89 Lx 5.0 Auto Trans Choices?

aode or a trans out of a f-150...redline OD band is a must

75w

No matter what trans you go with, you'll need a little bit higher of a stall converter to go with your cam.

I would suggest a 4R70W. There's a nice aftermarket controller and wiring kit to control it. It's essentially a fully electronic AOD. So it'll bolt right up in place of the AOD and you'll have added strength along with more reliability

You can find them in '93-'03 F150's but only '93-96 will work since they're the only years with the 5.0 and 5.8. Modular engines have different bellhousing bolt patterns.

EDIT: Here's the link to the transmission controller I was telling you about
http://www.becontrols.com/

Based on some of the replies - ???


You have a mild engine. So?

Since you have less than 900HP, so it makes ZERO SENSE to get rid of the AOD!
Seems like people don't know squat about the AOD and it's potential. I guess the manual guys get all of the attention.

You can put any decent rebuilt AOD in your car, it will make no difference!
Yea, you have a E cam and a Cobra heads & intake. So? Still, that's no reason at all to go to a higher stall convertor for a daily driver. Huh?


It depends on what you want with the tranny and what you want to spend!

If you want a tranny that will LAST another 20+ years, then send a PM to SilverFoxbody.
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/members/silverfoxbody.84686/

IMHO, if you want a Stang auto tranny rebuilt correctly, and not built to save cost and time, get it from him. And, yes, he can get you a tranny that will handle the "increased HP" that your car has.

If you want something to last ~5-10 years, then get any rebuilt and do not do quarter mile runs.


Good Luck!


I removed the links since SilverFoxbody isn't a site sponsor. Use google.

BTW: How about this tranny:
Transmission: AOD - 950
Some of the mods done to the tranny:
includes special machining and hardening processes on the drums and other internal components, pump and stator modified for increased cooler flow and lubrication, 300M hardened one piece input shaft, Raybestose Blue Racing clutches, all stamped steel updated drums with greatest capacity, modified drums for extra capacity, 2” Custom High Carbon lined overdrive band, A+ billet overdrive servo, updated accumulators, lube mods, tailshaft lube modification ...


FWIW: this will be the tranny that I'll likely go with if/when I need a replacement:
Transmission: AOD - 450
Some of the mods done to the tranny:
Pump and stator modified for increased cooler flow and lubrication, 300M hard input shaft,
Raybestose High Energy clutches, heavy duty Kevlar overdrive band, updated accumulators, lube mods ...

89Vert5.0 said:

Is the crappy AOD my only option? Would hate to rebuild a tranny I don't like in the first place.

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Why don't you like the AOD???
Go with a manual tranny if you don't like the AOD.
Otherwise, you really should get some real info on what trannys are good and why.

Hmm, a tranny that lasts 200K miles on the street (if not beat on ), and a tranny that is popular with many qtr mile cars. Yup, seems like a POS tranny to me.

89Vert5.0 said:

I guess what I should have said is the AOD in my car is crappy. Wasn't trying to rip on anyone who has an AOD or say your tranny is crappy if you have an AOD.

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Don't sweat it.

The last thing I care about is what 99.99% of the people think of my car and it's setup. People don't have a clue about my needs and desire for my car. And, many also don't know squat about the real engineering issues with a car.

FWIW: Your engine makes more power than mine. Mine is fine for my needs. My point is that your engine isn't a "super special HP monster". Your setup has been done many times before - and that's a GOOD thing! I didn't want you to go to a different tranny or torque converter because IMHO it makes no sense at all. Unless, you want your own special project.

Hey, that's the great thing about a Stang - easier to modify! Just don't even think about doing it on a car that you'll need within a year, on a limited budget, with limited tools, or with limited skills.

There is a reason why people use the cobra intake and heads. People use the letter cams because they have their head back in the 80's. Also, they figure that since FRPP sells them, then the cam must be "good". Well, IMHO, FRPP now sells mostly crap and ricer cr*p. Yea, FRPP does have some good stuff. But, IMHO, they still sell mostly garbage.

Yea, you got a Stang recently and the tranny is toast. That's likely one of the reasons the other person sold the car. Plus, get real, if that's the original tranny, it's been working for ~20 years and I'll bet that no one ever even changed the fluid. That's pretty good, especially for a tranny that has likely been beat on!


If you want cheap, just get a used tranny. But, with any used tranny, it's a cr*p shoot. And, that's true especially for a Stang used tranny.

You can get cheap rebuilt trannys for the Stang. Heck, I think even Autozone offers them. And, you get what you pay for! They are like those cheap rebuilt rack and pinons that you buy. It may work for 20K-30K-50K-70K miles. It all depends how worn the rack and the parts were before it was "rebuilt" (often just new seals, and smooth out any bores").

I don't know your budget, your uses/desires for the car, or your long term plans for the car.

If you have the budget and desire for a good AOD, then ask silverfoxbody. There are other aftermarket sellers of performance rebuilt AOD trannys. IMHO, I've found that if you can afford it, getting something from someone like silverfoxbody is often more than worth any extra cost. But, that's for my plans and desires for my car. My car is over 25 years old, and I don't see any reason why it won't make it another 25 years. Well, that's assuming I can keep avoid all of those ********s texting and driving.

Good Luck!

I say unless you go with a power adder, then stay AOD. You will think you have a new car if you get it built with extra clutches and stronger ones, and a valve body, and a stall. I have 512whp and my AOD kicks a#%.. I love it. I have a manual valve body and its nasty. My next trans will be the one suggested above the 4rw, I want to be able to control each shift, and lockup. But untill then I am not complaining. If anyone lives near Philly,Pa. I can hook you up with a guy who will build the hell out of your trans for half of the big boys. PM I will set you up..
Sent from my PI86100 using Board Express

I have absolutely nothing against the AOD, I actually like it. But how the OP worded his post, it sounded like he wanted an entirely new trans. ALSO, the reason to get a little bit of a higher stall torque converter is so it'll get right into the power. I'm not talking about going out and getting a damn 3500 stall for street use. I'm talking about matching the torque converter stall speed to when the cam starts making power.

The E cam makes power higher in the RPM range than the stock cam. ANY time you swap cams you need to match your torque converter to the RPM range of the cam. That way you get most out of the torque multiplication from the torque converter.

Torque multiplication from MOST torque converters is a 2:1 ratio.
Let's say for example his car at 1500 RPM makes 150 ft. lbs of torque (just making random numbers here), the torque converter doubles that (how a converter is designed this only happens for a very short period of time. torque multiplication only happens when there's a large difference between the speed of the torque converter and the speed of the input shaft. the closer the 2 speeds get the less multiplication you get and eventually the opposite of TC multiplication starts taking place, this is why lock up was designed, to take away converter slippage at higher speeds) So he can leave the line and then he'll have 300 ft lbs of torque on the input shaft. Not bad. But lets say he gets something in the range of 2000 to 2400. At 2200 RPM (probably where his cam is starting to actually make decent power) his engine could be producing 200 ft lbs of torque, then factor in the torque multiplication and he has 400 ft lbs of torque on the input shaft. That's a nice difference

there is a site dedicated to ford overdrive auto transmissions. I don't know if I can say its name, so do a search. I think it may be run by the previously mentioned silver foxbody. It has a ton of info. The aod has tons of options to make it last. You can also add 4r70w internals to an aod. If you go with 4r70w, its recommended that you find one later than 97. These will be the strongest with the best internal parts. You can use a truck trans, but it is better to use a trans from a v6 stang. Same bolt pattern as v8, same internals, and the transmission is shorter than the truck ones ( although you may still need a different drive shaft).