A couple questions

[fordktpjoe]

Last night after I got off work it was about 23 degrees outside, so I fire up and head for the house, and I could swear the ol' vic was running MUCH better than it usually does.

Is it just my dreaming, or does cold weather make one run better because of sort of a natural "cold air intake" effect? 1990 lopo all factory intake pipes and stuff.

Second, I noticed the other day while driving that the AOD seems to be making the car bog, or lug, or whatever term you want to use, when it's in OD. I adjusted the TV cable as per the directions on this site, and it was fine for a few months. I am assuming the old girl is just getting old and weak.

It just doesn't seem to like to shift out of OD until I really shove the pedal down.

So I been driving around in D unless I am cruising on a freeway above 65 or 70, but once I start up a long grade in cruise, it'll lose, maybe 10 mph before it'll drop into D on it's own. Sometimes cruise will just shut off on it's own, unless I manually shift into D, then the cruise will stay on.

Assuming that D is a 1 to 1 ratio, and my gears are 2.73, (I checked, they are). I should be OK driving in D right? Sure, It'll burn more fuel, but it seems WAY more responsive in drive as opposed to overdrive, and doesn't seem to be "hunting" for the right gear all the time.

Drive seems to keep it in the power band it likes to be in. OD seems to be WAY too high a gear for it.

Would a steeper gear help? like maybe 3.55 or 3.73?

[Lincolnmania]

gears would help alot
sounds like it could use a little more tv pressure
no you wont hurt it running in drive
the cruise shutting off on its own is mostlikely a vacuum leak....check the soup can
yes they run better in the cold than they do in the hot

[Jonsey]

not to thread jack or anything i just got a few simple questions: Since my A/C dosent work anyway i can just take the belt off and the smog pump will be fine?are there any benefits like horsepower or anything by taking that belt off?

[Southern_Pride]

It may actually burn less gas in d instead of od. My 91 has the same gears and burns less around town in d. As far as downshifting its just the nature of these cars.

[91waggin]

According to the 91 owner's manual, the cruise will deactivate itself if it falls below a certain speed below set speed

[gadget73]

not to thread jack or anything i just got a few simple questions: Since my A/C dosent work anyway i can just take the belt off and the smog pump will be fine?are there any benefits like horsepower or anything by taking that belt off?

Nothing significant. It won't hurt, but I doubt you'll notice it helping anything either.

Second, I noticed the other day while driving that the AOD seems to be making the car bog, or lug, or whatever term you want to use, when it's in OD. I adjusted the TV cable as per the directions on this site, and it was fine for a few months. I am assuming the old girl is just getting old and weak.

It just doesn't seem to like to shift out of OD until I really shove the pedal down.

Give it more pressure, the stock tv pressure settings are way too low in my opinion. Mine won't shift into overdrive until 50 under light throttle, and I have 3.55 gears. It feels quite nice there, it also will downshift if I hit the gas without needing to stand on the floor to make it do something. The first thing I did to my Mark VII after I got it was give it more pressure. I'd forgotten how shitty feeling an AOD is in stock setting mode. I used a black zip tie and put it between the metal crimp on the end of the cable and the plastic straw that the adjuster block sits on. Its a handy way to see what just a bit more feels like without having to fiddle with the cable settings. If you don't like it, just remove the zip tie.

[86VickyLX]

That's a good idea Thain. Hey Fordktpjoe, how long does it take your car to go into drive when you shift the transmission into drive?

[fordktpjoe]

That's a good idea Thain. Hey Fordktpjoe, how long does it take your car to go into drive when you shift the transmission into drive?

If you mean when I first drop it in from park to drive?

It's almost instantaneous.....less than a second.

When I manually drop it from OD to D...maybe a second and a half, maybe 2 seconds, it depends on how fast I am going. I never really timed it, but it doesn't take too long, I'll pay attention this afternoon on my way to work, and let you know when I get home tomorrow morning.

Thanks fellas.

Joe

[fordktpjoe]

I used a black zip tie and put it between the metal crimp on the end of the cable and the plastic straw that the adjuster block sits on. Its a handy way to see what just a bit more feels like without having to fiddle with the cable settings. If you don't like it, just remove the zip tie.

So if I understand correctly, what I want to do here is basically pull the cable out so that a bit of it sticks out past the adjustment block, then put a zip tie in there to hold it out, correct?

[gadget73]

So if I understand correctly, what I want to do here is basically pull the cable out so that a bit of it sticks out past the adjustment block, then put a zip tie in there to hold it out, correct?

Yup.

[fordktpjoe]

That's a good idea Thain. Hey Fordktpjoe, how long does it take your car to go into drive when you shift the transmission into drive?

Ok, here's the straight skinny.

from park to OD, or D is instant.

A manual downshift (using the lever) from OD to D takes one second.

drop from OD to D, count "one one thousand" and it shifts.

Ima bump the pressure with the zip tie and see what happens.

[91waggin]

I would agree with this 100%. The first time I bumped the TV pressure, it was like driving a completely different car. I was amazed at the difference.