AODE guys: what flexplate and tranny pan?

fixthedoor

New Member
Jan 25, 2006
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Tranny pan:
It's between a TCI pan and a B&M pan. Right now I am leaning towards the TCI one because it's cheaper and a new filter is included. The B&M holds an extra 3 quarts while the TCI holds and extra 2 quarts. Both are aluminum and have cooling fins.

Flexplate:
It's between one from Ford Racing and another from B&M. The one from B&M is about 75% more the FR one. According to the Summit website the one from B&M has a rust prohibitive coating, which was the only difference between the two.

The tranny has a B&M shift improvement kit (street/strip) and the motor is stock but I plan to add the usual bolt ons in the future.
What do you guys think?
 
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I'll keep the stock flexplate if I can but I think that I might have somehow bent it when I removed the tranny to replace the rear main seal. I won't be sure until I drop the tranny once again. :nonono:

As far as the pan goes, I've been on a cooling kick lately and was figuring out different ways to get the car to run cooler. The car sees daily socal stop and go freeway traffic and the occasional run to vegas. I just installed a fluidyne radiator, 180 t-stat and new water pump.

What are your suggestions for a torque converter? I have never considered one because I'm concerned about drivability since the car is a dd and will see limited if any track duty.
 
The best and most cost effective route IMHO is a 4R pan and filter. Get a good Ford embossed gasket while at it (it's rubber over metal, with ferrules on the bolt holes. A very nice piece and 10 bucks well spent. It's about 50 bucks for all 3 items, IIRC).

Then to add a stacked plate cooler. The pan isnt all that hot for keeping fluid cool compared to the cooler (no matter what pan you run, you need the cooler).

Good luck.
 
Hissin50-
Thanks for the stacked plate cooler suggestion (new info to me). I should have considered it when I bought the radiator with the built in tranny cooler, could have saved $30, oh well. Where can I find out about the 4R pan and filter? Is the embossed gasket something I can get at the local dealership?

gcomfx-
If I were to get a torque converter with 2000 rpm stall speed does that mean the car won't move until the motor hits 2 grand? With the afor mentioned converter and a set of 3.55 gears (my next mod), how do you think the car will react with casual stoplight to stoplight driving?

Thanks for all the help guys.
 
gcomfx-
If I were to get a torque converter with 2000 rpm stall speed does that mean the car won't move until the motor hits 2 grand? With the afor mentioned converter and a set of 3.55 gears (my next mod), how do you think the car will react with casual stoplight to stoplight driving?

Thanks for all the help guys.

That is something I was worried about as well. In all reality. The car won't move until you hit the stall speed at WOT (wide open throttle). You can still putt - putt around, and the car will still inch forward in traffic like it does now when you remove the brake and it's idleing. :nice:

My car has been a daily driver it's whole life. Until I recently found out my rings were done and I decided to step up with a bigger beefier engine.

The only problem I've had with stepping up the tranny was extreme hills. I live in the Branson area, LOTS of hills and slow moving traffic. If the roads are wet, and the hill is REALLY steep. It can be tough with crappy tires.

But I don't regret it one bit. 3,000 is a pretty good number. If you are too worried about it, I would shoot for 2,400 or so. Another cure for getting our heavy, power sucking transmissions to launch, is to hit it with a 100 shot of nitrous. With a stock converter, I could go from a dead idle to WOT w/100 shot on street tires. It was embarrassing how much the stock converter sucked. :p
 
The best and most cost effective route IMHO is a 4R pan and filter. Get a good Ford embossed gasket while at it (it's rubber over metal, with ferrules on the bolt holes. A very nice piece and 10 bucks well spent. It's about 50 bucks for all 3 items, IIRC).

Then to add a stacked plate cooler. The pan isnt all that hot for keeping fluid cool compared to the cooler (no matter what pan you run, you need the cooler).

I'll second the 4R pan, the reusable gasket and the cooler - I've got all three. :)

The 4R pan has a nice kickout for additional fluid capacity. Make sure it has a drain plug and you are good to go.

I got the largest B&M cooler I could off of Summit and ran it inline (after) the heat transfer in the radiator.

As far as convertors go you can search and ask around till you are blue in the face - personally the two companies I came down to were Edge Racing and PI. I called Andre at Edge and he was extremely friendly and helpful... that sealed the deal for me.

Wes
 
I should have considered it when I bought the radiator with the built in tranny cooler, could have saved $30, oh well.

If I were to get a torque converter with 2000 rpm stall speed does that mean the car won't move until the motor hits 2 grand? With the afor mentioned converter and a set of 3.55 gears (my next mod), how do you think the car will react with casual stoplight to stoplight driving?

You didn't waste any $ on the radiator cooler - that's just extra cooling capacity. :nice:

I've got 4.10s, the wide ratio 4R70W tranny and a 2840 stall and daily drive the crap outta my car - lotta traffic and interstate here in Baton Rouge - no worries.

Call the companies you want to deal with on the convertor and tell them what you have, what you want to spend and what you eventually want to do with your car - they can answer all your questions and make a great recommendation.

Wes