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Charles John's Alpine Build

Charles Johns

Donation Time
Bill E, I am looking at a Ford floor shifter similar to a Mustang and modifying it for the OD with a button. It is a constant ON and not just a momentary switch to keep in Overdrive. Then when back in town, switch it off. A guy asked, what if you forget to turn it off? Then it will be in OD and lug like forgetting to down-shift a standard...no big deal. I do not mind shifting a standard but it is a hassle in town, plus the OD is really nice with the 3.89 gears.
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
I picked up this shifter somewhere (can't remember where now)...I think its from an Aerostar van...but, since the A4LD switches in the OD electrically, I don't know what the 4th position does for you. I'm leaning towards using a Mustang C4 shifter as that is also what I'm most familiar with. I think the simplest way to do things will be to use a cable shift rather than the mechanical lever shift like the Mustang would have. I'm a long ways from getting to that point with my project but I think a cable shift setup can be fairly easily fabricated.
I am guessing the marked shift positions show the "O D" means it goes into Overdrive while the "D" position stays 1 to 1 ratio not allowing Overdrive... like when pulling a trailer.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
I am not an auto transmission guy and know practically nothing about them, which is a big reason I'm sticking with the 5 speed. That said, isn't the A4LD a 4 speed with lockup converter? I always interpreted that as four speeds PLUS lockup. Is converter lockup the 4th speed? How does lockup affect downshifting?

Bill
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
Notching the crossmember to install a Lima engine is somewhat a shock to my tender system. Notching the crossmember is one reason I have not encouraged anyone to install a Duratec.
Of course there are a half dozen other reasons.
Bill
Bill Blue, WHAT tender system? You have modified your Beam more than most of my old Hot Rod buddies did their jalopies. Never fear, my mod will be safe...the wife rides with me.
I am not an auto transmission guy and know practically nothing about them, which is a big reason I'm sticking with the 5 speed. That said, isn't the A4LD a 4 speed with lockup converter? I always interpreted that as four speeds PLUS lockup. Is converter lockup the 4th speed? How does lockup affect downshifting?

Bill
The A4LD with lock up converter is locked to the flex plate at a certain speed/load as I understand it. The computer does it automatically reading rpm, pressure, and TPS...I think. Mine will be strictly a push button switch I control once it is in OD. Some have a lockup in 3rd, but mine is only 4th gear. I asked the builder if he could do that, and he did. I'll know for sure once I get it on the road.
 

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
I am not an auto transmission guy and know practically nothing about them, which is a big reason I'm sticking with the 5 speed. That said, isn't the A4LD a 4 speed with lockup converter? I always interpreted that as four speeds PLUS lockup. Is converter lockup the 4th speed? How does lockup affect downshifting?

Bill


Bill,

Correct, the A4LD is a 4-speed automatic transmission with a locking torque converter. Depending on the amount of torque converter slippage, lockup can feel like a shift.

The A4LD is basically a Ford C3 (3-speed) automatic transmission with the addition of a 4th gear (overdrive) and an electronic torque converter lockup function. Lockup was controlled by the Electronic Engine Control (EEC) module. My recollection is that lockup only occurred in 4th (OD) gear, but .....
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
Barry, I talked at length with the guy who built my tranny and he said what you stated. Some have a high gear lockup but mine was built to lock in OD only. I wanted to drive around town normally but have lockup on the highway for better MPG.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Okay, so your talking about controlling 4th gear shift with a button. How is the lockup managed?

I'm not sharpshooting you, just trying to get a handle on how these thing work. As you probably know, I'm not above doing some crazy stuff (ever used a Fish carb on a blow through turbo setup?), but I like to be familiar with what I'm working with.

When I said that modding the crossmember was shock to my system, I should have said it was a surprise. I don't think I had ever heard of a modified crossmember being a part of a 2.3 installation.

Bill
 

Bill Eisinger

Platinum Level Sponsor
Bill,

Correct, the A4LD is a 4-speed automatic transmission with a locking torque converter. Depending on the amount of torque converter slippage, lockup can feel like a shift.

One possible point of confusion (depending upon where people might be looking for info) is that I believe the A4LD was initially hydraulic shift using engine vacuum for gears 3 to 4...in 1988 (I think) they switched to an electric solenoid shift for 3-4 along in addition to the lockup solenoid. So, if you are looking at a later version of the transmission with the dual solenoids its a bit of a different animal. I'm guessing that the pressure switch approach with both solenoids wired in parallel would still work.
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
Both Bills, I talked to the guy who built my tranny to find out what I could do to use the A4LD without a computer. Even though the 85 is a carb engine the timing and smog parts are computer controlled. Also, cars with the overdrive lockup feature were computer controlled...which I do not want. I was told he could fix the OD lockup so power supplied by ANY 12v source would hold it locked until the 12v was removed. First through 3rd shifts are hydraulic pressure and vacuum controlled while 4th is shifted by the computer when the signals are right. Not sure if this is hydraulic or electric but he said he could make it work. I figure I can put a push button on the shifter like a line-lock, and use that to lock the converter once on the highway. He explained there was a model of A4LD that used pressure in all gears and he could build it with a OD lockup. This was 3 years ago so details are fuzzy but my button replacing a computer was not a problem...for $1,200.00. Having driven many 4 and 5 speed cars in town I am familiar with shifting manually, so pushing a button to lock-unlock the converter is no big deal. Bill Blue knows I can drive a standard. He let me drive his...brave man!
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Charles, I like for others to drive my car (with me in it) if they will give me honest feedback. We get used to driving our creations and get the feeling everything is perfect. A stranger to the car knows that is seldom, if ever, true. I know it is a better car because of their honesty. Even so, I find myself "making improvements" to areas that are never mentioned.

Bill
 

Bill Eisinger

Platinum Level Sponsor
It's pretty simple to figure out which generation of transmission you have...just check the solenoid wire connector ...if it is 2 wire then you only have a lock up solenoid and the 3-4 shift will be hydraulic from vacuum...if it has 3 wires then you have both a shift solenoid and a lock up solenoid. Here's a picture from the A4LD I'm planning on using....its an '85 and has just the lockup solenoid.
 

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DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
I bought this item to go with my A4LD
YMSccQ4xtwJORi9ESQQlnMuB-7xLqy-LHKMPnMVetT89mg2S3-ds_NC7dNb3eGuoiWL4d3mbY6j9TLmtGnNGaB7ppoRv-aNpxqD2UMY=s0-d-e1-ft

Did I do badly? Hope it will be suitable for the lock-out.

New Ford A4LD automatic transmission 3-4 OD AND TCC lockup solenoid master kit
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
It's pretty simple to figure out which generation of transmission you have...just check the solenoid wire connector ...if it is 2 wire then you only have a lock up solenoid and the 3-4 shift will be hydraulic from vacuum...if it has 3 wires then you have both a shift solenoid and a lock up solenoid. Here's a picture from the A4LD I'm planning on using....its an '85 and has just the lockup solenoid.
Mine has just 2 wires and the solenoid(s) were part of the rebuild.
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
Bill Blue, the A4LD is a 4 speed automatic where 4th gear is .75 overdrive. The Torque converter has a solenoid that locks it to the flex-plate just like a well engaged regular manual clutch, eliminating normal fluid-coupling slippage of a regular automatic. It was done for MPG, so with 5% slippage, 20 MPG becomes 21 MPG without slippage. I believe the gear rations are 2.47-1, 1.47-1, 1-1, the .75-1 for OD. At 75 MPH my 2.3 should be spinning about 2900 RPM, which should put it in the sweet-spot of the motor's torque. Automobile Formulas say that should equal over 30 MPG in the little car. Front crossmember is notched and the motor goes back in tomorrow to make the mounts.
 

260Alpine

Silver Level Sponsor
Charles, The lockup will work with the pressure switch or pushbutton. The shift in and out of OD will be have to be manual shift. The later valvebody with the OD solenoid can be pushbutton shift.
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
I just took a look at my 2 A4LD's the 1 with 2 wires as behind a 2.9 Ranger

The other has 3 wires and came from a'95 - -96 Explorer
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
260Alpine, my understanding talking to the tranny builder is, the OD will engage automatically if I have the shifter in the OD position, but the LOCK-UP will not happen until I switch it on with the button. With that, I assume the OD position is pressure/vacuum operated like the other gears, leaving only the LOCK-UP controlled by the switch. Anyone have an A4LD shifter that shows the shift-pattern? If there is a position for "D" that will not allow Overdrive, then OD is probably switched into the same way the other gears are, but not locked up. He told me to simply wire 12v to the OD switch that I can control with a button. I'll know for sure once I get it on the road.
 

Bill Eisinger

Platinum Level Sponsor
Anyone have an A4LD shifter that shows the shift-pattern?.
I posted this earlier but it probably got lost in the noise. This is a shifter from a late 80’s/early 90’s Aerostar van with an A4LD. I’m planning on cleaning/restoring it for my project. Rather than a button, I’m going to go with the pressure switch approach for lockup.

In looking at other Forums where A4LD’s are used in various projects, shifter selection is a common topic....a lot of people seem to be using a common 3 speed shifter such as from a early Mustang and simply forgoing the 1st gear....i.e. use the D position for OD...if you are like me and pretty much always just slap it into D that’s not a bad solution either....if you want to run on the track and manually shift through the gears then it’s probably not the best way.6635CF27-502D-4800-B139-798ADA2080AA.jpeg
 

260Alpine

Silver Level Sponsor
Charles, That is what I meant and why I recommended the Ranger/Bronco II shifter in the picture. You have to have the gear selector in the OD position which is right above the D position.
 
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