up to the experts.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #3 – April 25, 2011, 10:30:40 AM

Check out click click racing. This thread. Here is a good PDF as well. It has a ton of AOD performance upgrades that any reputable shop should be able to accomplish. They have a max page view count so you should probably reg. Its easy.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #4 – April 25, 2011, 11:16:31 AM

Quote from: 88CougarGT;358688

Check out click click racing. This thread. Here is a good PDF as well. It has a ton of AOD performance upgrades that any reputable shop should be able to accomplish. They have a max page view count so you should probably reg. Its easy.

Thanks man, I will check it out.

Last night I was looking at 5-speed swaps on eBay...maybe I should just go that route.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #5 – April 25, 2011, 01:42:05 PM

I highly encourage the 5 spd swap. I regret mine a little bit. With the big cam and stiff clutch, it's kinda a beast in parking lots and stop and go. The difference to me is reliability. I have limped a 5spd car across hundreds of miles with a slipping clutch or a blown synchro. When an AOD decides it's time, theres nothing you can do but summon the priest. If you have a mostly stock engine then I would say go for it. Check craigslist, I sourced all the parts I needed to do the swap local for $500 (trans, bell housing, clutch, quadrant, pedal assembly, and cross-member). I've since blown the 2nd gear synchro and it now grinds if I try to shift it over 4k. I picked up a hard parts rebuild kit to throw in it when I pull the rear end out.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #6 – April 25, 2011, 06:22:17 PM

Yeah I would love a stick in this car. I found a swap on eBay from MPS but he wants $1650 for it. It includes everything for the swap including crossmember, driveshaft, etc.

I live in the middle of no where so finding parts local to me is sometimes a c...plus power tour is in the 1st part of June so if I'm going to do this, I better be able to source the parts quick. That makes the eBay deal seem appealing just for the convenience. I could buy it and have everything ready to go pretty quick.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #7 – April 26, 2011, 09:45:12 AM

Ouch. You could almost get a new one for that price. You can get a clutch assembly from any junked mustang (4 banger or

. A double hump can be sourced from a console shift cougar, Mark VII or Mustang. If its an auto, you have to cut the tacs holding the crossmember to the supports. Its very easy. After that all you need is a clutch cable (also available from any 4 or 8 cyl mustang) and a trans. Your driveshaft should work (mine did).

If you have any junkyard around you, I would say the cross member, clutch, and pedal should be available pretty darn cheap. Even if you source an ebay transmission, you would be saving at least $1000. I would even be willing to pull that stuff from the yards near me for a modest finders fee. May take a couple trips as foxes get stripped pretty quick.

Just my $0.02

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #8 – April 26, 2011, 11:35:44 AM

Quote from: 88CougarGT;358740

Ouch. You could almost get a new one for that price. You can get a clutch assembly from any junked mustang (4 banger or . A double hump can be sourced from a console shift cougar, Mark VII or Mustang. If its an auto, you have to cut the tacs holding the crossmember to the supports. Its very easy. After that all you need is a clutch cable (also available from any 4 or 8 cyl mustang) and a trans. Your driveshaft should work (mine did).

If you have any junkyard around you, I would say the cross member, clutch, and pedal should be available pretty darn cheap. Even if you source an ebay transmission, you would be saving at least $1000. I would even be willing to pull that stuff from the yards near me for a modest finders fee. May take a couple trips as foxes get stripped pretty quick.

Just my $0.02

I think he is a little high but like I said, you are paying for the convenience. I work 6 days a week, every week (and every Saturday) so I literally have no time to go to driving around everywhere to junkyards. Last time I did go several years ago, there were very very few foxes left around anyway.

With power tour the 1st week or so of June, time is not my friend right now. If I'm going to do this, I would want to get it done within the next few weeks so I could have some "shakedown time" before the big trip.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #9 – April 26, 2011, 11:50:48 AM

I feel ya. Sadly, I don't think my mustang will be ready for the Tour. It sucks because I am originally from Metro Detroit and I would love to take it up to show my folks.

-Z

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #10 – April 26, 2011, 11:53:59 AM

Quote from: 88CougarGT;358745

I feel ya. Sadly, I don't think my mustang will be ready for the Tour. It sucks because I am originally from Metro Detroit and I would love to take it up to show my folks.

-Z

That sucks man...I've never been to Detroit so I'm looking forward to it. I live about 90 miles from Indy and I am really excited about getting to drive on the Brickyard. That's my main motivation for taking my 'bird.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #11 – April 27, 2011, 04:36:19 PM

Built AODs are fun! I've got a 2800 stall non lock-up converter, one piece input shaft, high rev governor, A+ billet OD servo, 2" OD band, kevlar bands, epoxy mod valve body, and a big trans cooler. It's rated for 650 hp. How do I know that? The shop that built it has a 650hp supercharged 5.0 Mustang as a "shop test car" and it runs the same trans. The tires will break loose on a 4-2 full throttle down shift. It's almost like the trans can read my mind

.

The problem is cost. You could almost buy two T5s for what I have in my AOD. Hell I paid more to have my AOD built up than most people on here paid for their Foxes...

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #12 – April 27, 2011, 07:30:45 PM

Sounds fun but I have decided to put a 5 speed in the car. I'm hoping I can piece everything together before june. Its going to be very tough with my work schedule, etc but the outcome will be worth it.

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #13 – April 28, 2011, 09:40:20 AM

Let me know if I can help. I'm at the yard quite often. Since I am in south Texas, there are quite a few rust free foxes down here. Let me know what you are missing and I can go look for it.

-Z

rebuilding my AOD

Reply #14 – April 28, 2011, 10:07:05 AM

Quote from: 88CougarGT;358862

Let me know if I can help. I'm at the yard quite often. Since I am in south Texas, there are quite a few rust free foxes down here. Let me know what you are missing and I can go look for it.

-Z

Appreciate that man! Right now I am looking for a nice center console in gray or at the very least the three brackets that mount the center console into the car. (I have a thread posted in the "wanted" area of the forum).