What possible donor cars for a '90 GM transmission.

[atikovi]

I assume all '88 to '91 GM and Crown Vics would fit. Any others outside that range or even other models that would be a drop in swap?

[sly]

that's pretty much it. You'll prefer 89-92.5 though (the .5 meaning the first half of the 92 model year of the CV and GM... they had the bastard block 4.6 with the mechanical AOD that you have).

[BerniniCaCO3]

yup.
Tell you what, I've got a rebuilt unit for $300 if you want it: I live in Towson, so maybe an hour's drive from you? After I build my performance transmission, I re-rebuilt my old one
I had professional help on both of them, and will be shortly become an employee at that trans shop.
Call it $600 installed, too. Might be as long as 2 weeks before I'd have time to install it, though. I think I'm as fast as 4 hours now to install... but that's just when I'd have time at my shop space.
Throw in free new trans mount too (OK, so they're only $10, but I've still got a spare new one)

[BerniniCaCO3]

I think it's 89+ that has the better valve body. Yes, I've got the newer valve body (mine's a 1990). That's why you'd want the newer one. At a minimum, it deletes the problematic 3-4 accumulator. Dunno what else it does.
It might have been 88+ that had better lubrication for the planetary, and better lubrication for the output shaft. That's also why you'd want the newer one.

Think that's about it.

There's a better 2-3 accumulator I can put in; costs $20 from Alan @ dirtydog. The other improvements get more involved. If you replaced the failed rubber tv grommet with another rubber grommet, we can get you a $7 brass one: good for the long haul.

$60 gets a stock rebuilt torque converter. Not a bad idea, not an expensive idea, and a cheap selling point while the trans is out anyway!

[sly]

and a stronger case IIRC (I could be mistaken on this one, but 89+ is stronger in general).

[BerniniCaCO3]

mustang AODs fit also. Beware the rare police mustang: I got bit by that. Otherwise, they, too, are the same exact case.
There is apparently some difference between a 6 cyl and 8cyl mustang aod? The bellhousing casting may have differed, because it bolted to a different engine? Not sure on the details.
If that's the case, ALSO be sure that it's from a mustang gt (with the v8)
Whereas all crown vics are v8/302s.

[BerniniCaCO3]

oh, yeah, I think you're right on that one.
Never heard of a cracked case on any aod anyway though
You'd have to be abusing the sh*t out of it....

[sly]

mustangs will have the high-rev governor though. Shift at a higher point than the CV/GM trans. not a good thing unless you're planning a HO conversion/swap in short order.

[BerniniCaCO3]

true.
Got a low-rev governor for free if you want to swap it into a mustang trans

I dunno how much of a difference it really makes though? What, 2000 instead of 1500rpm shift points?
I had both, and neither made a huge difference. Ran a bit better with the high-rev (can't bog down the engine at 2000rpm), but not a whole lot of difference.

[gadget73]

starting in 1990, the shift linkage went from a rod to a cable. if you get a trans out of an earlier car, or something else with a floor shift, be prepared to change the shift levers on the side of the transmission. This requires minor disassembly to change the parts out. I think the only zero work drop-in transmissions are likely to be the 90-92.5 Mercury/Ford full size cars.


The shift governer has much more to do with WOT shift points. ~4200 rpm with the low rev, ~4800 with the high rev.

[BerniniCaCO3]

oh, didn't know they ever had rods!
Buddy's '89 mustang was a cable.

The shift levers are easy to do, atikovi, and you have the correct one of course in your core. There's a spring, pay attention to how it's mounted (first time I took it off, took a few minutes to figure out how it went back on), beyond that just a nut or two handled with your wrench set and you're golden. You don't even need to remove the valve body. Filter needs to come out though.

[gadget73]

Most column shift things till 89 and the trucks until some point had the rod linkage. I think the trucks didn't change until the column was revised, maybe early 90s ?