shift kit or valve body?

[merc91]

I'm looking at a, Trans-Scat Valve Body 1980-1993 Ford AOD, or the B&M shift improver kit both for around 70 bucks.

I'm leaning toward the new valve body, just wondering how easy installation is for the 2 options i have and how well each would work... i'm pretty much just looking for some really good solid shifts, and i don't want to dig to deep since i don't know allot about trannys.

[87gtVIC]

That shift kit wont do anything. I have it not much difference whatsoever.

[gadget73]

Theres also this guy who makes valve bodies for the AOD. Never tried one, but I hear good things:

http://www.silverfoxtrans.com/silverfoxtrans.com/VB_AOD.html

[merc91]

alright i won't go with that shift kit. Yeh his stuff looks pretty good, when i get a bigger budget i'll keep him in mind.

For a little firmer shifts now, would it be an easy install, and succesfull to put in this trans scat valve body (average, not to expensive, shift improving oriented valve body). It has the manual shifts also but still full auto in OD which would be kind of nice... Eventually i will do full manual valve body with floor shifter between sport bucket seats... next summer...haha

[gadget73]

You really don't want a manual valve body on a car you're going to drive regularly, especially with the retarded AOD not-enough-detents shift pattern. If you want real manual control, you'd probably be better off with a 4R70w and an electronic controller. That would allow you to do electronic touchbutton shifting or normal automatic depending what you select.

[merc91]

i am seeing the Transgo shift kit is a poplular choice for firmer shifts. Would I need the kit for AODE that says its for 1991+ mercury, which i have a 91? Or do I need an AOD kit? Will it allow WOT in OD just out of curiosity?

haha yeh it would make an offal lot of sense to add a spot for 2'nd, lol guess not.

thanks for the help, andy

[Archangel]

Your '91 has the AOD in it, so get a kit for an AOD trans. I'd be really tempted to try the TransScat valve body, if anything you're getting a brand new valve body with smooth moving valves, and not trying to patch up something that has seen thousands and thousands of shifts and could be by now scored internally with sticky valves... I do not like how the TransGo kit feels in the '91 AOD that I put it in, it flares on the 4-3 downshift, so I will no longer be installing this shift kit in '90-up AODs for customers. For off-the-shelf shift kits Silverfox Dan recommends the TransScat (TCI) and Baumann Engineering products, and does not like the TransGo kit.

[merc91]

hmm well its the valve body kit which i see is just another shift kit not the whole valve body which i can't afford the 300 or 400 for right now.

So you would recommend me throwing in the TransScat shift kit?

[monterey1962]

I've run a TransGo HP shift kit in a wide ratio AOD. Felt good. Firm, fairly hard shifts. Unfortunately, that trans died.

I'm currently running a Performance Automatic built AOD with stock gear ratio. The Performance Automatic valve body shifts harder than the TransGo HP kit did in the previous trans. I like the hard shifts. Judging by the videos on Performance Automatic's website, the VB swap doesn't look too complicated.

[merc91]

hmm well it looks like for now its between the TransScat shift kit or the Transgo kit. I have seen lots of good stuff with them both so i guess its a coin toss.

A have a good torque wrench and basic tools and decent mechanical ability... how long would you say a shift kit instal would take a first timer and assuming you just follow the instructions its a fairly straight forward procedure from what i can see?

[merc91]

If I go with the transgo HP kit, can i leave out the higher governor for now and add it in later... And is that the only part of the kit that would change my RPM shift point?

The reason I would choose the HP kit over the cheeper one is to be able to go into OD at WOT. At WOT if I left out the governor only, would it still shift at 4000 or so RPM including 3rd to OD ?

Thanks for all the help i'm almost there haha

[gadget73]

yes, the governer is mostly responsible for the extended shift points. A shift kit will draw them out somewhat, but it should still shift around 4200-4400 if you don't do the governer swap. No 3-4 shift at WOT by default, its locked out for good reason. The stock overdrive band can't handle that kind of abuse, and if you drive around floorboarded in OD it will burn the band out. If the trans is upgraded to have either a stronger overdrive servo, or a wider band, or ideally both you can do it but I wouldn't personally suggest it on a stock trans just because I'd worry about cooking things.

Also remember I tend to be very conservative with any sort of mod. I like the idea of things lasting hundeds of thousands of miles if I can help it.

[Pirate]

If I go with the transgo HP kit, can i leave out the higher governor for now and add it in later... And is that the only part of the kit that would change my RPM shift point?

The reason I would choose the HP kit over the cheeper one is to be able to go into OD at WOT. At WOT if I left out the governor only, would it still shift at 4000 or so RPM including 3rd to OD ?

Thanks for all the help i'm almost there haha

I would avoid the Trans-Go AOD HP kit at all costs, especially if you are having to ask us if it's a good idea whether or not to use/install it, as it's a major pain in the ass to get right the first time, and you also have to drill two odd holes in the VB itself to get a copper bypass tube in place....and you can't screw it up. In addition, I've never really liked how they worked....I've gotten better shift quality out of cheapie B&M kits.

Something else to keep in mind? If you're wanting a tranny that will perform above and beyond your current unit....just toss a basic kit into it, and then save your money for a really good/built/modded AOD (build one out of a Thunderbird Super Coupe AOD, for example), and add additional friction plates when it's being redone (direct clutch Alto Red Eagle 8-plate kit, and 4R70W intermediate pressure plate mod, where it adds an additional intermediate clutch and steel....with the proper shift kit, makes one hell of a bang during the 1-2 shift; my Moose AOD knocked everything off of the dash and doghouse cover in the van in was installed into when it did a full-throttle 1-2 shift...).

[merc91]

haha alright looks like i will go with a cheepy basic kit for now, most likely the transgo basic kit or TCI. I'm in school to be a machinest/millwright where a thousandth of an inch matters allot and i do have good machanical skills, but never opened a tranny for more than a filter change so looks like a basic kit is my best bet until i get a new professionally built up tranny in a few years.

Thanks for the help and i'll let you know how it all goes,
andy