C6 auto..reliability?

[HammerDown]

Oil cooler on mine since the day I bought it, new.
229,000 trouble free miles but I flush the trans every 30,000 and drop the pan, drain the converter and change the filter every 50,000

 

[oilburner22]

What is the governor set at on these injection pumps? At the governor i was doing about 80-85 but the speedo is a little fast.

So what your saying is that the 4 speed and the C6 don't differ much in final gear ratios? I haven't had the chance to look into it.

I'm sure my driving didn't help on the mileage side because I'd drive around in town for class and lunch and errands and then drive 5 miles on the highway to work and 5 miles back to my house.
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[franklin2]

Do you have a ZF out of a gasser or did it come with it? @franklin2

My truck came with the c6 also. I swapped the zf in out of a wrecked diesel truck.

Big difference with the zf. No other changes made, and I gained 3mpg with the zf. And now it doesn't sound like it's going to blow up when doing 70mph down the interstate. I like the increased engine braking when towing from downshifting the zf.

What I really noticed was going up my steep driveway. With the c6 I would need the throttle open about 1/4, and when I got to the steep part would have to press the pedal on down to at least 3/4 as the c6 started slipping up the hill. I drove a E4OD with a powerstroke and it acted the same way. With the zf I just put it in 2nd gear and barely touch the throttle, and the truck just walks right up no problem.

 

[david85]

Was that going forward or reverse? I know my E4OD is horrible backing up steep ramps. Forward is decent but reverse ratio is just way too tall. The 3.08s are my real problem, but putting the transfer case in low eliminates the problem.

 

[oilburner22]

Yea my 6.9 sounds like its about to blow whenever I have it maxed out on the highway. I pulled a 2012 F-250 on a bumper pull trailer about 20 miles to the shop and it didn't really wanna do more than 55-60 MPH because of how tall third gear is I guess. It pulled and shifted great up until third gear. It didn't want it. It does sit on 33's tho...

 

[Hydro-idi]

The C6 is a great transmission, it's just too bad it never had a locking tc imo. I had mine rebuilt with all the bells & whistles and it would handle whatever was thrown at it. Not bad considering these things can hold 500hp in stock form, not to mention how cheap they are to rebuild.
Sure mileage is a little lower without the overdrive, but people driving these things shouldn't be all that concerned with mileage in the first place.
Having said that, I think the ZF-5 is the way to go for both mileage and better towing capabilities....if you don't mind the stick shift.

 

[SDEconVan]

C6 Diesel trans is tough but it's important to take care of it. Previous owner let this one go, when the van was being loaded
onto the carrier, the rear wheels caught on the ramp, driveshaft twisted up, and back of the transmission broke off.

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Always flush your transmission fluid regularly!

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*this turned out to be a good thing, the seller discounted the selling price by quite a bit, he didn't know I had an E4OD and was planning to swap!

 

[oilburner22]

DAMNIT BOBBY!!! Do you like your E40D? @SDEconVan

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

The C6 is a great transmission, it's just too bad it never had a locking tc imo.

it did though.that's what the e4od/4r100 trans are.updated,revisions of the c6.with locking converters,an od and electronic controls.
it wasn't until after the e4/4r when ford introduced a new platform.
early e4 failure and improper diagnosis of the e4od is the only reason the e4od got a bad rap.it's a much more advanced trans than the c6.......hence the cost difference but with what you get,you more than make up for over the life of the vehicle in fuel savings.

 

[Hydro-idi]

it did though.that's what the e4od/4r100 trans are.updated,revisions of the c6.with locking converters,an od and electronic controls.
it wasn't until after the e4/4r when ford introduced a new platform.
early e4 failure and improper diagnosis of the e4od is the only reason the e4od got a bad rap.it's a much more advanced trans than the c6.......hence the cost difference but with what you get,you more than make up for over the life of the vehicle in fuel savings.

Still would never own an E40D. If it was so much like the C6, it would also be reliable lol. To each their own.

 

[oilburner22]

Aren't the electronics the downfall to the E4 tho?

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

Aren't the electronics the downfall to the E4 tho?

Everything is electronically controlled now.There's no way around this unless you want to shift yourself and install a zf5.
Many people don't like electronic controls because they fear what they don't understand.It's human nature.However the E4OD is easy to diagnose and everything you need to do is posted on the forum.Easy peasy,lemon squeezy.

Still would never own an E40D. If it was so much like the C6, it would also be reliable lol. To each their own.

I have one in a f450 behind a 7.3l idi that nearly lasted 200k miles.That's not unreliable imho.I just swapped out a c6 behind a 429 in my '68 t-bird with far less miles.

 

[david85]

I have to admit I might have been tempted by a vacuum modulator conversion kit for the E4OD. The GM designed 4L80 (chevy equivalent) is available with electronic or vacuum controlled valve body. After all, the IDI is all mechanical and that's one reason we love it so much. Having said that, the Baumann system has given my only one hiccup when a wire broke inside the control module quick connect. The C6 did go into limp mode on me a couple times due to the alternator belt flying off, but nether transmission left me stranded.

 

[SDEconVan]

oilburner22: I built my E4OD up a bit, to a Stage 3 by most standards. The pre-95 E4OD's get a bad rap, in fact
when I bought mine I was shocked to find Gas CAR parts in a Diesel case! I upgraded everything and went with
a few extras like a US Shift "Quick 1" controller. Best shifting transmission I've had (took very little programming, it came
from the manufacturer set for a diesel.) That said, I'm getting parts together for a re-power (got an Allison 1000
6 speed, Cummins 5.9L I6 IC TD, NP261XHD transfer case) and I'm going to put the 6.9 idi/E4OD/BW1356 into another
project when time permits. I have about $3,200 into it including the core transmission (early-98) but I did it all myself, my guess it would be close to double that if I had it built and I installed and wired it... (that cost includes the billet 3-disk torque convertor and controller, but not the cooling circuit or transfer case builds.)

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[oilburner22]

My buddy that has the T-19 said it is gonna go to scrap sooner or later if I don't take it...I'm considering getting it and going through it a little bit since it has been sitting out for so long and then tossing it in my truck...then I'd have a manual. (huge manual fan had a 612hp 2012 cummins 6 speed..had to get rid of it tho) I know I'll probably never try to get near that much horse power out of this thing...that's what I've got my first gen project for. So my thinking is get the T-19 and see if it is usable and swap it in then when I find a ZF5 out of a diesel I'll probably go that route.