...while we are in the process of gettin' the last few parts together for the '56 Effie (F100) build...I';m still not sure about runnin' the C4 transmission OR tryin' to figure out a way (i.e. hotroddin') to get an AOD to link-up with the original '63-64 Buddy Barr/Holley small block Ford Tri Power setup I've got sittin' in the ba*****t...... I've read EVERYTHING I can possibly find as well as tried to talk to as many knowledgable folks I can get next too regarding this...and I'm still NO closer to figurin' this out...... Then...last night...or..at some ungodly hour just before the sun started to rise this morning...I thought I remembered reading "somewhere" (ha-ha) that the "early" AOD's used a TV "rod" not a "cable"... Does this sound right??? Could this maybe help me out any??? 'Cause SO FAR...eneryone just keeps telling me that I will be "just fine" in this '56 F100 with a 9" rear-end running a 3.89 Trac Loc with tires and wheels about 27" tall using one of the C4's I have in the garage right now... I'm just thinkin' later down the road...since I'm rebuilding EVERYTHIG on this truck...it really would be nice to jump on the hi-way and just get the hell outta town for a coupla days when this truck is FINALLY back on the road...ya know...?
there has to be someone who has done this and knows the trick. i have had some expierience with AOD's and the tv cable adjustment so freakin critical its ridiculous, a cracked $0.68 plastic bushing on the tv cable end can tear up one fast. if you can buy a transbrake for an AOD then there has to be something out there. i know Bendstens(sp?) makes adapters to mate an AOD to other motors so they prob have some insight on a fix for you
lokar has cables for them, i used one on my mustang and adjusted it myself and it worked great. or you could get a tci valve body and makes it a constant pressure and no tv cable is needed
Kool...I found in a book "somewhere" that C4 ratio's "should" be; ...2.46:1, 1.46:1 and 1.00:1 reverse is 2.19:1 SO...I guess...it wouldn't be too bad to stick with my C4...... BESIDES...I know it ALREADY fits and the driveshaft fits and blah, blah, ....... I know this because we drove it home this way...and played aroond with it for a couple of weeks figurin' out "what" the game plan should be... Hey pie...THANKS...I'll look in to that IF I find an AOD!!! Didn't the FIRST generation AOD's use a rod instead of a cable to control the TV thing??? I've got SO much printed material layin' around from magazines and websites and such that "sometimes" it gets a little confusing...... But hey...thats nuttin' new... -
If you don't already have the AOD,why not get an AODE?The "E" uses a computor to control it and there are stand alone mini-computors to control them.If you are mainly doing short drives you will never see any benefits from the overdrive,especially when you figure in the cost for the conversion.JMO,ROY.
Stay with the AOD, you don't need to be spinning 3000+ rpm at 60 mph. That just makes for a long loud day in the truck. Plus the AOD should improve your milage by 15 to 20%, and with $3.00+ gas, that is a good thing. Of course, I live 30 miles from town, so my truck sees a ton of highway miles, and I would NEVER build another hot rod with out OD. Use the Lokar cable, and set it up off the primary (middle) carb. If you set the TV off the primary, it is just like setting up on a single 4 barrel motor. You will also need a pressure gauge and long hose to properly set the TV valve. It really isn't that difficult, do plenty of reading and make sure you have your poop in a group before you start. Also, If memory serves, there is a thread on here about setting up a tri-powered FE and AOD. Same problem. If I find it, I will post it. Good Luck.
Kool....thanks a bunch...ya'll are just great!!!! I've been drivin' myself NutZ about this linkage thing for TOO long now... My tri power has what appears to be either the original linkage in GREAT condition....or a repop......but everything functions VERY well...... In my endless quest for roddin' info...bear with me, I'm just a young-un at 52 ha-ha....I have JUST become aquanted with... http://www.eelco-usa.com/index.php?cPath=24_28_55&osCsid=c09k4kj4vpd0jhdn359tvmtt96 I thought these linkage sets looked pretty kick***!!!!...I dunno... They HAVE to run smoother than the original stuff on the carbs now... Anyway...the ONLY reason I wanted to go AOD NON-electronic...is 'cause I just want to keep it truck basic...I've already backed myself into a corner with the damn airbags....I really wanted THAT controller to be the ONLY computer-anything involved in this build... -
I would like to see the numbers that show 15 to 20 percent improvement!! I've done this swap and might have seen 1 to 2 percent,best! In my opinion it is not worth the expense or trouble! To each his own!! ROY.
Here is some numbers. Read this thread, post #16 (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=527976) Direct comparison between C4 and AOD. If you spend 70 to 80% of your drive time on the highway, and then you drop your highway rpms from 3000 to 2000 by adding overdrive, you can bet your fuel consumption is going to drop by a proportional amount. If you live in a large city and spend most of your time accelerating and decelerating, and not much time on the highway, then no, you won't see much of a mileage improvement, because you aren't taking advantage of the OD gear. But like I said above, I live at the end of the road to nowhere, and so I put on a bunch of highway miles. When I switched my '51 F-1 from the 4 spd top loader to the 3 spd + OD, my mileage went from 13-15 to 18-20. That is closer to a 25% gain. Ever since every vehicle I built gets an OD trans. My current '62 Monterrey project is getting an AOD.
Rockher man I run the same setup in my Falcon, As far as the intake and carbs go. I also run the rare 2x4 setup in my roadster with a C4. I do not run kickdown linkage. If need be I just shift down. Upon hard acceleration I just manually shift it. Good Luck Fuzzy
The early versions of the aod use a rod from the factory. The adjustment procedure is no different than using a cable. I used an 83 tbird setup in one of my projects. It had the rod. By the time you fab everything to make it right, you might like a cable setup.
As said above there is a big gain in highway mileage especially if you have the low rpm torque to take full advantage of the .68/.70 overdrive. In my sons Galaxie (4000#'s) with a 3:50 rg and a fresh, stout, 428 we were getting 16mpg running at a steady 90mph. No where near that with a 1:1 top gear. Mike
Kool...ya know...I had a plan when this project started...BUT...the ONE area that just kept buggin' me was the transmission choice... At THAT time there was SO much info flyin' around about overdrive transmissions it was just makin' my head spin so I figured with the C4 gearing combined with the 3.89 ring & pinion in the 9" I'd be OK even on a longhaul freeway jam... THEN I did some math & it looks like I'd be turnin'' right around 3500 at 72-ish...and at $3+/gal...things have changed slightly in that department... -
The AOD TV cable to a tri power is no big deal. Use the Lokar TV Cable and set it up off the primary carb. Don't waste any time trying to use a stock kick down. It ain' a gonna' work.
Kool......thanks ALL!!! Waitin' to hear back from a buddy of mine who works at the Ford dyno lab here in Dearborn... His Dad and Brother BOTH retired from this facility and I cannot remmeber what setups they are runnin' in their 30's Ford coupe's... Just wanted to get some feedback from people I actually KNOW...... Curious about rear end gearing and such...I'll let ya know...
If you really want to learn about AOD's go to: www.clickclickracing.com DO NOT buy an AOD earlier than 1988 like the early 700R4's they had their share of issues.The best AOD is from 1988-93 these were non computer and have the better valve body and internal oiling mods the earlier ones lacked.I am also using the Lokar AOD cable it was an EZ install the TV cable should have final adjustments done with a pressure gauge.
I agree with JeffB2... ClickClick has a do***ent that shows all the mods that can be done to an AOD to make it durable and have a long life. Most times they will swap in the gear sets out of a 4R70 to gain a lower first as well.
The trouble here is how the carbs are mounted (facing rearwards to clear distributor). The throttle opening sequence is reversed.The OEM TV cable (or rod) is actuated (pulled) from the right side of the carb. You will have to fashion a bracket to have the center carb pull the cable from above the throttle shaft center line on the center carb right side or devise a bracket to allow it to be pulled from the driver's side. The mechanical linkages for the outboard carbs on the ends only complicates the problem.
...WOW...thanks...been pooring over all this...and older posts....... Was goin' over the linkage in the ba*****t while the weather was ****py...then the weather got nice here...55* and sunny for a couple days so all the snow is gone and now the yard is a !@#$%^&* MESS... Had to cancel todays outside efforts due to HI winds and haul everything back inside.... I HATE this time of the year...I never know IF I'm gonna need to fire up the furnace & snow blower...OR...open up some windows and air-out the house...... ANYWAY...back to square one for now....keep-on-keepin'-on... -
Does ANYONE have a picture of the linkage that goes from the PEDAL to the CARBS on a set-up like this?....I'm sooooo outta my leauge.... Will it be on the "other" side & need some sort of a crossover shaft?... This is really starting' to get fun......while I'm tryin' to score an AOD transmission on the cheap...that's me....cheap.... -
Ya man...IF ya got one...or ten...or whatever......that would be SO KOOL...I mean...I'd REALLY appreaciate it!...for whatever reason this crazy-aZZ set-up is bustin' my chops...... I know I'm better than this...but......with this brand new 3.89 ring & pinion set...I'd really hate to end up windin' this thing UP tighter than a ten day watch... So ANY help I can get puttin' together a sweet set-up with this tripple-duce AND an AOD...would be MUCH appreciated brother... -
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