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To AOD or not to AOD, that is the question.

RagTop

Old Grumpy
I've located a local hot rod shop that specializes in old car resto-modding and restorations. They have an AOD, with torque converter, that they removed from a customer's 68 Mustang California Special sitting on a shelf in their shop. They said the previous owner is the local Gear Vendors rep and that he wanted to go back to the original C4 with a Gear Vendors overdrive for business reasons. The are willing to assure me that the AOD is a working transmission. Anyway, they have said they would be willing to sell me the AOD for $500 and to install it, including all adaptor plates, supports and linkages for an additional $500, bringing the total to $1,000 for a turnkey AOD installation. I figure that the AOD they have was probably left behind by the Gear Vendors guy and they actually didn't pay anything for the tranny, hence the low price installed. I had a buddy who had an AOD put into his 65 coupe and paid $3,500 for it. So, has anyone made this conversion and was it successful? I'm told that the shifter on the AOD is exactly where my C4 is located and that there is no cutting of the floorboards required to fit it in the car. Also, is the shifter different from the T-handle stock one on the C4 or can the AOD accept the C4 shifter? I'd like to keep the car looking as stock as possible. I'm also told the AOD ratios will give me a little more low end grunt as well as an additional high gear.

I'm looking for some inputs.
 
Bueller is out on a parade singing a Beatles song. He'll be along shortly.
 
I have not done the conversion, but I can tell you that is a great price. If you were wanting to have better drivability out of your car, including better freeway driving, I would jump on the opportunity. The AOD is a proven transmission and is a great swap for the C4. In the early Bronco community, it is pretty much the go to standard.
 
The detents of the floor shifter is different than that of the AOD. Thus you need to modify the linkage between the AOD and the floor shifter.
 
I talked to the guy the day before yesterday and he confirmed that he had estimated $500 to install the AOD he has and would charge the same to install an AOD that my son bought from a guy who had a Lincoln Mk VIII. I'm told the Mk. VIIIs had the highest rev limit of all the AODs Ford produced. No guarantees on either of them except that the one he has is a working transmission. He said he'd have to take some time to get the cost of the parts he'd need, so I'm guessing the $500 estimate goes away when he does his homework. The price of an AOD conversion kit on the internet is $529. It was a nice dream while it lasted. Actually, $1,529 would still be a bargain basement cost for an AOD conversion.
 
I put an aod in my 70, but haven't run it yet.

You can use there stock shifter just have to have a modified linkage and a TV cable linkage installed.

Flex plate needs to be changed as well as trans mount. Some have different trail shaft lengths and may require shortening driveshaft and new u joints and skip yoke.

Even at $1500 it's still not a bad price installed.

I paid $700 for my aod and a complete 5.0 efi engine. Installation on trans is pretty straight forward.
 
I just reviewed an AOD conversion kit from CJ Pony and that is a lot of parts for what you pay. Looks like a good deal.
 
Flex plate needs to be changed....... .

Keep in mind the flex plate is matched to the engine balance. If you are switching from a C4 to an AOD you need the applicable torque convertor but can use the original flex plate. The AOD convertor will bolt up to it.
A new yoke is not necessary either. The C4 yoke will work (same spline count), though it does need to be modified. The spline portion of the C4 is longer than that of an AOD resulting in deeper engagement into the tailshaft. The C4 yoke just needs to be trimmed off, approximately 1 1/2 - 2 inches IIRC. Don't hold me to those numbers, though it's not much. As Pat, stated you may need the driveshaft modified also.
 
Has anyone done the AOD conversion from an FMX? My son's car is an FMX and he just picked up an AOD out of a Mk. VIII Lincoln. Is there any special course knowledge in that conversion? We're planning to have both cars converted. I'm also relieved that I can use my existing flex plate. The engine was externally balanced back when it was rebuilt and the flex plate was obviously part of the rotating mechanism on the engine when it was balanced.
 
As long as the trans will bolt up an FMX to AOD swap is the same as a C4 to AOD swap. I'd have to check the tables I have but you may even be able to forego a new trans cross member! The AOD is actually the next gen. of the FMX!
 
Keep in mind the flex plate is matched to the engine balance. If you are switching from a C4 to an AOD you need the applicable torque convertor <SNIP>.
Just for the record, I checked my references. Pat is correct about the flex plate. It needs to be the AOD 164 tooth plate. My info was correct about the engine balance. You must match the plate (both weights are available), to the engine balance ..e.g a 28oz balanced plate for older engines and a 50oz plate for modern small blocks. Sorry for posting incorrectly Pat.
 
So it looks like I'll need a replacement flex plate balanced to 28 oz. but with 164 teeth. The torque converter on the AOD won't bolt up to my existing flex plate, right? Does that mean that I'll have to change out my starter as well? I'm guessing the star gear on the existing starter will no longer mesh with the flex plate.
 
So it looks like I'll need a replacement flex plate balanced to 28 oz. but with 164 teeth. The torque converter on the AOD won't bolt up to my existing flex plate, right? Does that mean that I'll have to change out my starter as well? I'm guessing the star gear on the existing starter will no longer mesh with the flex plate.
Correct. Sorry for the confusion and glad I double checked my references (which I should have done BEFORE posting!). Pat and Craig have both done an AOD swap to an older small block. I didn't have to worry because my swap includes the stock EFI 5.0 that the AOD came bolted to. All I've had to be concerned with (basically), was the the new trans mount, shifter linkage and drive shaft length.

One other thing I was able to check was my dimensions list. I thought it compared lengths of the C4, C6 and FMX to the AOD. It didn't, it only contained the C4. I can provide you the dimensions for the AOD so you can compare them to your son's FMX. I strongly believe the FMX is gonna be real close to the AOD. It's a couple of inches longer than a C4 (hence the need for a new mount).
 
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