yes yours need a pressure gage to adjust properly...AOD's are very sensistive to pressure..to much can damage...and not enough can damage it....AODE is computer control

 

set it at idle ( using a pressure gauge ) at or above 3 psi and not more than 5 psi. forget the manuals instruction, do this and you will be fine

 

I had contacted 1 transmission shop about checking the TV adjustment using a pressure gauge. He made it sound like a major undertaking. Said something about having to unbolt the exhaust?? I know there are 3 ports that need to be checked. Where are they and is this really as much a an ordeal as he made it out to be or is this guy an idiot and I should definately look elsewhere?

 

I just went through this.

First of all, if you have a near stock setup, it's total BS that any of your exhaust needs to be removed. I did mine with the stock H pipe and four cats in place.

Here's how I did mine. (everything below assumes a warmed up engine, about 20 minutes after driving)

The block gage that Ford uses is 5/16 inch thick. I bought a 5/16" woodruf key from the local hardware store (cost=89 cents). I used a dremel with a cutting wheel on it to cut a slot just wide enough to pass the TV cable into. I'm talking about the very end of the cable with the crimped end just forward of the throttle body linkage. The block gage is inserted between the crimped end and the plastic block. I used an Auto Meter oil pressure gauge hooked into the highest port on the passenger side of the tranny.

With all of these pieces in place, put the shifter in neutral and start the engine. With the block gage in place, your pressure should read between 33-35 psi. With the block removed it should fall to 0 psi. It took me about 15 tries with the sliding block before I got it right. It made all the difference though. I thought I had totally screwed up my rebuild. It's been a week now since I did mine and it's been running great with shifts where I want them (I had also installed a Transgo HP shift kit).

The procedure above is for a stock (or near stock) set up. If you have a valve body from Lentech or someone else, you should ask them where the pressure should be set. If you don't want to make your own block gage, a company called Atec makes the Ford gage. The local Ford dealership said that they can't order and sell their tools even though they have Ford part numbers (?) I'm guessing it has something to do with preventing competition with their shops.

The link below will take you to the process I described above.

http://www.actperformance.com/catalog/actcatalog69.html

Atec's tool part number is T-1601 and lists for $18.85. You can find Atec tools at
http://www.automotivetools.com

I hope this is helpful for you. One last thing though, high pressure is not nearly as harmful to your tranny as low or no pressure is. When in doubt, set the pressure high. Your shift will come later and be harsher, but it won't kill you tranny the way a total lack of pressure will.

 

Ok, I ordered a tranny with a Lentech Street Terminator VB. I will contact Lentech for the specs. Thank you for the info and links.

 

87ConvLX - You said you used an oil pressure guage. Did the sending unit just screw right in to the port? How did you use this?

 

I used the parts that came with the Auto Meter gauge. When you take the plug out of the port you will get some tranny fluid oozing out. Stand by with some rags. It won't be much but it will make a little mess if you don't catch it. The gauge is a mechanical gauge, meaning that the fitting screws into the tranny, plastic tubing runs from the tranny up to the gauge. When you first set it up you need to have the connection on the gauge just loose enough to allow the air to be pushed out of the tube. You'll also need to rev the engine a little to get the fluid to come up the tube. I don't have the gauge installed in the car. I just ran the tubing under the car, out the side, up over the fender and into the engine compartment where I could look at it as I was adjusting the TV cable block. Be sure to have the tubing running above the exhaust, not under it.