Hello everybody, in need of transmission advice!

[69scout]

Hello,
i've owned a '88 Grand Marqius and LOVED IT! it was my 2nd vehicle (my first was a '64 IH Scout (i'm not a ol' feller either, only 20!) i'm on vehicle number 15, yes i get bored easily. my merc was a cop magnet, i was 16, i installed dual glasspacks and a nice stero system, i took the car every where (even in the woods!) and it was absolutly amazing, only had 90K on it when the trans started slippinng, i had a heavy right foot and doing burnouts was WAYYY TOO FUN! i wound up cooking the trans, a few fluid changes and it was OK to drive, i sold it to a friend (didn't have anywhere to swap a trans) and he ran it till it quit. fast forward till today. all my friends loved my merc and knew i wanted anotherone BAD, i got a call, hey, still want a merc?...yes? a friend is selling a '91 Crown Vic. (six in one hand, half dozen in the other!) $200. i went to look at it and it's really nice, minor rust only 70K, BUT the trans only runs in 1st and second. i looked at the fluid, black and extra crispy. this car was driven by an older guy so i know burnouts wern't involved, even w/ only 70K on it. what causes these tranny's to go? my friend suggested rebuilding it, he said he's done it before and will help. i called a few salvage yards and got a $300 quote and a $50 u pull it price...no gaurantees. :bs: what would u guys do? try to rebuild it or go to a salvage trans? also is there a shift kit available for this trans? mabe same as in a mustang? i know the shift kits help make the transmissions last longer in the auto scouts, and shifting (or should i say slipping) smootly into the next gear is not a concern to me, i own 3 other standard shift trucks so anything auto will be a nice break!

THANK YOU!
-Jon

P.S. sorry for the long post, figured i'd give a good introduction.

OOPS!
1991 Crown Vic.
5.0L V-8 Slippin' Auto
4 door (if it matters)

[Nathan in MI]

Hello

Welcome!

what causes these tranny's to go?

If you look under the throttle body, you'll see a cable that runs between it and the transmission, and it has a little plastic grommet in it at the throttle body end. That grommet goes to pieces after 20 years, the cable falls off, and the transmission defaults to zero throttle pressure, which makes it burn up, fast. There's a brass replacement for it available from Ford, and the brass is far less affected by time and engine heat than the plastic.

my friend suggested rebuilding it, he said he's done it before and will help.

Has he ever rebuilt an AOD before? It's a pretty complex transmission, and requires quite a few special tools to repair. Not a good one to tear into if you don't know what you're doing.

what would u guys do? try to rebuild it or go to a salvage trans?

Unfortunately, your best bet at this point is going to be to either have your trans professionally rebuilt, or swap in a known-good used trans.

also is there a shift kit available for this trans? mabe same as in a mustang?

Yep, same as a Mustang.

P.S. sorry for the long post, figured i'd give a good introduction.

Hey, no problem, we like having something to read lol

Again, to GMN!

[cld783]

if its nice i'd scoop it and get a salvage trans.. only if you could do it yourself though.

it wouldnt make sense to get a $200 car, buy a 300 dollar trans with no guarantee and pay someone to install it unless its absolutely cherry.

[69scout]

Welcome!



If you look under the throttle body, you'll see a cable that runs between it and the transmission, and it has a little plastic grommet in it at the throttle body end. That grommet goes to pieces after 20 years, the cable falls off, and the transmission defaults to zero throttle pressure, which makes it burn up, fast. There's a brass replacement for it available from Ford, and the brass is far less affected by time and engine heat than the plastic.



Has he ever rebuilt an AOD before? It's a pretty complex transmission, and requires quite a few special tools to repair. Not a good one to tear into if you don't know what you're doing.



Unfortunately, your best bet at this point is going to be to either have your trans professionally rebuilt, or swap in a known-good used trans.



Yep, same as a Mustang.



Hey, no problem, we like having something to read lol

Again, to GMN!

damn cable kickdown junk...well the linkage on the scout's ain't so hot either.

i don't think he's gotten into one, i think he used to overhaul school buses...

i quoted a GOOD local trans shop (no national drain your wallet for crap work place like cottman) and the best they can do was $1100! don't have that kinda coin for a "extra" vehicle, the scouts suck up enough money....

any recommendations on a shift kit, i need more durability then performance.

Thanks once again for taking time to read this.
-Jon

[gadget73]

The trans is already fried at this point. The direct clutch is most likely baked. You can try a junkyard tranny. Might get a good one, might get a bad one. Its hard to tell really.

[69scout]

if its nice i'd scoop it and get a salvage trans.. only if you could do it yourself though.

it wouldnt make sense to get a $200 car, buy a 300 dollar trans with no guarantee and pay someone to install it unless its absolutely cherry.

it's a 8 outta 10. my thing is my ranger is a regular cab bucket seat special, so it's me and one other person, i really need a vehicle that can take a bunch of people around. the car has a small rust spot on the rear driverside fender and some rust around the front corner lights in the fenders. the interior is perfect. and it needs tires.

i'll do the tranny swap myself that's no big deal, i jest need a deal and to cut a few corners.


i drove it back to my garage and it ran and drove great (other then the slipping above 3/4 throttle).

-Jon

[69scout]

If you look under the throttle body, you'll see a cable that runs between it and the transmission, and it has a little plastic grommet in it at the throttle body end. That grommet goes to pieces after 20 years, the cable falls off, and the transmission defaults to zero throttle pressure, which makes it burn up, fast. There's a brass replacement for it available from Ford, and the brass is far less affected by time and engine heat than the plastic.

i looked today, there were a few cables, any pictures of the cable that goes bad? the cables there look ok... ?

-Jon

[gadget73]

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00052.html


you'd be looking at the cable closer to the center of the engine, the one you can't see very well. This pic is from a Mark VII, which has the cables oriented the opposite way.

[Pirate]

Although it's already been mentioned, the tranny is toast. The bizarre manner in which the clutch basket piston seals must be installed, just by itself, requires a $240 (ebay?, they cost more for a new set) set of plastic seal installers, not to mention an $86 (depending on where you get it) bridge to allow you to check installed depth (still requires a depth micrometer), and a few other tools needed for AOD builds pretty much kills off whatever savings you might get by having the buddy build the tranny.
And no, you can't 'get by' without at least the seal installers, you will cut every one of the piston seals if you try to install them without the shields.

My suggestions?
Look for the following for donor vehicles:

1. CV cop cars, from 1989-1991, with either the 302 or 351W engine.

2. 1987-1993 mustang GT with an AOD. The 4-banger tranny won't work.

3. 1989-1991 CV/GM 351W wagon

4. 1989-1993 Thunderbird SuperCoupe AOD (the best for a driver)

5. 1992-1993 Ford 351W E150 vans (the strongest for towing)

There are supercoupe AOD transmissions all over the place, if you look on Craigslist, and
some of the thunderbird forums (SCCOA.com and TCCOA.com).

I prefer the 1989-up trannys to the earlier units, due to the 3-4 accumulator being relocated to the valve body, although you can occasionally find good rebuilt 1987-1988 AOD's out there (the earliest I will ever use).

Concerning $1100 being 'too much' for an AOD build, that's actually a screaming deal, provided you get someone who is building an excellent transmission, with updates and at least a Trans-Go AOD SK shift kit. The SK kit won't produce tire-barking shifts, but it removes a lot of the shift overlap inherent in that transmission, and the AOD operates a lot cleaner afterward. For Lincolns, I love the SK kit, along with a H.O. lightweight governor.

[69scout]

thank you gadget, and thank you pirate! big help, i'll go visit the ford dealer when i get a few minutes, and i'll print the vehicle list.

for a cop car, i guess if it has clean fluid i'll use it, but i know hhow a cop car is run....

thunderbird.... humm i'll have to look it's gonna be a daily driver when i'm not hauling the quad in the ranger.

humm... a van would probably be easiest to pull the tranny out of, i just would hope it wasn't for heavy hauling, plus i won't be towing with it, that's why there's a hitch on the ranger. but if it is more heavy duty that's be a plus.

Thanks once again,
-Jon

P.S. i think i'll try my local pull a part too, they want $50 for a trans, mabe i can find one with clean fluid, or that was wrecked, then i can take it and have the shift kit put in.

[gadget73]

Another mention, if the transmission is out of a floor shifter car, you'll need to change the shift lever on the side. Its a fairly simple swap, flip both transmissions over, and remove the pan (good idea to drain the fluid first, makes a huge mess otherwise). Pull the nut off the tv lever and set it aside. Inside, you'll find a single large nut holding the shift lever on, and a roll pin. Remove those, and the lever should slide out. Be sure to get the tang on the end of the shift lever in the slide valve on the valve body when you put it back together otherwise you'll have no shifter action.

[69scout]

i see, thanks for the heads up.

-Jon