84 lincoln aod not shifting into second gear. HELP! will not go into second gear.

[84towncar]

It's been sitting for a few weeks now, I've posted on a different forum and I'm in need of help, or I need to sell it...or scrap it.
I believe it's possibly a stuck 1-2 valve in the valve body..because it won't shift into second gear... I've changed the fluid,filter,and gaskets, the fluid didn't smell burned, but it wasn't a bright red, it was shiny and somewhat dark, but it didn't have any metal shavings or any kind of dirt or debris in the pan,it was all nice and clean. I put the filter on along with the gaskets,and the new fluid, and it was a no go it still wouldn't shift into second. The throttle valve linkage (rod) is hooked up with the correct (rip off) bushing with clip, it wasn't before. It had always shifted before,even without the bushing,the rod would fall off out of frustration (when I had a bad fuel pump,it would stall and I'd mash the gas pedal over and over) and it wouldn't shift, it would keep going up and up in rpm's, connect it back on the linkage,and it would shift right into second.

It's a 1984 Lincoln Towncar signature,tbi with aod,cruise cable,throttle cable,and tv linkage(rod).
Thursday or Friday whichever day I have time, me and my neighbor are going to pull the transmission, look at the valve body,and up above it. One question though, are there shift solenoids? I'm not good with transmissions since I've never worked on one, this is my first vehicle and my learning vehicle. I've done lots of work to it,and I don't want this to be the cause to sell it or scrap it. I've heard also about some spring up by the side of the transmission above the valve body has a tendency of falling off it's holding grove?

Anyways, I think it's either the 1-2 valve or (1-2 solenoid if it has one idk) neighbor told me a solenoid has to be electrical, but I saw a video of someone taking one apart from a 1980'/4/5 crown vic, and it had 3 solenoids in it. One for 1-2,another for reverse and neutral I think, I'm not sure on that. And the last one for overdrive. Considering since Lincoln is part of Ford, that mine also has those three. Correct?

Please respond and tell me if I'm correct on my thoughts of what this could be please. I need my vehicle to get to work lol.

[ford man]

Servos yes. Solenoids no. Nothing electronic on this transmission.

Running it without the tv bushing is bad news...

There is a return spring for the tv rod up by the throttle body... you could make sure you have that. Make sure the spring is there and the tv rod quickly and completely returns to the throttle plate.

[miamibob]

Servos yes. Solenoids no. Nothing electronic on this transmission.

Running it without the tv bushing is bad news...

There is a return spring for the tv rod up by the throttle body... you could make sure you have that. Make sure the spring is there and the tv rod quickly and completely returns to the throttle plate.

+1 If all else checks out you may wish to run some trany cleaner (maybe Seafoam - not sure you can use in trany) along with fluid/filter change. I'd do that before scrapping the car!

[gadget73]

Is the TV rod hooked up properly? When these fall off, it maxes out the pressure and you either will not see a 1-2 upshift, or it shifts very very late and probably won't shift beyond second gear.

[BerniniCaCO3]

I know when the tv cable is disconnected, it minimizes the pressure, and you shift really early (and too weakly)...
was the '84 system different than the '89 and '90 I've worked on?

You can get a bench-rebuilt aod for $600. Food for thought. R&R is about 6 hours.

I've heard "solenoid" bandied about with mechanical automatic transmissions also... guess it's just semantics.

There's a governor in the tailshaft that regulates upshifts. If that's stuck...

[gadget73]

yes, the CFI cars use a rod instead of the cable. I dont quite know why, but when it falls off, it tends to go to max pressure instead of minimum pressure like the cable does. This is a good thing though. Makes the trans act really stupid but it causes no harm.

[BerniniCaCO3]

That is better!

I now have a (cfi) car that has a vacuum modulator, and when it falls off, it just shifts very hard in every gear.
Also, much better, than shifting really soft.

[BerniniCaCO3]

For the OP, I presume the linkage is, now, set up correctly?
If it is set up backwards from the later-model cable, then I guess disconnected = WOT = downshifted, which might explain why it wouldn't get to second gear when it was off.
But you're saying it's on properly now, and it's behaving this way?

[84towncar]

Car is a 302 5.0 liter tbi, not cfi. It has 2 cables,one for cruise control,the other for throttle,the rod is the Throttle valve linkage,I haven't had the bushing for it on there until recently. But it never came off before, it just stayed on but not connected if that makes sense. Usually it would do this but it would shift into second after going to 45mph, then it would shift,and it would be fine for about 2-3 weeks,then it would do it all over again. Now that's not the case,I've tried and tried,yes I've replaced the fluid,and changed the filter and gasket in the tranny. I think it could be a stuck 1-2 valve or solenoid, is that possible? Also..a while back it started to slip just a little (neutral out). I would start it up, put it into reverse,and it would take a few seconds,then put it into first,and it would only go into gear after raising the rpm's a bit maybe about 2000, not sure since there isn't a gauge. But it would do that all the time. Tomorrow my neighbor is going to let me know what his friend thinks of it, he said he's worked with transmissions for over 25+ years. I hope it's nothing that serious,either way the tranny has to come down since I have to replace the front seal since it leaks.

[84towncar]

Servos yes. Solenoids no. Nothing electronic on this transmission.

Running it without the tv bushing is bad news...

There is a return spring for the tv rod up by the throttle body... you could make sure you have that. Make sure the spring is there and the tv rod quickly and completely returns to the throttle plate.

Everything seems good, The whole time I've owned the car (about maybe 2 years) It hasn't had the bushing,and it would shift fine,as long as it was connected. As soon as it would fall off, it wouldn't shift into second until it goes about 45 mph.
I have recently bought (one) bushing with clip...rip off.. 13$. And it is on there now,but it didn't fix the problem. Nor did changing the filter and fluid. Here's a picture of the cables/rod assembly.

[84towncar]

+1 If all else checks out you may wish to run some trany cleaner (maybe Seafoam - not sure you can use in trany) along with fluid/filter change. I'd do that before scrapping the car!

Running seafoam does nothing for my car, it doesn't get to optimum operating temperature for it to work properly I've tried using it before, it just smoked a little. The intake needs replaced, along with the thermostat/housing. It was stuck closed,so I tried to remove the housing and the bolt was seized and stripped,so I drilled it out and its best to leave it alone how it is. So seafoam is out of the question for me for now. I have put brand new fluid in it though, but I kind of think it could be a stuck 1-2 valve...I'm not too sure.. but since they are somewhat basic transmissions compared to the aod-e and more on, they seem easier to find solutions to problems.

[84towncar]

I know when the tv cable is disconnected, it minimizes the pressure, and you shift really early (and too weakly)...
was the '84 system different than the '89 and '90 I've worked on?

You can get a bench-rebuilt aod for $600. Food for thought. R&R is about 6 hours.

I've heard "solenoid" bandied about with mechanical automatic transmissions also... guess it's just semantics.

There's a governor in the tailshaft that regulates upshifts. If that's stuck...

I believe in 85-6 they went to aod-e and it went to solenoids,and electrical along with cfi instead of the tbi not to sure. Mine is an 84 aod,it's all mechanical. It won't shift into second gear (usually) until 45 mph if the rod was off,with it on it would shift into second at about maybe 25-30 mph. And yes I was thinking on the stuck Governor too,I heard taking a hammer and taping the tail shaft where it is located could possibly free it up..I haven't yet tried that though.

[miamibob]

Seafoam does make a trany liquid. Can't use that or the one for the intake/fuel tank?

[miamibob]

AOD till around 92/93 then AOD-E I believe in 93.

[gadget73]

That is better!

I now have a (cfi) car that has a vacuum modulator, and when it falls off, it just shifts very hard in every gear.
Also, much better, than shifting really soft.

No vacuum modulator unless you have a very early model with a C4. No AOD has one of those.

Car is a 302 5.0 liter tbi, not cfi.

TBI is GM's name for it. Ford called it CFI, or Central Fuel Injection. Effectively the same design, electronic carb-like apparatus with a fuel infector in the middle of it.

[84merc951]

try some trans x. its like sea foam just for transmissions and works great. +1 on what gadget said 84 is cfi with the standard aod with rod and is what i have in the tudor

[Southern_Pride]

If the rod falls off you just won't have od. And its shifts really late.

[84towncar]

No vacuum modulator unless you have a very early model with a C4. No AOD has one of those.



TBI is GM's name for it. Ford called it CFI, or Central Fuel Injection. Effectively the same design, electronic carb-like apparatus with a fuel infector in the middle of it.

I just went with my neighbor to amco with my car, the guy drove it around and felt the tv linkage while it was running and was moving it back and forth,and said there was a vibration when you felt it,after moving it around a lot the vibration stopped. We drove it around again and nothing. He took it back to the shop and jacked the back end up and put it into drive and it started shifting into second. HE said its the friction plates. Which now that I think about it, it makes sense. But I was thinking it was a stuck valve or bad servo,since it pushes and activates the 1-2 band, I thought the band wasn't engaging all the way. But he's helping me out since he knows my neighbor, he's going to completely rebuild and update the parts in the transmission for 850$ and get a warranty for it. After that I'll just have to get a converter so the old sedimate doesn't get back into the new parts and contaminate it all. Then hopefully it's all good then.

[84towncar]

Servos yes. Solenoids no. Nothing electronic on this transmission.

Running it without the tv bushing is bad news...

There is a return spring for the tv rod up by the throttle body... you could make sure you have that. Make sure the spring is there and the tv rod quickly and completely returns to the throttle plate.

whats your opinion on aamco,because the guy is a master mechanic there,my neighbor knows him personally,and the guy quoted me 850$ for a full rebuild plus updating the parts. He told me it wasn't shifting because the friction plates were worn out. Because with it jacked up on the back end it started shifting fine.

[slymer]

aamco around here are rip-offs and don't do repairs for crap. You're lucky if they can get an oil change right.