I'm swapping an '85 Mustang 5.0/AOD trans drive train into a project car and replacing the CFI injection with a carb.
The TV cable is in position right now and the trans is shifting well, if a tiny bit sluggishly.
I'm planning on running a used Edelbrock for now since it's on the shelf and I can probably pick up a set of brackets for the TV cable, maybe even use the brackets on the CFI since it's outward configuration is SO much like that of a carb. Just wondering how tight the cable ought to be? It's not super tight right now, but some folks have been saying that it ought to be extremely tight with a carb. I'm wondering how tight to make it since the tighter it gets, the more it seems to restrict throttle linkage movement towards full throttle.
Very new to all of this and could sure use some help/a link/instructions/etc.
Pretty much lost here, thanks !
T
Under low to very moderate acceleration, the trans should shift at 15, 25, and 35mph. You may feel a rpm drop around 30-32 as the converter locks up. if you are a litte bit more aggressive on take off, but not above 50% throttle, those numbers will be 5-7mph higher.
That is how tight the TV cable should be and not any looser or tighter, unless you want to learn trans rebuilding. 
"That is how tight the TV cable should be and not any looser or tighter"
Guitar string tight, or leave the cable as is. Not guitar string tight, but nice and tight without any "play" in it.
???
I'm kinda scared that I'm going to adjust it wrong as it's something totally new for me.
Wondering . . . and this makes me seem like even MORE of an idiot than I already am . . . my '09 Mustang has and overdrive button on the shifter, I leave it on all of the time since I'm always on the highway. This '85 has the L, D, OD digits on the shifter base. I guess that this means a manual shift into OD when needed. Would you know at what speed I ought to move the shifter into OD?
I was thinking, maybe 50 mph as I heard that the AOD is kind of weak, but I really haven't any idea. All totally new to me. I wasn't even thinking about the TV cable and kick down seriously until someone mentioned that the trans would blow if this wasn't set correctly.
Of course, now I'm as nervous as can be about it.
Thanks for the help ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Totally appreciated ! !
T
To manually shift an AOD, you have to do the 1-2-1 shuffle. The shifter and valvebody aren't designed really for manual shifting. The shifter gate pattern is 1(L)-3(D)-4(OD).
Heed my warning, unless you want to rebuild it sooner then later, let it shift itself. The 1-2-1 shuffle really kills the OD band, which eventually renders OD inoperable. To replace the OD band, the trans has to come out.
Back to the TV cable and its tightness, it really varies. Depends on the converter, engine power, tire size, and other things to make it work properly. There is no one set it and forget spot on the cable. That is why you have to drive it and monitor the shift points and firmness. Not enough will be a slow, late, and soft shift, the opposite will be hard and soon.
"Heed my warning, unless you want to rebuild it sooner then later, let it shift itself."
Oh . . . I plan to, I heard just how fragile this automatic trans is. I was wondering about when to manually shift it into overdrive. The selector reads L, D, and O with a small D in the middle. The overdrive selection.
In D the trans runs through the three gears just fine, but it would seem that to engage overdrive, the gear lever would need to be moved forward in to the OD position. I was just wondering at what speed this ought to be done.
Seems like a totally stupid question, I know, but with all of the other cars that I've owned, OD was an electric function that you kept on all of the time and the overdrive kicked in on it's own at highway speeds, never had a car that needed the gear selector moved up into overdrive manually.
Thanks for all of this info ! ! ! ! I'd be lost here without your help.
T
