c-6 or e4od for durability/fuel economy

I have a buddy offering up a p.s. 4x4 less eng, new e4od good ttb ect, it was stuffed into a snow bank.
I suppose the c-6 is more bulletproof, and the e4od may get better economy,but you guys run em so my ??? is this,, based on an 88 2x4 250 banks,good solid c-6 open 4:10 sterling(needing an lsd),,, would it be worth the effort to change out the column,tranny,shaft ,and whatever else goes with it? I toy with a 4x4 conversion but already have 3 4x4's this is the only 2x4! the price is right I don't need another project but would love some better economy #'s... What do you guys say? Thanx in advance cb

edit in 11/14

I sold the 88 and bought an 93 250 cclb 4x4.. zf, 093, posi. 14 hwy,8 towing. whoopie. if it wasn't for it only having 38k on the clock I would put a 12v in it and double all the critical numbers.
thanx cb

the only thing I don't like about the E4DOA is the spotty reliability. things have drastically changed in the last 10 years making them more reliable but everything has a pricetag associated with it. replacement of the internal hard parts is the biggest as well as the Bauminator trans controller. neither have a small price tag.

exactly my problem, I have access to a ford tranny guy. but seems the o.d slushbox does not have the rep the ole c-6 enjoys.

Clb said:

exactly my problem, I have access to a ford tranny guy. but seems the o.d slushbox does not have the rep the ole c-6 enjoys.

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i have no love for the E4DOA either. Any long distance towing i do, the truck has a ZF5 in it.

You said the E4OD is new? What does that mean, a recent rebuild? Should have most updates done to it already then, well if it work was done by someone who knows what they're doing and the owner didn't want the cheapest possible fix.

IMHO a lot of the bad rep the E4ODs get comes from running them too hard in their factory form with little maintenance. If she has a good cooler up front and has the fluid changed regularly even a stock E4OD will last quite a while. Throw in the upgraded hard parts and a nicely calibrated valve body (whether an aftermarket one or factory with proper shift kit), and she becomes a different animal. My own E4OD is absolutely beautiful experience to drive, she responds to throttle input exactly how I want her to every time, there is nothing slushy about this slushbox. And if MPG is what you're after the E4OD is hard to beat, I used to get consistent 19-20 mpg bobtailing at 55-60 mph stopping only for fuel and ***** breaks, this with a dually truck, 4.10 gears too. And keep in mind that I have the habit of running my engine (and therefore transmission) sometimes for several days at a time non-stop, so it's not like she gets a short skip and hop and then a full night to cool off...

So don't be scared of embracing the E4OhDevil, if you can get a good one for cheap I say go for it

thanx boys!!!

Now that i got some seat time in the hills with the c-6, SURVEY SAY's...sux!
I just found a rather nice 94 f250 4x4 e4od 140 on the clock,,yea its a ttb
Does the lock up converter work in decel braking on hills any better than the c-6 unit?
Looking to drag 5k fifth around some hilly terrain, zf equipped units are like hens teeth round here!
Again thanx guys!

In my experience yes, the lockup works quite well for engine braking, especially with 4.10 gear. That is if you can keep it engaged while coasting down them hills - from the factory she will unlock every time you let off the throttle, then she will roll as if you're using a Georgia overdrive. The manual switch helps, just don't use a wiring setup that completely overrides the computer's control over it, she will get really pissed. Bricknose trucks don't seem to care tho, but that '94 will hate your guts if she decides she wants lockup and you tell her no via the manual switch, lol. Oh, and that 22k resistor you may come across while studying up on the manual lockup, that doesn't work, it may help fool the computer the converter solenoid is still hooked up like factory but it does nothing for the input/output shaft speed difference, which is what triggers the limp-home mode. I've tried various manual and semi-auto controls, the moment the computer can no longer engage the lockup she will get mad at you and punish you with shifts hard enough to almost break your neck.

Yep. My fix is an 93 longbed cc zf5 with 38k on the clock!

The full tilt boogie options available today for the e4od are rather impressive indeed!
That was my next thought, till I found this jewl hiding in colorado!
Low miles and a zf! Woo hoo!
Going on a road trip in the am to fetch it!
Thanx fer the lead in statements ( good teaser's) its so nice I don't have to build me one!

I just went from c6 to t19. So much better, and more fun.

Bah, t19 is only fun if it's creeper-equipped. And I'm beginning to doubt those ever existed, whenever I run into one that's supposed to be it without fail it ends up either a 4:1 or a 5:1 first gear... Grab yourself a NP435, throw a NVG271 case behind it and you don't need a doubler for crawling

It's just a DD.
I don't know what the first ratio is, but it's pretty much useless for anything but getting it rolling.
3rd+10psi+LS rear+gravel roads= lots of fun.

My c6 was tired and apparently eating up a lot of power.

I almost don't want to get rid of the LS rear but want my disks back.

LCAM-01XA said:

Bah, t19 is only fun if it's creeper-equipped. And I'm beginning to doubt those ever existed, whenever I run into one that's supposed to be it without fail it ends up either a 4:1 or a 5:1 first gear... Grab yourself a NP435, throw a NVG271 case behind it and you don't need a doubler for crawling

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My yota is at 173:1
Wont pull much , will go over it tho!

89Laredo said:

It's just a DD.
I don't know what the first ratio is, but it's pretty much useless for anything but getting it rolling.
3rd+10psi+LS rear+gravel roads= lots of fun.

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Was that a diesel t19, or did you buy bellhousing and trans separate? Cause there was never a NP435 behind a Ford IDI from the factory, but I made mine like that, everything was a bolt-on affair. If you can tell me your road speed at say 2000 engine RPMs in 1st gear I can tell you your transmission gear ratios. Will need to know brand and size of your rear tires also, and axle ratio. Would be interesting to find out, as I had a diesel-specific t19 and first gear was quite usable when empty (and fairly useless when loaded down heavy), what you're describing sure sounds like a creeper 1st to me as that's how my NP435 behaves. Btw if you swap in a newer Sterling you can have both rear discs and a limited slip. Tho there is only so much a factory LSD can do, I've had mine stuck several times pulling a trailer thru mud/clay where one side is spinning and the other just sits there looking all pretty like

Clb said:

My yota is at 173:1
Wont pull much , will go over it tho!

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What the heck do you have in that thing? Doubler with an Atlas 4:1 box? Right now I should be able to squeeze in a full-NP (435-203-205) driveline in there for 95:1 ratio, but it will barely fit. Not that I actually need it, but in the spirit of the towing and hauling section we're in now it's nice to be able to hook up to things many times bigger than an IDI and just drag them away