Ok, this one isn't dead yet...... I took a print out of what you said to do to the trany and the guy said it would make the car run rough in 3rd gear.....now he said not to go with the AOD leave it a c4 and just put a cluch pack in and a new 3500 stall converter.....I know NOTHING about tranys..... I havent even a freekin idea what a AOD is, so throw me a bone! thanks -Alex
An AOD is a different transmission, a 4 speed Automatic Over Drive. I think he was suggesting that you use the clutch parts that are recommended for an AOD transmission on your C4 to make it able to handle the 289 motor. If you don't know about trannies, and you go to a tranny shop, you will get screwed. Do a little research, find an honest guy, and make it sound like you know what you are talking about, or you will get used... Even better, find someone who knows someone with a shop, and let them do the talking. Also, a 3500 stall converter is kinda high if you aren't using this car as primarily a drag car. I think he just tried to snag a couple hundred bucks off of you there...
I put a 250 trans behind a 289 in my 77. Added a shift kit and after 8 years and a little drag strip time, its still going strong.
Alex, Your tranny guy may be a good transmission man but my bet is that he has no clue how to make one into a performance tranny.The difference in the plates that I told you to use is about .020" per friction in thickness and about .060" in diameter. Just enough to use up all the room on the steel plates. It will shift hard when you put your foot in it but cruising around town it will just be a nice quick shifting C4. The converter he is recommending is for a 3500 pound car and an engine with a cam that will turn close to 7000 rpm. My guess is that you are putting a mild cam in the engine that will turn to maybe 6000 rpm. a 2800-3000 rpm stall converter will be fine for that kind of engine in a car that weighs 2800 to 3200 pounds. If you are driving on the street it will be better at 2800 than at 3000 rpm stall. Harsh shifting will take more mods than I told you to make and are better suited to a racing only transmission. Note: The advice that I give here is for the personal use of the guys on the board. I would appreciate it if you didn't share it with people who could use it commercially to make money. I spent a great deal of time working out how to make it work right and if they want to use it I should be compensated for it.
Sorry, about that I didn't know.... like I said, just young and dumb. but he didn't see too interested about the way you had it set up for a daily driver(no offence) and didn't wright anything down or read the numbers too closely. becides if I would of know it was set up a special way I wouldn't have shown it to him, and again I'm sorry So it looks like a shift kit with a c4 is the cheepest thing I have going for me right now, and if it will work that is what I will do. Thaks -Alex
Alex, A good rebuild and a shift kit (TransGo 40-2) in conjunction with a big cooler will give you a transmission that is fine for a daily driver - and a couple of runs at the strip a year. If you can build an engine you can rebuild a C4 - use a good book like the Haynes Techbook "Ford Automatic Transmission Overhaul" #10355 and follow it and you won't have many problems that can't be solved on this board.
sounds good, if you don't think it is too hard it's worth looking into.....I'll go and try to find a layout of a basic c4 and see if this is a do-able task.... is it just seals and gaskets? I put a rear seal in a c4 once, thats a start Thaks
yes, it is mostly seals and gaskets - some the seals are on the apply pistons and some are on the center support to seal the inner circumfrance of the apply piston. All of the servos have seals too. There are a lot of pieces but if you follow the step by step it's as pleasant a job as it is rewarding.
