- Joined
- February 8, 2003
- Messages
- 9,824
- Reaction score
- 84
- City, State
- Sacramento, CA 95827
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1992 XLT
The intermediate clutch in the AOD-AODE-4R70W is an interesting creature in that there is no housing for it per se. Once you have assembled everything in the transmission and are ready for the pump, you install the pressure plate and frictions and steels on top of the "mechanical diode" and the back side of the pump houses the piston to actuate the clutch. The frictions spline onto the "mechanical diode" and the steels ride in the case.
So, in reality, it consists of a pressure plate, steels and frictions - and there is a steel that is "selective" - available in .069 -.079 - .089 and .099 thicknesses so you can adjust the final build up. This clutch was made in a 3 plate version up until about 1998, and later a 4th plate was added. We will be using a 4 plate friction.
FORD offered a couple different fritcion materials, one grooved and one not. Jerry W discusses this in his excellent article on page 10. Since he wrote that the friction materials from FORD changed again.
I had purchased an ALTO upgrade kit for this clutch, with smooth frictions and Kolene steels and a 4 clutch presure plate. I had also found a 4 clutch pressure plate from FORD. AND, I ordered the newest FORD friction material that had grooves.
Let's make some comparisons.
Here is the ALTO pressure plate on top of the FORD one....
Here is the ALTO pressure plate thickness
And here is the FORD
Alto picks up a little clearance. The ultimate clutch pack clearance is adjusted by varying the thickness of the last plate. FORD offers four (4) "selective" thickness plates. they are 69 thousandths, 79, 89 and 99. A stock plate is right around the 0.069 measurement. Here is a stock plate (left) and plates #3 (89 thou) and 4 (99 thou)
I like to double check things... so here they are, #4, #3 and #1 ( I have a #2 somewhere just misplaced it during the photo shoot)
The last one did measure 0.069 but as I photographed it I looseneed the pressure apparently.
FRICTION MATERIAL
In his article Jerry W mentioned that in 98 FORD upgraded the friction materials, and gave the FORD part No of F75Z-7B164-CA for the frictions for this clutch. When I went to the dealer they said the number had changed (meaning another upgrade) and the new number was:
I opened the package today to photograph them for you and there was a faint product number on the plate. It was not easy to read, but once photographed I found out something interesting (This was a sealed package from FORD btw)
an entirely DIFFERENT part number! (Also notice the grooves) I cannot explain, other than to "guess" that they changed the material for the 4R75W and are using up old packaging. These are pricey... $9.21 each.
Here is the Alto HP upgrgade friction.... notice the lack of grooving....
The thicknesses are nominally the same. My choice here? FORD. Grooves.
The Alto kit comes with Kolene steels. THOSE I will use. Thickness? Nominally 0.069 in. (Steels have some variance about + or - .002).
Next time you see these we will be installing them.
PISTON
Oh, I did pick up a bonded intermediate piston from the 4R75W and thought I might explore using it. To do that I need to turn to a pristine used pump and see if it might fit.... We need to disassemble the back end and see how the intermediate piston works... So, here we go. Back end of the 4R70W pump... the BIG dots point to the spring locations. the smaller ones point to the piston...
The spring retainer is held in place by 3 small "clip like" things...they are at each spring location and can be released easily with a screwdriver or other suitable tool
here it is released - you can see the srpings.... weak by many standards..
As you remove the retainer you can see the springs...
Here is the piston spring retainer off...
The lovely battleship gray background is my garage floor.
Next we can remove the intermediate piston from the pump...
Here are two views of it out...
.... OH, the "bonded piston" ? Won't work.
Now, and this is important.... the bleed hole in the piston needs to go at 12 o'clock in the pump... that would be the part of the pump that will be at the top of the transmission once installed.
First let's define what is the "bleed hole". Here it is on the side of the piston that goes INTO the pump:
I do not know that there was a special place where they drilled it vis-a'-vis the stamped numbers... but now you know what size that hole is... And , it comes out in the hole (the ONLY round hole) in a raised portion of the "apply side" on the reverse:
Now this is the pump, naked, without the piston, clock position.... 12 at top:
and here is the piston, loosely placed as it should be with the round hole in the raised portion (the weep hole) ALSO at 12 O'clock:
MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS. THIS ORIENTATION IS IMPORTANT!
That is it for this post on parts of the intermediate clutch....EXCEPT....for a teaser... final case clearance depends on a plastic washer on the pump.... here is one from a used tranny.... being removed...
When we put the pump in we will select the correct final thrust washer for this spot.
Next up, installing the intermediate clutch! Wierd creature.
So, in reality, it consists of a pressure plate, steels and frictions - and there is a steel that is "selective" - available in .069 -.079 - .089 and .099 thicknesses so you can adjust the final build up. This clutch was made in a 3 plate version up until about 1998, and later a 4th plate was added. We will be using a 4 plate friction.
FORD offered a couple different fritcion materials, one grooved and one not. Jerry W discusses this in his excellent article on page 10. Since he wrote that the friction materials from FORD changed again.
I had purchased an ALTO upgrade kit for this clutch, with smooth frictions and Kolene steels and a 4 clutch presure plate. I had also found a 4 clutch pressure plate from FORD. AND, I ordered the newest FORD friction material that had grooves.
Let's make some comparisons.
Here is the ALTO pressure plate on top of the FORD one....
Here is the ALTO pressure plate thickness
And here is the FORD
Alto picks up a little clearance. The ultimate clutch pack clearance is adjusted by varying the thickness of the last plate. FORD offers four (4) "selective" thickness plates. they are 69 thousandths, 79, 89 and 99. A stock plate is right around the 0.069 measurement. Here is a stock plate (left) and plates #3 (89 thou) and 4 (99 thou)
I like to double check things... so here they are, #4, #3 and #1 ( I have a #2 somewhere just misplaced it during the photo shoot)
The last one did measure 0.069 but as I photographed it I looseneed the pressure apparently.
FRICTION MATERIAL
In his article Jerry W mentioned that in 98 FORD upgraded the friction materials, and gave the FORD part No of F75Z-7B164-CA for the frictions for this clutch. When I went to the dealer they said the number had changed (meaning another upgrade) and the new number was:
I opened the package today to photograph them for you and there was a faint product number on the plate. It was not easy to read, but once photographed I found out something interesting (This was a sealed package from FORD btw)
an entirely DIFFERENT part number! (Also notice the grooves) I cannot explain, other than to "guess" that they changed the material for the 4R75W and are using up old packaging. These are pricey... $9.21 each.
Here is the Alto HP upgrgade friction.... notice the lack of grooving....
The thicknesses are nominally the same. My choice here? FORD. Grooves.
The Alto kit comes with Kolene steels. THOSE I will use. Thickness? Nominally 0.069 in. (Steels have some variance about + or - .002).
Next time you see these we will be installing them.
PISTON
Oh, I did pick up a bonded intermediate piston from the 4R75W and thought I might explore using it. To do that I need to turn to a pristine used pump and see if it might fit.... We need to disassemble the back end and see how the intermediate piston works... So, here we go. Back end of the 4R70W pump... the BIG dots point to the spring locations. the smaller ones point to the piston...
The spring retainer is held in place by 3 small "clip like" things...they are at each spring location and can be released easily with a screwdriver or other suitable tool
here it is released - you can see the srpings.... weak by many standards..
As you remove the retainer you can see the springs...
Here is the piston spring retainer off...
The lovely battleship gray background is my garage floor.
Next we can remove the intermediate piston from the pump...
Here are two views of it out...
.... OH, the "bonded piston" ? Won't work.
Now, and this is important.... the bleed hole in the piston needs to go at 12 o'clock in the pump... that would be the part of the pump that will be at the top of the transmission once installed.
First let's define what is the "bleed hole". Here it is on the side of the piston that goes INTO the pump:
I do not know that there was a special place where they drilled it vis-a'-vis the stamped numbers... but now you know what size that hole is... And , it comes out in the hole (the ONLY round hole) in a raised portion of the "apply side" on the reverse:
Now this is the pump, naked, without the piston, clock position.... 12 at top:
and here is the piston, loosely placed as it should be with the round hole in the raised portion (the weep hole) ALSO at 12 O'clock:
MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS. THIS ORIENTATION IS IMPORTANT!
That is it for this post on parts of the intermediate clutch....EXCEPT....for a teaser... final case clearance depends on a plastic washer on the pump.... here is one from a used tranny.... being removed...
When we put the pump in we will select the correct final thrust washer for this spot.
Next up, installing the intermediate clutch! Wierd creature.