Black Beauty has AOD shifting issues

Can someone help me get the TV cable set correctly? If that is in fact the issue. I have replaced it with a junk yard score and seems to function more freely than the one originally on the truck. I have watched five different videos on YouTube for proper adjustments and each one was a different way. But lets get to the meat and potatoes. Drained fluid, replaced filter with motor-craft filter, drained torque converter, cleaned and reassembled the governor(yes it is back together correctly). Refilled trans with 12 quarts Motor-Craft Mercron LV. New-used TV cable set in every position available on the adjustment with some better than others. Generally shifts hard at 3000-3300RPM's 1-2 and 2-3 and around 3500 and 65-75 MPH into OD. Now if before starting the truck I pump the gas pedal hard as if to fuel a worn out Holley, then once started and in gear shifts as it should, at least for 20 or so miles then reverts back to the high RPM shift point and I will have to pull over, shut the truck off, pump the hell out of the pedal and take off again. What are yawls thoughts to this matter? The trans is not slipping, hooks up great for a low HP 302 with an AOD.  

Greg - The fact that pumping the pedal, which moves the TV cable, makes it work well for a short period suggests to me that something is slipping in the adjustment.  Are you sure that everything is properly secured?

As for how to adjust it, I'd take Ford's word for it before I believed someone on Youtube that I don't know.  Ford's factory shop manual section is at Documentation/Driveline/Transmissions/Automatic Transmissions/Automatic Over Drive (AOD).

What year truck did the TV cable come off of?  85/86 have their own cable, 87 has a different cable and it is around 3/16 to a 1/4 of an inch shorter and will make it shift at higher rpm and slam the shifts.

Yes, I have checked the lever on the trans for play, I have checked the lock on the adjuster and even marked the rod to make sure it wasn't moving. The brackets are both sound, not rusted or weak. My concern is the detent actuator in the trans is messed up or something to that affect. I was having this issue ever since buying the truck. We have got it running thanks to the help from you and several others. I just have to figure this shift issue out and it should be good after that, minus a few little things.

well I pulled it from a bronco, I believe was an 85 with the 302 fi and AOD. Side by side, same length and hookup. To add to the notes, I was having this issue with the original TV cable and only changed it in the case the cable was frayed. I still have the original.

Cables should be the same, as Bronco and F-Series are the same truck.
AOD uses Mercon V, not LV - the lower viscosity of LV could cause shifting issues.

What about the throttle cable? Do you know if the PO changed the throttle cable?  The reason I ask is, I fell into that trap about 4 months ago. The throttle cable for my 86 Bronco is E5TZ-9A758-A and is 42 1/2 inches long. I googled that number and landed on a parts site called NPD and that had a cable that covered that number and several others. I bought it and put it in. It was a tad short but worked fine in the driveway.

When I got it out on the road, it was shifting like yours is now. I thought the TV cable was screwed up and that is where I found out about the different length TV cables.

I pulled the throttle cable back out and measured it against the old one and it was a quarter of an inch short. I went to NAPA and they had both cables, one at 42 1/4 inches long( E6TZ-9A758-D) and the other cable at 42 1/2 inches long ( E5TZ-9A758-A). As soon as I changed the cable the shifting problem went away.

You might have the wrong throttle cable.

Hhhmmm, something to ponder on.

old55pete wrote

What about the throttle cable? Do you know if the PO changed the throttle cable?  The reason I ask is, I fell into that trap about 4 months ago. The throttle cable for my 86 Bronco is E5TZ-9A758-A and is 42 1/2 inches long. I googled that number and landed on a parts site called NPD and that had a cable that covered that number and several others. I bought it and put it in. It was a tad short but worked fine in the driveway.

When I got it out on the road, it was shifting like yours is now. I thought the TV cable was screwed up and that is where I found out about the different length TV cables.

I pulled the throttle cable back out and measured it against the old one and it was a quarter of an inch short. I went to NAPA and they had both cables, one at 42 1/4 inches long( E6TZ-9A758-D) and the other cable at 42 1/2 inches long ( E5TZ-9A758-A). As soon as I changed the cable the shifting problem went away.

You might have the wrong throttle cable.

Gary Lewis wrote

Greg - The fact that pumping the pedal, which moves the TV cable, makes it work well for a short period suggests to me that something is slipping in the adjustment.  Are you sure that everything is properly secured?

As for how to adjust it, I'd take Ford's word for it before I believed someone on Youtube that I don't know.  Ford's factory shop manual section is at Documentation/Driveline/Transmissions/Automatic Transmissions/Automatic Over Drive (AOD).

Gary, I didn't see the second part of your message until today. I went in and read up on it and a lot of good information in there and I will attempt an adjustment soon. I do have a question though, on page 17-20-13 of the AOD transmission section, the photo # D4802-1A shows a retention spring for the 4.9 and 5.0L EFI engine. Is that still available? This could be my issue as on mine there isn't one there.

Greg - The MPC has this entry but I'm not sure that's it:




Because it shows it here and that's not the one in the other illustration:




Other than that it doesn't list any other springs I think it could be.  So, maybe you can put a throttle return spring there?

It states that it is on "HOLD", but who knows?

https://sunparts.ecrater.com/p/20985172/genuine-ford-oem-spring-e0az

More:

https://www.rearcounter.com/E0AZ-7F292-B-parts1397894.html

I believe from the AODs I have rebuilt and worked on, that the spring was more for the throttle rod used on carbureted engines as the weight of the rod needed to be taken off the throttle valve.

If you are positive you have verified the top isn't moving, I would go underneath and establish the "at rest" position of the TV lever (it will point up on yours as it pulls rather than pushes). Once that is done drive it until it starts the late shifts and without "resetting" it drive home and measure again. If the cable has changed setting at the bottom, see if there is slack up top, if not, try pulling back on the TV lever until you feel something change. If you can't feel a change, check up top for something in the throttle plate linkage, including a loose lever on the throttle shaft or a binding or bent piece.

If you can find no changes externally, then the problem is inside the transmission, probably something broken or sticking in the TV system.

Okay so now we are getting somewhere. The spring I thought was missing turns out it is just used for the 5.0L EFI AOD's for adjustment only. Which is my set up. So I found a 10 lb spring in my tool box, measured against a fish lip scale.  and then proceeded with the adjustment as per the instructions provided by Gary. Teat drove, shifts 1-2 @3200 2-3 @3200 & 3-4@3400 and I said that ain't gonna work, so I took two clicks out on the adjustment and test drove. This time looking at mph, 1-2 @28 2-3 @45 & 3-4 @58. Took two more clicks out and now shifting 15/35/53 under light acceleration and 18/40/60 under medium. I believe I will leave it here for now and drive a couple days to see how it acts. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Now that's PROGRESS!  And, as Jim say, progress is good!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Great!