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The early Borg Warner units were controlled by a Throttle Valve or TV linkage as was mentioned. This is not just a kick down set up. It' controls all of the transmission shifting by adjusting the system pressure in relation to the throttle position. This can be complicated to change when a person starts modifying with a different intake manifold for multiple carbs. The original bell crank and control rod system was set up to work within the normal range of operation of the Ford-O-Matic design. It would be great if the aftermarket manifold had the mounts for the TV bell crank.
Later Ford AOD transmissions use a cable to function its TV but a person has to synchronize pressures to throttle position to make it function properly on the old FOMs. It could be done with a cable but it would require a chart of pressures for different throttle positions to get it up with correct TV arm distance and cable rigging. A change over from an FOM to a C4 might be a better bet. The C4 is vacuum modulated so it could be set up a lot easier.
Other ways to go would be to ditch the FOM and look for a T85C manual gearbox with R11 overdrive since it would be a bolt on with the right stuff. Another would be to look for a 256 Mercury engine with Merc-O-Matic and a better carburetor. 292 and 312 engines could also be found if a person wants a Y-block. Those early 239 engines were not in the same category as a later 292 or 312.