Hello,

I am researching what it would take to convert from an AOD to a Toploader. My car is a 66 Mustang. The current driveline is a 408ci Windsor motor (stroked 351W), AOD transmission with a 3k stall, and 9" rear end with a 3.25 gear ratio.

The car originally had a 289 and Cruise-O-Matic, which I sold when I upgraded to the new engine and transmission. Originally I thought I'd have an easier and less expensive time sticking with an automatic. Unfortunately I've had nothing but problems with it, including blowing up overdrive during a WOT shift (dumb move, I know). Rather than fix it I removed the 4.11s and have been living with a 3 speed slushbox and the 3.25s for some decent highway manners. I'm ready to fix it for good.

With the gear ratio I'm running now, I'm not scared to run a non-overdriven transmission any more. Plus I think the Toploader is more nostalgic and suited for a car from the 60's, and could handle the torque I'm making as well as (if not better than) a mega-buck Tremec 5 or 6 speed. Finally, I've got a little bit of cash to play with, so I'm trying to figure out my options. I know it's do-able but am trying to pin down the finer details of the conversion. Namely:

What exactly is the torque rating of a Toploader? I'm assuming I'd want to use a wide ratio one with the 2.78 first gear.
What to do about the clutch and brake pedals? I still have the original manual brakes with the single-reservoir master cylinder.
Would I use a 157 or 164 tooth flywheel? The AOD uses a 164 tooth flexplate, and I hope I can re-use my existing starter. It's the newer small diameter, high torque style.
What type of clutch and throw out bearing would you recommend? It sees pretty much equal time on the street and at the drag strip.
Can I use my existing speedo cable and driven gear?
Would the driveshaft have to be modified? It's got 28 splines so I should be ok there, but I'm unsure about the length differences.

Thanks in advance for any input you can provide!

Justin

 

how much torque are you making? i wouldnt think a well built AOD would give you that much trouble, but if you say it is, then ok. I would think even a standard small block toploader would hold up just fine, but if you have that much power, maybe youll need one built for a big block. I dont know a whole lot about them, but the first place I would look if I were you is David Kee. His toploaders will set you back $1200 +, but I would be willing to say theyre the strongest toploaders available. Personally, I would just spend a couple hundred more on a 5 or 6 speed. There was a guy on ebay a while back selling 03/04 cobra 6 speeds for like 700 because they were making noise, even though there was nothing really wrong with them. (this is a problem the factory has acknowledged, and whatever it was that makes the noise doesnt jeopardize its strength)

 

http://www.davidkeetoploaders.com/

 

Thanks for the replies. I had stumbled across the David Kee site already but wanted to do more homework first.

The AOD I used was a TCI-built unit purchased from Jegs. To that I added a Lentech valvebody and stall. Don't get me wrong, it's taken a lot of abuse and the only two big problems I've had were getting the TV cable working properly and the overdrive blow up. The thing is my vision for the car has changed; it's the only car I own that doesn't have a manual transmission, and I don't want to sink any more money into the AOD.

I haven't had the chance to dyno the car yet, but I'd guess I'm pushing 450-500 foot pounds (naturally aspirated, for now).

Justin

 

Ill take that AOD off of your hands if the overdrive is fixed. Wait, is it the AODE or just the one that locks the convertor?? i really want a 4 speed auto in my 66 289.

 

I'm not planning to sink another dime into this tranny.

It's an AOD, not AOD-E. The converter I have is non-lockup. Overdrive is controlled via an electronic switch (to help keep from doing WOT shifts, which I did anyway...).

Find me a Toploader setup and we can talk!

Justin

 

lol, So your overdrive is still jacked up?? How does that one work? Does it have a 4th gear or what? i' still might buy it, if you sell it cheap. lol.... i could take out all of my dads toploader setup.... but i'll probably get killed.

 

Yep, still jacked. The transmission still tries to engage overdrive, but after it does it just spins like it's in neutral. I'm assuming I broke the band with the WOT shift.

Once I find a replacement, I'll sell the whole thing for the price of the valvebody alone! [:-]

Justin

 

Check with Perogie. I bought my toploader from them...it's basically a big-block tranny with a small-block input shaft. And, yeah, you'll want the wide ratio. Perogie will also most likely have the pedals, mounts, and speedo cable that you'll likely need (toploader is driven from the passenger side. My factory cable was too short).

For a clutch, go with a dual friction from Centerforce. The flywheel you use will depend on the bellhousing. Perogie could probably help there, too. They may even buy some of your old stuff off of you.

 

Thanks for the info and the link!

Justin