So I think I'm losing my C4, let's talk about options...

You will need an...AOD...not the AODE

Frank...:Handshake(ILMAOD)

 

Cool! And what else? Just the crossmember? How about the driveshaft? Think my column shifter will work or would I need a new shifter?

 

...(5) AOD crossmembers...

i would suggest a...cable shifter...i don't know about the column shifter working...driveshaft is the same ...

frank :Handshake

 

i have an aod in mine with a cale floor shift love it.........

 

i have the ...stock mav. floor shifter...had to mod. the linkage.:Handshake

Frank...(ILMAOD)

 

So, given the right crossmember, the AOD swap sounds... Dare I say, easy? Same length and everything. Just hook up the cable, adjust it properly and now I have overdrive. I guess the AOD uses a lockup torque converter like the GM 700R4 and I'd need to wire that up. That's no big deal. I think.

 

NO WIRES...:Handshake

Frank

 

Would I need a specific torque converter and/or flexplate? Will my stock flexplate work?

 

I will definitely start by doing what you said. Could you tell me a little about what this servo does and why you suspect it's the culprit? I don't suppose it would have anything to do with my other symptom, which is that it will not stay in park and the shifter seems sloppy. I have been told by other people that the problem is simply "it's an old Ford" but I know they weren't designed this way...

Anyhow, I'm gonna order this rear servo piston and seal. Maybe I'll get lucky. I sure owe you a beer if this works!

This is the part I need, right?

 

..these two could be the same...and they are right...

...Frank...:Handshake

 

OPT is also a good place to order a rebuild kit from, You will get what you pay for most of the time. P.S. Leave the TCI stuff for the racers they can afford to rebuild 2 or 3 times a season. By the way im 30 miles south of Tupelo, And i rebuild C-4s and AODs.

 

It's a column shift and I have tried every way I can find to adjust it. I don't know why I feel compelled to keep it a column shift though. Oh well. At least my parking brake works. Maybe if PaulS is right and I can fix my C4 with a $10 part, I'll finally give up and buy a good floor shifter.

I will keep that in mind. As of yet, the plan is:

1. Order an overhaul manual - done.
2. Try Paul's idea - ordered the part.
3. Keep looking for AOD and T5 deals while I wait for that stuff to come in.
4. Install rear servo piston. Send PaulS good beer if it works.
5. If it doesn't work, read the manual and decide if I can do it myself.
6. Order an overhaul kit and a converter
7. Do it myself or give it to somebody else

One reason I'm considering the DIY approach is of course the money factor, but that's only half of it. I'd love to be able to say at the end of all this that I can rebuild an automatic transmission, you know? But if I find out I'm about to bite off more than I can chew I will not hesitate to hand it off to someone who know what they're doing.

 

PaulS, I just remembered another symptom to add. Your piston seal idea had me very optimistic but now I'm worried again. I recall a whirring sound. It wasn't constant, and it wasn't often, but on the day in question when all this happened, a couple of times, maybe three I heard this sound. If it wasn't coming from my car it would have been quite a funny little noise. Like one of those little spinning party whistles that kids wail on at Chuck E Cheese... wwwWwWwWWWhhHHEEEEEeEeEeeeeee!!!... But it was not funny in this context.

Is this still in keeping with your piston seal theory? Or no? Is my pump going? Should I pull that transmission and order a kit, or is there still a chance I might get out of this without a rebuild?

ONE positive - Although it slips a lot in reverse and sometimes fails reverse altogether when warmed up, and it slips a little bit in low, particularly while shifting, It does NOT slip in high. If I can get it there I could drive it on the highway all day.

So please put my mind at ease, Paul, sir. I have several nights that I'm going to need to sleep this week before that part gets here, and several days of driving the Mom Mobile to work. Do you like import or domestic beer?

 

More info on the symptoms. I just drove it around again tonight, throwing caution to the wind and knowing that the car gods might send the Maverick home on a tow truck for my insolence, but I had to experiment.

I took a pretty long ride up and down a busy street with lots of traffic lights, rode around a parking lot for a while. For most of the trip I could not get the car to fail. When I backed out of the driveway, it went right into reverse and gently eased out with no protest. I then went forward and backwards a couple of times with no slippage. I even barked the tires in reverse. Went through several starts and stops being gentle and not so gentle. Shifted manually some, and ran into no problems until just before I got home.

I pulled onto a side street because I wanted to check reverse after having heated up the trans to operating temperature. Sure enough, it did shudder while backing up, and I thought I may have heard a little bit of a metallic ring. I put it back into D and it slipped a little then caught. Not much, but enough to notice if you are used to driving that car. Did it again when I left the stop sign, but no slipping after first gear. I never fully lost reverse and my whirring sound didn't come back either.

Soon as I got home I inspected my transmission fluid. The color looked normal and it didn't smell burned. I dripped some onto white cardboard and observed some faint dark streaks, but I don't know if that's abnormal.

So this is definitely a problem that only happens when it's warmed up. After it sits long enough to cool, it runs great until it warms up again.

 

Faceless,
Let me go through the process of what happens in what gear for you. That way you can pinpoint wear points and know what is going on when you are in any gear.
Low oil level will cause whine and slippage. Oil level must be checked with the engine running in park.
Reverse: the direct clutch is applied and the rear servo is applied.
Low in drive: the forward clutch is applied and the one way clutch is holding.
Low in "1": The forward clutch is applied and the rear servo is applied.
Second in drive and "2": The forward clutch is applied and the front servo is applied.
Third in drive: The forward clutch is applied and the direct clutch is applied.
When shifting manually the pressure is slightly higher than in drive.
The modulator controls all part throttle shifts where manifold vacuum is above 8 inches of mercury. The downshift valve modulates the pressure which controls the boost pressure and downshift operation.
The governor controls all shifting when vacuum is below 8 inches of mercury.
Checking transmission oil must be done with the engine running, and in park because oil is filling the converter and pressurizing the control circuits. It will read overfull if you check the oil level with the engine off. C4's can shudder if you are not using type "F" fluid with standard friction materials. Most C4's will whine when in low or reverse gears - That is normal. If the pump gears are worn or installed backwards they will almost always whine. Wear in the pump housing causes the pump to "click" at the same rate as the engine RPM. If the downshift lever is not connected and the transmission is allowed to shift in drive, slippage can occur causing a shudder or noticable slippage in the forward gears.
With the symptoms that you describe here is what I would try first:
1. drain and refill the transmission with type "F" fluid. (replace or clean the screen)
2. adjust your manual linkage (I can email you the adjustment procedure if you like)
3. adjust the kick-down linkage.
4. replace the rear servo (your link was the right one).
5. adjust the bands as follows: front; tighten to 10 INCH pounds and back off 1 1/2 turns. Tighten the lock nut while holding the adjusting screw. Rear; tighten to 10 INCH pounds and back off 2 1/2 turns. Tighten the lock nut while holding the adjusting screw. (these are not the Ford specs but they work at least as well as factory adjustments in most cases)
6. inspect cooler lines for severe dents and kinks. If they are OK then install a cooler between the radiator and the rear cooler line.
If that doesn't solve all your problems then you will have to remove the transmission for rebuild.
AOD transmissions are not as strong as the C4. They require precise adjustment of the throttle valve cable or they will destroy themselves in a very short time. The over-drive band is a very small band that has frequent failures.
There are fixes for these problems but they require the fitting of AODE or aftermarket parts to the AOD. It will cost you between two and three times the money to get an AOD that will take the same abuse as the C4. With rear gears of 2.72 to 3.75 you are better off with a C4. rear gears of 3.80 to 5.60 you will benefit from the AOD's over-drive. If you are drag racing the car then the C4 is much stronger than the AOD and wil last much longer. Manual transmissions can be stronger than automatics but they are not as consistent as automatics and they put higher stresses on the clutch and drive train components than an automatic will. Manual transmissions are better than automatics for slolom or road (track) racing where precise controls of shifting is needed. Automatics are better for drag racing because they shift hard and fast consistantly without the danger of "missing" a shift. Automatics are better at keeping turbo chargers "loaded" for maximum boost.
It doesn't sound to me like your tranny needs to be rebuilt. It sounds like it is in need of some adjustments and minor repairs.