Ford AOD Transmissions

Book excerpt: While millions of Ford rear-wheel-drive cars are equipped with the durable and simple C4 and C6 transmissions of the 1960s, early in the 1980s Ford replaced those old designs with the AOD transmission for a new generation of cars. Overdrive gears, once popular before WWII, were now becoming popular again, as manufacturers were under increasing pressure to raise fuel economy to meet ever more demanding EPA standards. A nice byproduct of that was more comfortable cruising speeds, where your engine didn't have to work so hard in addition to getting better fuel economy. In Ford AOD Transmissions: Rebuilding and Modifying the AOD, AODE and 4R70W, author George Reid walks you through the process step-by-step, from removing the transmission from the vehicle, to complete disassembly and cleaning, to careful reassembly, to proper re-installation and road testing. Performance modifications are also covered, as well as an ID guide for various model numbers, evolutionary design changes, shift kit installation, and torque converter selection. This book is ideal for people who already have one of these transmissions in their car, as well as enthusiasts who would like to swap one of these more modern units into an older chassis to get all the benefits of overdrive. If you plan on researching or working on any one of these overdrive models, this book is a vital addition to your workbench or library.