C6 tranny

[briankk]

I recently bought an '88 F250, possibly 7.3 and C6. PO was selling because "Something wrong with transmission".
Got the truck home on a flatbed, went looking for tranny dipstick, which does not seem to exist on this truck.
Started thinking, dipstick and tube fell off, fluid ran out, and tranny no go no mo'.

But, this is first experience with F250 4WD, maybe I just don't know where to look, so I got a flashlight, stood on a paint bucket, and searched, but no joy. Googled for it, was told it is on driver side of engine, in front of fire wall between engine and fender well. Went and looked some more. It's not.
Can I assume the thing is just gone, or is there someplace I don't know about to check tranny fluid in '88 F250?

some newby...

 

[Thewespaul]

Okay first off c6 is not a very common tranny past 87, so either it was swapped in or custom ordered like that.

Dipstick should have a white handle back by cylinder 7.

I wouldn’t assume it’s dead. Get a dipstick since you’ll need one anyways and fill it up and see what happens.

 

[franklin2]

Car-part shows the c6 as the only automatic available in 87, 88, and in 89 show both the c6 and the E4OD available. They show both available till 1991 when the c6 is only available with the 460, and not the diesel. I know they are not the final source for factory options, but they are usually not too far off on their interchange. My 89 came with the c6.

The dipstick on the c6's was on the pass side front corner of the trans.

 

[david85]

1989 was the first model year the E4OD came online in ford F250s. Some late model 88's might have them but 1989 was the first official year. No doubt ford would have liked to have the E4OD ready for the beginning of the 1987 bullnose but it didn't happen. Even in 1989, it still had many defects, but that's another story.

As mentioned, the dipstick should be on the passenger side of the engine toward the rear of the bay. Crawl under the truck and look on the passenger side of the transmission case, in the area above the pan flange. That's where the dipstick tube should enter the transmission.

 

[Thewespaul]

Right, edit on my original post 87 was 6.9 not e40d

 

[vegas39]

If the dipstick tube itself is missing, you should be able to run your hand along the trans on the front passenger side and feel a big hole on the trans just above the pan area

 

[RossCo]

For what it's worth I have an 85 F250 that came stock with a C6 trans. My dipstick is located on the passenger side rear of the engine block. The trans ran for almost 400,000 miles before I rebuilt it last spring. They are truly a workhorse trans! I would get the dipstick situation taken care of add fluid and go from there.

 

[briankk]

For what it's worth I have an 85 F250 that came stock with a C6 trans. My dipstick is located on the passenger side rear of the engine block. The trans ran for almost 400,000 miles before I rebuilt it last spring. They are truly a workhorse trans! I would get the dipstick situation taken care of add fluid and go from there.

Bingo!, behind engine block indeed. Thanks RossCo! Absolutely no ATF on stick, off to AP store.. Thinking converter likely still full, will dump in a few quarts and look for leaks.., then try first start in many years...

 

[briankk]

Bingo!, behind engine block indeed. Thanks RossCo! Absolutely no ATF on stick, off to AP store.. Thinking converter likely still full, will dump in a few quarts and look for leaks.., then try first start in many years...

 

[KGIA103]

Did it start?

 

[briankk]

So, went to store, bought 8 qts Type F ($5.25/qt!), came home and poured in a quart, looked under and watched it run out on the ground.
Crawled under, found new looking pan and not very compressed cork gasket, 3-4 pan bolts finger tight. Under again with in/lb torque wrench, 90 in/lbs all around, and it holds juice. filled the trans, ck the oil and water, get new batterys and light 'er off, couple-three laps around the neighbohood, shifts perfectly in all three. No leaks at all. Head off to town to crow about it to my buddy, but big diesl stink, ALL the little return hoses rotted and leaking. Came home and parked, rain since, but I have the kit, just need the time in the dry.

Really happy with this deal, paid $1500 for '88 Laramie 4x4, 7.3 idi, banks turbo with full insturmentation, blower pressure, pyro, oil pressure, trans temp and Kenwood radio, all seem to work. Body good, no dents, few scrapes in dark blue paint, has huge aluminum locking aluminum tool box and headache bar.

Only issue I can find is steering may be worn out, takes a lot of fiddle w/wheel to go straight down the road, but for the price, I'll fix it. all in all, seems a hell of a deal. This truck parked for 7 years, 'cause it leaked tranny oil, nobody wanted to pay to have it fixed...

 

[Muleman]

C6 is great auto tranny other than fuel consumption.

 

[Runningaford]

C6 is great auto tranny other than fuel consumption.

We still have our 84 e350 family van; it's an extended version. It hasn't run in 10 years, just being stored for now, but it often times on extended road trips, it would average 18mpg with a 7.3 and the c6 at 70mph highway speeds. I'm not sure what the rear end gearing is, but it has plenty of off the line power, as well as cruising.

Now, at 70+ it's very loud! lol

 

[david85]

Only issues I ever had with my C6 was having the alternator belt fly apart, and that would put the transmission into pseudo "limp mode" (vacuum pump driven by alternator). No real harm done and it taught me to keep a closer eye on the belts . The C6 is a great transmission but lack over overdrive or a locking torque converter was a deal-breaker for me, hence the E4OD I run now. Some day, I may even swap in a newer 6-speed when I get bored.

 

[Muleman]

We still have our 84 e350 family van; it's an extended version. It hasn't run in 10 years, just being stored for now, but it often times on extended road trips, it would average 18mpg with a 7.3 and the c6 at 70mph highway speeds. I'm not sure what the rear end gearing is, but it has plenty of off the line power, as well as cruising.

Now, at 70+ it's very loud! lol

I am pleasantly surprised at such good mileage with a C6. perhaps with good tuning of IP I can do this also. I have a 6.9 with C^ and 3.55 rear end. and 4X4. I am by no means an expert but the consensus on this forum does not bode well for that high of mpg with the c6. I have considered an E4OD. I have one that needs rebuilt but considered it cheaper and/or easier/less time consuming to add the gear vendors and swap in my 410 rear end.