Ortoch

Ok everyone is telling me I should go AOD for my transmission in my big HP build thats comming up. What I want to know is whats the difference between a AOD and a stock auto tranny. I know theres the 1/4 stick shifters and everything like that for racing but how do they work vs a manual trany? Is it basically a difference in the fact that the AOD doesnt have a clutch and you still are able to shift through all gears just like a manual?

Someone with a racing AOD tranny please answer this as its driving me nuts. I just read like 500 wiki pages and called hurst and just got more confused so lemme know.

I am thinking that I like the sounds of this tranny best too if anyone has any opinions about it, 4R70W Strip Terminator from Lan-Tech with all the goodies and they want $3645 for it.

retfr8flyr

The 4R70W is an automatic transmission not a manual. The Tranny came in earlier versions of the Mustangs, as well as other Fords, and is a 3 speed + overdrive for 4 gears. The 5R55 that’s in our cars is a 4 speed+ overdrive for 5 gears. The $R70 can be built much stronger than the 5R55 that’s why everyone says go with this transmission for your new setup. What a manual valve body does is just as it says you have to shift each gear, the auto function of the transmission does not work any more. The setup still has a torque converter not a clutch and you will have to figure in the cost of a new converter with the cost of the tranny. You will end up with a transmission that you have to shift for each gear but without having to push in a clutch pedal.

Earl

forensicsteve

I can tell you whatI have and how it is to drive but I have no idea how it works (don't know the mechanics). I have the 4stb-e from FB Performance that is based on the AODE/4r70w. It's an auto with full-manual valve body. It's like driving a manual without a clutch. It has a 3 speed forward shift pattern. You start from a stop in 1st, push the pistolgrip 1/4 stick forward until it stops and you're in 2nd, squeeze the trigger and push forward again until it stops and you're in 3rd. When returning to 0 mph, you just do the same in reverse. You cannot skip a gear or miss a gear.
It has a transbrake (reb button on top of shifter), electronic overdrive and torque converter lockup. The only time you use the transbrake button for street use, is for reverse. Operating the transbrake on the track takes a lot of expertise (which I don't have), because the transmission fluid temp can rise 50 degrees F for every second it is depressed. Overdrive and lockup are necessary to get the car on the highway without overheating the transmission fluid. It's rated at 900 hp.

I think the built block is being shipped early next week, so still about 4 weeks before car is track-ready. Pic is Hurst shifter in the car. It's in the Park position.

Ortoch

that sounds hawt, for this do you have to use a special shifter? I was looking at some of the 1/4 stick shifts from hurts and it seems like they are all different then my stock shifter. This is besides the obvious difference that I will have 1 less gear as well.