Let's Get Started

First step it to go ahead and pull out the driver’s side front seat. This will give you tons of room for working under the dash. Also remove the center console from the car.

Once this is done put the car up on jack stands and get under that sucker. Remove the old DOA (oops! I mean AOD). This would be a good time to take a break and carry the driveshaft up to the local driveshaft shop and have it lengthened 1-3/8" so it will be done when you're ready for it. Once this is out remove the old flex plate. Also remove the old sheet metal plate that was in-between the engine and tranny.

Since you're down there break open your new pilot bearing and install it by smearing a little grease in the end of the crank and lightly knocking it in with a socket. Bolt up your new flywheel with the new bolts you got earlier (don't forget the Locktite) and please do torque these things - avoid the temptation of the impact wrench.

Now you can hang your clutch disk on there with the alignment tool and slide the pressure plate over it and rest it on the dowels on the flywheel. Start the 6 bolts on the pressure plate and start to snug them down in a criss-cross pattern until it is almost seated. Once there get out your trusty torque wrench and torque these to 240 inch-pounds or 20 foot-pounds. This is very important as if they are too tight the clutch wont release.

Now that your done with that move back to the inside of the car. Get under the dash and remove the old pedal assembly from under there. This will take some patience if you’ve never done work under the dash before. It will help to remove the steering column from the car. Once all the stuff is out pull the carpet back at the footrest and remove the pad that resides there for the footrest. Then take your BMF hammer and beat the crap out of the hump there in the floor pan. Now that you've gotten carried away with that lets move on.

Take your new pedal assembly (that you stole out of some dudes Mustang last night!) and attach the new quadrant that you got with the clutch cable kit. Don’t even think about using the stock plastic quadrant!!!

Now hang this stuff back up under there. Don’t forget to hook your brake pedal and stuff up; you might need it someday. Re-install the steering column in there and bolt it in place.

Now move your attention to the engine compartment. You might want to remove the upper intake now; just set it towards the passenger side. Remove the relay panel from above the master cylinder, set this aside for now out of the way. Under this you will see where the clutch cable is to pass through the firewall.

There will be a circle cut out in the outer layer of sheet metal with a dimple next to it where the cable screws in there. Find something to cut this out with (a 1-1/8 hole saw works great). I used a wood hole-drilling bit, the flat paddle-blade type of thingy. You might find something better than that but I was drunk by this step. (Just kidding!)

Once you drill through this you’ll be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Go back inside the car and look up at the area you just cut into and remove the sound deadener from around here with a razor knife.

On the driveshaft/tranny tunnel mark where you’re going to cut. Now whip out the Sawzall or cutoff wheel. You will start the cut about even with the bracket that the console mounts to and go back about 8 inches from there and about 4-5 inches across.

Oh yeah did I tell you to remove all the AOD shifter stuff?? You might want to do that, including the large black plastic piece on the column that the cable attaches to that keeps the key from turning if the gear selector is not in park. Remove the cable from the car too along with the shifter cable itself and plug off the vacuum lines there.

Now that we got that lets get back under the car. Install the bell housing onto the engine block. Once this is done break out the new clutch cable. Stick one end into the hole on the firewall, you pick which end.

Route the cable down towards the oil filter and make your turn there to go under the motor mount. Attach the cable to the frame rail above the oil filter.

You should see two holes there together one is for the hook thingy on the bracket and the other is for the screw to hold it in place. This may take a minute to find, it's right above where the sway bar mounts.

Now that you finally found that run the cable through the hole in the bell housing and through the clutch fork. Feed some slack into the cable so you can attach it to the quadrant under the dash.

Get under there again and hook up the end of the cable to the quadrant and feed any slack left towards the tranny.

Get back under the car. Now carefully without unhooking the cable from the quadrant start the nuts onto the cable and run them down until it touches the fork so it will keep some pressure on it as you install the tranny. You will thank me for this one.

Ok, with the shifter base in place but the handle removed install the tranny onto the bell housing. This may take some wiggling and such to get it in there. You might also have to use that hammer on the tranny tunnel around the shifter hole to gain some added clearance.

Once it sets up in there attach it with the correct bolts. Now loosen the ends on your tranny cross member. Take a jack and jack the tranny up, WAY up. You will have to use the jack to bend the floor pan up somewhat as you do this. Once it's up high enough put the cross member in place and set your top bushings on the member.

Install your lower bushings over the bolts and line them up with the holes in the tranny and once you get them started into the tranny you can let the jack down. Finish tightening these down to the tranny. Tighten the bolts at the end of the cross member.

Go back up top and figure something out on the console. Install the shifter handle to the base. You can now reinstall the seat and center console.

Go back to the driveshaft shop and get the newly lengthened shaft from them. Take it home and install it. Looks nice don’t it?

Get a buddy under the passenger side of the car to remove the fill plug on the side of the tranny. Make sure it’s the right one or Reverse wont work. It’s the one on the passenger side that takes a 3/8 drive ratchet to remove. Get one of those things that will screw onto the bottle of ATF and attach it to the bottle and run a long hose down through the new hole you made in the floor. Have him hold the hose in there while you pump about 3-3 1/2 quarts in to it.

Now you will have to find the two wires on the plug that used to go into the side of the AOD. I think they were the two middle ones out of the four there. Cut them and tie them together or the car will never start. Now with the car still on the stands start it up and you can adjust the cable to where it releases in the right place.

Usually the nut will have to be about half way down the threaded portion of the cable. Also if you have headers get a full-length heat shield for your clutch cable before installing it. You'll thank me later!

You're Done!

Do a final check of things to make sure all is well, and ENJOY!!!!!!! I'm sure you will love banging the gears in your new 5-speed Lincoln. There's nothing like it!!


Disney