AOD Trans conversion

[ROKuberski]

Gasman,

My intent was to use the stock shifter if possible.  Where is your picture taken.  It looks like way too much room under there.  My shifter is hitting the edge of the floor pan where it dips down.

I "might" have more room when I finally get the transmission mated to the engine.  Remember that I have that 2" thick adapter plate in there too.

Rich

[Ford Blue blood]

Rich do you have the rear of the engine hanging down?  I know the Y is pretty well centered on the motor mounts but tilting it down in the back will allow the transmission to just "slide" into place and will most likely give you the room in the tunnel after it is against the engine.

[ROKuberski]

I have a jack under the front of the engine, but as you note, the engine is well centered on the mounts.  I will loosen the bolts so it will tilt more, but now I need to deal with the shifter lever too.

I just went to the LOKAR site and there are several options, but I have not seen an option that will let me use my stock shifter.  Anyone aware of something that will adapt to the column shifter?

Rich

[gasman826]

Using the OEM AOD shift tube and TV lever with the Lokar TV cable is just a guess.  The Lokar cable is designed to use the Lokar TV lever and Lokar shift tube.  I'm sure the OEM stuff can be figured out but I have no experience with it.  I did use the Lokar shift lever/tube with the one-piece, OEM style shift rod connected directly from the transmission to the steering column.  It worked fine.  But, with the rough idle from the cammed up engine, I was concerned with the wear and tear on the steering column and the shift sector and also the potential for popping out of gear or some other gear change.  So I made the upgraded shifter equalizer linkage (the red stuff in the PIC).  Smooth as glass now.  The equalizer also gave more clearance for header and exhaust pipes.

[RICH MUISE]

Rich, hopefully someone here has your answers, but in the meantime, I did some checking on the Hamb, and all I could find so far was a nice article with pics on using an oem automatic column shifter for an AOD in a '54. I don't know if the tranny you pulled from your car would have been the same one in '54, or at least the shift pattern?
http://1954ford.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2951

[ROKuberski]

Gasman,

I like the looks of your lash up.  I really don't want a floor shifter, and with some seat of the pants engineering, I should be able to figure this out. 

Rich, your link looks good too. 

All of this gives me some thinking to do. 

Got to change oil in my wife's car, then I can attack the Fairlane again.

Rich

[ROKuberski]

Gasman,

I looked at the Lokar instructions for their shifter and they show a new "sector shaft & trans arm."  They say to remove old one and install theirs.  What holds that in?  Do I have to open the transmission to get this out?

Rich

I found that the sector shaft is sold separately and I found the instructions on how to replace it.

https://www.lokar.com/assets/instructions/INS0030-FordAOD-AODE-4R70Wselectshaft.pdf

Rich

[gasman826]

Unfortunately, you'll need to drop the pan and valve body.

[Ford Blue blood]

or make a bracket......

[ROKuberski]

Yes, I saw that you have to remove the pan to install a new shift arm. 

I am also considering making a bracket.  Mine sticks up, and I will need it to stick down.  I don't see the TV cable in your picture.  If the shift arm is down, the TV cable is above-is there space for that to function?

Rich

[Ford Blue blood]

That shot was before the cable went on.  I'll try to get a shot of it now.  It has changed a slight bit since the first try.  Using a 62 Bird column, the n-safety and back up lights didn't both hit when they should have.  Turns out even though the column and the transmission were happy together I needed to get the geometry better aligned.  Wish I could tell you the secret to making it all line up but a little luck, a little laying on my back pondering my belly button, one failed try and finally the thing came together.

[ROKuberski]

The transmission is IN THE CAR!  I only have three bolts tight, but it's in and not hitting any sheetmetal.  I did a test fit with the driveshaft and have 2.5" of engagement on the spline shaft.

The next new problem is that the cross member is not going to work without modification.  I have a plan, but am running by a structural engineer that I know before I whack it.  As I am sure you all know, the cross member ducks under the exhaust pipes and curves out around the back of the transmission.  Well, on the AOD, it's hitting the back of the oilpan.  In my picture, I plan to cut the cross member at the tip of the tape and at the 15" mark.  Then weld 3/" steel plate across the cut and extend it back another 3.5" - 4".  I have a piece of 3" heavy channel iron that I can bridge the gap with and use that for the surface for the new mount to sit on.

I have also worked out the geometry for the shift linkage.  I am pretty sure I can use the existing linkage with an added bell crank.  This will make the 1-1/8" vertical travel on the stock shift rod move the shifter through its full range of 6 positions.  On the indicator on the column, it's just a piece of engraved plastic.  I can have a new one made with all the shift's shown on it.  The shift lever moves 60 degrees through its full range.  Length of the shift lever is 2.5", the lever connected to the shift rod is only 1-1/8 long, but it works, at least on my CAD program.  I show the levers in the neutral position.

Rich

[RICH MUISE]

Rich, see post #36 for a pic of Bill's cross member, and a link to mine in #39. I used a pretty stout angle, where you're mentioning a channel.
Also not sure what side of the tape your looking at for the depth of the cut, but something you may want to consider is making sure your as deep as you can go without sacrificing strength. I mention that because, I had to move my engine/tranny back an inch further that most of the guys did because I needed to clear the tranny on my RACK AND PINION. iI can't remember what your steering is, but should there be a posibility of a R&P down the road, you'll need a bit more clearance on your cross member.
Structural engineer?? I think maybe  you're over thinking it. Just do it!
Rich

[ROKuberski]

Rich,

The structural engineer is a friend and he has blessed this mess.  I intend to cut clear through the cross member.  I have to move the mounting point 3.5" - 4" towards the rear and I have to clear the oil pan.  As to r&p steering, nope.  I put in a borgeland (sp) power steering unit a few years ago and it's working just fine.

I'll borrow a welder to mock this up on the car and then take it to the RR museum and do a good job of welding it there.

Rich

[RICH MUISE]

OK......didn't realize you had to move the mounting point, thought it was just oil pan clearance. I have no idea why you're mounting point is so far back. I don't think I could have gotten mine back that far if I wanted. I realize a different engine, but my tranny mount ended up being exactly (within 1/16) of the oem mouning holes. I only had to clear for the tranny oil pan. With that said, I don't think Bill's was that far back either.
I'll see what I can find, I'm starting to recall something on the Hamb about which AOD to pick as the  casing differed..maybe a truck thing