Tranny and T Case Question

[Fireman8047]

I have 96 Bronco with 5.0. Currently it has the 5 speed tranny (the same ones they but in the mazda pick ups) I was wondering what the best tranny and t case set up would be to switch to an automatic transmission. i currently have the manuel t case, not electronic, and would like to keep it that way. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[BLADE262US]

Well the T case you have should be a borg warner 1356 very good case so youll be able to keep that . Ford never changed the T case parttern so you can take a 1970 and bolt it on a 96 shifter may be tricky but it will bolt on . You have a few options for a tranny hard to beat the C6 for strength but its only a 3 speed so milage is going to be rough . Hooking the shift linkage to this tranny will be easy enough and the 87/88/89 ones had a cable operated kick down ( Im still looking for those parts , scrap yards are never careful with them ) Next option is the AOD which is a 4 speed that shifts off the position of the throttle valve cable and the kickdown works off the same cable . They were kinda week but I think theres alot of aftermarket for them now so they can be made strong , This one would be the easiest just have to make sure the TV cable is adjusted properly or it wont last long . Fianlly we have the E4OD 95 and latter models have all the factory updates and are very strong , Drawback to this tranny is its all electric . The EECIV computer that runs the fuel injection system also controls the tranny so that computer is not an option you must have it or it will only move in 1st or second gear . There is a company that makes a stand alone controller for the E4OD its called Bauman engineering . Thats what I have in mine lets you program all the shift points , line presures , Torque convertor lockup all of it but there is allot of wires so if wires make you nervous you might want to use the AOD but if they dont you will be happy with the control you have over the E4OD with that box , Even if you dont mind wiring in the factory computer your getting a stronger tranny . I machined the clutch hubs in my E4OD and now have more clutch disk that the 460 or the diesel tranny so I shouldnt ever have problems with it . On that Bauman controller the software is all windows based so its very easy to use and you can store different profiles like it you want to do a little racing you set up an agressive shift pattern and save it . Theres an input wire on it when it recieves 12 volts the box switches over to the secondary shift pattern youve set up when you done shut the switch off and your back to the daily driver settings you have choosen . /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Broncobill78]

I have 96 Bronco with 5.0. Currently it has the 5 speed tranny (the same ones they but in the mazda pick ups) I was wondering what the best tranny and t case set up would be to switch to an automatic transmission. i currently have the manuel t case, not electronic, and would like to keep it that way. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Your best option is probably going to be an AOD. The C6 is great and very durable but the addition of a 4th gear will make a huge difference in your mileage and with fuel fixing to hit $4/Gal I'd give that a LOT of thought. E4OD's and AOD-E's are the next evolution of the AOD but if you use one it will require a processor to control shift-points and torque converter lockup so you'll have to either retro the EEC computer from the donor truck as well or add a stand-alone processor like the ones available from Baumann Electronics http://www.baumannengineering.com/tcs.htm .

The T-case will bolt right up but DO be sure to get a tranny from a 4x4, I only add this because I actually know a couple guys who went & bought OD trannys only to find out halfway thru the build that they had 2WD units and that just results in thrown wrenches and wasted $$$. You're also going to want the transmission crossmember from the donor because it'll save you a lot of time in modifying/fabricating something on your own.

The AOD's are VERY sensitive to the throttle pressure so once it's in either have a shop adjust it or do it yourself but it *needs* to be done because a misadjusted TV cable throws the throttle pressure out of whack and that probably burns up more AOD's than anything else. Also, when looking for donors you'll want an 88' or later AOD if possible. Ford made a lot of running changes to them over the years to address various weaknesses and any post-88' units will have all the upgrades already in place. Any AOD that's rebuilt these days is rebuilt to 88' specs.

Consider yourself fortunate to have a manual T-case (the last article I can recall reading mentioned that by 96' something close to 80% of all Broncos delivered had the pushbutton electric T-case instead of the manual. You almost had to *order* it to get one). The 1356 is a decent unit and unlike the electric versions there isn't very much there to go wrong on yours. If you're under there and working on it I'd take the opportunity to drain the ATF in it and swap to a synthetic fluid. Synthetic ATF will not only make shifting it easier but it will do a lot for the longevity of the thing. Since it only takes a few quarts you're looking at less than $30 to do it and the benefits of switching to synthetic are WELL worth $30.