Autotranny Adjustment

[jalangst]

I have an 89 5.0 LX with an automatic transmission. I had to replace the transmission and a slightly used 93 transmission was put in it. The place that did it doesn't specialize in transmissions and just installed it for me. My question is, is there a way to adjust the transmission? When I got it back, it was shifting way to quickly. I know I can put tension on the linkage cable attached to the trottle to make it shift longer. Is this the proper way of doing it? Is there another way to make the gears hold longer? It's not shifting properly at the moment. Any ideas?

[Gearhead999]

There is a procedure in the shop manual, sorry don't have one handy. Or go to the Bauman site and check there tech. section.

Make sure you add some TV pressure or you WILL BURN THAT AOD up. And rather quickly at that. I'd add some pressure and test drive till it was right. Might take a couple of times.

[rwhite65]

To get it right, u really need a pressure gauge. With the gauge hooked up, u set it to the proper pressure via the gauge, thus making sure the transmission is adjusted properly. I have the Bauman instructions at my house and I will scan them in if u want me too.
Ryan

[jalangst]

Would you really do that for me? That would be awesome. I'd hate to ruin a perfectly good transmission. I should have had someone put it in who knew more about it in the first place. Thanks for being so willing to help.

You can email the scan at jalangston@hotmail.com

Thanks again.

[rwhite65]

I will, but will not probably be able to get it sent until tomorrow morning. I am at work right now, but will send it off soon if nobody beats me to it.
Ryan

[~The Jester~]

Put a STICK in her!!! Only pressure you have to worry about is your left foot.

SORRY guys! Ya knew it was coming from me, right? LOL

Seriously, Ryan will hook you up, and you'll be good to go shortly. But like you said, park it until it's right. No sense burning up a perfectly good tranny.

[rwhite65]

Sorry bud, I promise to get it in by tonight.....got really slammed at work last night and forgot with it being mother's day this morning.

Tonight, it will be done!
Ryan

[Rev]

Hee, hee, sounds like Jester must have been spanked by some C-4's or power glides, LOL.

Rev

[rwhite65]

Originally Posted by Rev

Hee, hee, sounds like Jester must have been spanked by some C-4's or power glides, LOL.

Rev

LOL, I can only laugh cause I feel fairly secure that Jester wont drive all the way over to Illinois hand my AOD it's a#$. Rev, made me laugh my rear off though.
Ryan

[rwhite65]

Sent you the instructions I have from total performance… from when I installed the cable on my carbed setup. They will work very similar to your fuel injected version. Just email me if you have any questions....I can always take a picture of the setup on mine if that would help anymore.
Ryan

[rwhite65]

try reading this also, pretty good explanation.....pictures are so so though.
Ryan

http://www.tciauto.com/instructions/431000_inst.htm

[jalangst]

yeah, i had seen that one but it kind of left me with a few holes that needed filling. I think the explanation you sent me was much better. I appreciate it. I'll see what I can do. I played with it Saturday and I think I was doing it wrong. But this was guessing without a pressure gauge. I need to find one of those.

[~The Jester~]

Originally Posted by rwhite65

LOL, I can only laugh cause I feel fairly secure that Jester wont drive all the way over to Illinois hand my AOD it's a#$. Rev, made me laugh my rear off though.
Ryan

Sure I will! LOL When this engine/tranny was in the Bad Apple, I drove it an hour and a half to the track, went 11.06 @ 123, then put air in the tires and drove her home! NOW, I'm 350+ pounds LIGHTER. >wicked evil grin< All that on MOTOR. Can't wait.

Seriously, I'm a die hard stick guy, you all know that by now. But I do and prolly always will admit that auto's are more consistant, more reliable, and hold up better. Can't argue with the facts.

Jalan, get at the issues figgured out yet? I told ya these guys would hook you up. GREAT bunch of regulars running around these parts!!!!

[rwhite65]

jalangst -
The little tool is not the most important part, it just gets you into the ball park. The gauge is the most important part, because it is going to tell you exactly where the trans is at on the TV pressure.

If you look at that email I sent you, total performance details in there how you can make a pressure gauge using an oil pressure gauge, attached to the proper plumbing. I had to borrow a buddy’s gauge that was attached to a 12 inch hose or so...then did it exactly how the instructions say.

With that said, the way the slug goes into your stock application is probably similar, but I have never worked on an Aod in the stock form. All of the Fox bodies I have worked on were stick shift.
(Insert Jesters screams of joy here).

I am going to attach a few pictures of the little aluminum wedge, so you can make one if you want too. You can also call Total performance, and get one for 7.00 (586-468-3673).

Good luck
Ryan

[jalangst]

Very well. One last question....when the car is off and the trottle closed, should the slug be limp, no pressure on it? Just making sure this is the starting point for me. When I got the car back, the slug was limp. I put some pressure on it to make it hold the gear longer. Do I need to return it to 0 pressure when I do the test?

[rwhite65]

My line has a little tension on it even at idle, but I belive it was ever so slightly. I will check it when I get home from work tonight.
Ryan

[jalangst]

I appreciate it. You guys rock. This has been the only place I've found any help. I joined here about 4 years ago and then got busy with school and parked the stang for a while. I just broke it back out and summer is here so, I'm trying to get some little things done. I need to put my 3.73 in too. Wish I could do that myself. Oh well.

[grey88gt]

When I got my 88, it had just had the tranny rebuilt buy a Ford dealership. It as well shifted way to soft and to fast. I followed the instructions in the Haynes manual, and it helped 100% on the shifting. So I went one step further and readjusted the cable again and shorten the cable buy aprox 1/16 of an inch. Wow what a diffrance again. Man does it shift nice and hard, holds the gears better under normal driving. The only thing ive noticed if I have the car in OD I have to manualy shift it back to 3rd before pulling up to stop. Other than that is great, itll bark the tires hard in 2nd with a 2.73 gear out back. Ive been driving the car almost two years like this and it hasnt had any problems what so ever with the trans. One more thing, in the rain you really gota lift the foot when it goes into 2nd gear (lots a fun). Thats just my experiance with my AOD, not to say thats its right or wrong, but it has worked great for me. Good luck.

[jalangst]

Does the Haynes manual describe the same procedure that the other manuals suggest? I'm assuming so, just weird you have to shift it down from OD. The way mine is now, if I pull it back to 3rd from OD, it take like 3 seconds for it to realize that it's 3rd now. I'm also having trouble when the transmission is hot from a stand still. It doesn't want to catch when I start off in first right away. I'll give it some gas and then it'll finally catch and go. Works perfectly when it's cool. I'll try and adjust it today.

[rwhite65]

Sounds like you the transmission is way out of adjustment. You need to get that fixed ASAP and try not to drive it. Failure to do so will make that thing grenade!

The reason he has to pull it out of over drive is because he has his adjusted to where it will hold the up shifts longer. The downside (or upside depending on how you look at it) is it will also hold down shifts from happening as soon as they would have before.
Ryan