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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver95bird" data-source="post: 1448141" data-attributes="member: 21743">At one time there had been a kit to build an AOD with the wide ratio gearset in the Ford  Racing catalog, but I doubt it's still available. If you can find the instructions online it'll be a perfect how to for your job. Kevlar bands aren't really necessary, IMO, as no version of those transmissions should ever be WOT shifted 3-4. Make sure you have the wider reverse drum and the wider OD band, and the lifespan is much improved.  Leave it in Drive, not OD for racing. In AOD form it's hell on the OD bands/direct drums/input shafts, and in the electronic versions it usually snaps the stub shaft first. A lot of stronger AODs seem to go for the non lockup setup, but I'd imagine they make a TON of heat that way. Brings me to my next two recommendations: flush out the cooler.lines with one of those solvent cans meant for the job, blowing out the lines afterward. Second, get an aftermarket trans cooler. The bigger the better. I can't recommend enough to read the transmissions OD 101 article. It's at tccoa.com in their tech articles, written by a Ford transmission engineer. Long story short, a very stout transmission can be built with mostly stock parts. If you're rebuilding the AOD with the better gearset from a donor trans, get a 98+ one from any V8 car. It'll be better than the v6 version. Your initial post made it sound like you wanted a 4r70w with a Windsor bellhousing, and we're going to drop it in with all the electronics intact. I've built a few AODEs and 4R70Ws, all outlasted the cars I put them in. The seal rings on the Pistons in the drums are the worst to get in without damaging them. And those springs like the one on the forward clutch will seriously take an eye out. Be careful.</blockquote>