It takes a few special tools to do the rebuild yourself -
most important are the "seal protectors" that are used
to install the lip seals in the clutch pack drums.

Real close to impossible without them.

About $65 for a set.

You also really should do the nylon sealing
rings in a couple places, more special tools
(come in a kit).

After doing mine twice over a period of time, I'd
highly recommend taking it out and disassembling it,
cleaning everything up, then take it to a REPUTABLE
local shop (by ALL means check it out!) for assembly.
Unless you're real handy with tools and want to spend
the money for the seal tools, plus maybe making up
some others like a long handled bushing driver for the
rear case bushing, making up a gauge setup for end
play & intermediate clutch "depth" etc. I did for mine,
but I had more time than $ plus lots of specialized
tool experience.

Here's some info on building a stout AOD - you can
use a surprising amount of later model stock parts
like clutch frictions & steels, intermed clutch pressure plate,
stamped steel direct drum, etc.

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/article111.html

Here's a couple of related tips that might be of help

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/article48.html
http://www.lincolnsonline.com/article91.html
http://www.lincolnsonline.com/article93.html


Just FYI here's some more details on the whole
series of transmissions & what will swap out of
the later models into an AOD

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/article80.html

Don't get me wrong, it's not an impossible task -
all depends on your level of mechanical experience
and how you're setup with tools etc.

Links for all the special stuff are in the articles.

Good luck!

I also have an AOD. Could not find what you have done to the car. But I can tell you my experience. If you want to keep the Aod and plan on making more power, you must have build up the AOD, stock parts will get you now where. I tried rebuiling my stock AOD and adding a valve body and a good converter. It worked great but only for 6 months. I bought an Art Carr AOD extreme and could not be happier. It wasn't much more expensive than building my oun up to handle the power. A lot of special tools are needed and parts are expensive.

I was thinking about bringing the transsmission to a rebuild shop with performance clutches, the new valve body, bands, seals,and etc., but it seems pretty expensive, and i might as well go with a new AOD

I probably get carried away when I build an aod as I only want to use the very best components I can get. The list is long and the price is high but if you do it right you won't have to do it again. Here's a brief summary
clutch packs from a98 up 4r70w including reverse and forward drum, with some machining and trick work you can install 7 forward clutches,4 intermediate clutches, 4 reverse clutches and 8 direct clutches, without the stupid alto clutch packs that I hate.
You need the clutch spacer from a 4 plate 4r70w for the intermediate
Reverse drum from a 98 up 4r70w with a spiral retainer ring to hold it on. Get the 1 piece input shaft from TCI summit sells it for about $150.
You want a 83 markVIII output shaft. You will also need the sun shell from an aod or aode transmission with the 2 inch wide band. The overdirve servo from a supercoupe. and of course solid sealing rings for the output shaft. I often find it cheaper to gut a 4r70w core and use the planets from it while you are there. This is not a cheap project I just priced one for a guy and to put $2500 in one is very easy including the converter.
Alan

Right ON!!! Couldn't agree more!

I've been researching AOD's & 4R70W swap subjects for several
years, ever since I did my first AOD rebuild and partial upgrade.

Seems like every once in awhile I learn some more.

I wrote up my findings (what do they call it, CBW or some such -
Current Best Wisdom?) and put it online, just made an update,
they made a couple transcription errors so have to submit a
few corrections, but here it is as is so far


http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00111.html

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00080.html

Question for you regarding the alto stuff -

I've come to the same conclusion that at least the steels are
not worth having cuz they're so thin that in spite of the Kolene
treatment, they can warp.

How about the "red" frictions? I've had the thought that since
they're also thinner that maybe they could work in conjunction
with the stock later model thicker steels to put more pairs in
a given clutch pack WITHOUT using a steel in place of the thicker
stoack pressure plate and thereby MAYBE avoiding what i've read
described as uneven clamping force due to the flexing of the
steel where the thicker flex plate wouldn't flex.

Any credibility to that thought?

I've got an '00 4.2 4R70W I'm going to go thru and freshen up
with about a 2800 lockup stall to go behind a warme dup 351 Lightning
in my 4000 lb Linc Mk7.

BTW - have you ever heard of www.roadrunnerconverters.com?
Their website says they take the 12" Windsor police converter with
factory heavy duty lockup clutch and beef it up so the anti-ballooning
max speed increases from ~5400 to 6200 and rebuild it with heavy duty
lockup and sell it for $200. They also say they can add an anti ballooning
plate to further increase the safe rpm limit.

What you think? Have you ever heard of them, or any experience
with their stuff? I've got a fairly mild motor, not concerned with much
over 5k rpm, so was thinking that would be a less expensive alternative
than an Edge etc. Life's a [email protected]#$% - pushing 60 and still on a budget!

Thanks for any info/opinions/experiences!

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