how to identify this transmission?

[GREASE FIRE]

i bought a 6.9 from someone around here and it came out of a small church bus - not sure the exact year but i think it was late 80's. It also came with an automatic transmission that had just been rebuilt before the bus was sold and eventually parted out. The torque convertor is so clean that it looks like it was never even used and the only other thing i know about it is that it is either a 5 speed or a 4 speed with overdrive, according to the person i bought it from. Can anyone tell me how to identify which one it is?
thanks,
Paul

 

[icanfixall]

If its an automatic trans and its an 89 it will be an E4OD which is a 4 speed that has an overdrive. It also will be cast into the side of the trans. Just look for it. If its an 88 year then its a C6 auto. Look at the injection pump. If it has an electrical switch instead of a vacuum switch on the drivers side then its an E4OD. If the switch is vacuum then its a C6 trans. At no time did these motors ever have a 5 speed auto bolted up to them. The manuals did have a 5 speed and they were ZF type trans. The C6 was found behind the 6.9 and first year 7.3 in 1988. In 1989 it was E4OD only for the automatic trans.

 

[The Warden]

Dumb question, but did the engine/tranny come out of a Ford?

I'm wondering if it could have come out of an IH bus...in which case I'm guessing it would have an Allison auto...

 

[icanfixall]

Thats a very good question about what kind of a bus it came out of. If it was on a Ford van chassie it would be a C6 or E4OD. If it was a larger bus it very well could be an allison trans. Good thinking Warden...

 

[suv7734]

If it is all stock then the only automatic trans it could have come with (from Ford) is the C6 (3 speed). If it is in fact from an IH bus then the most likely unit would be the AT545 (Allison) depending on the GVWR.

 

[The Warden]

If it was on a Ford van chassie it would be a C6 or E4OD. If it was a larger bus it very well could be an allison trans.

What he said. If the engine's already out and the seller's not sure what it came out of, you can tell by looking at the engine. If the fuel filter mount's on the passenger's side, it's out of a Ford truck (which is unlikely; I imagine most buses would be on a van chassis). If the fuel filter mount's on the driver's side, it could be an IH or it could be a Ford van...the exhaust manifolds are different, but I'm not 100% certain what the differences are (except that the exit on the passenger's side of an IH engine is at the front). There are other external differences, but I'm not certain on what exactly they are...but, I imagine you'll be able to tell by looking.

If you're certain that it's actually a 6.9l (and not a 7.3l) and it's the original engine, if it came out of a Ford, it's an '87 or earlier...and, again, if it's a Ford, that makes the tranny definitely a C6. I don't know when IH made the switchover, but I imagine it was around the same time...

 

[RLDSL]

Back when they were new, I took care of a fleet of busses that had these engines in them and they were all Ford truck chassis, Memory is fuzzy but F700 F900 ring bells , they were all manual 5 speeds and all Clarks in those units if I recall. The things could be specd out in any number of configurations. Heck, the plant that built the things is only 2 miles from here, they send those things out all kinds of ways.
They've changed the way they do business a bit, but used to be , the customer speced out and bought the rolling chassis and had them shipped to the bus plant and then they built the body on the thing

 

[riotwarrior]

I suggest posting a picture of the pan...that is usually the simplest method to ID Auto transmissions.

 

[icanfixall]

The exhaust manifolds are differant on the van drivers side only. The passenger side it the same in the trucks and vans. Now the van oil cooler rear header is differant from the turcks to vans. Also in some large flat bed and dump type trucks these motors had differant exhaust manifolds that dumped the exhaust out in front between the heads with a crossover pipe up in front. Looked like the old "Y" block Fords.

 

[tractorman86]

pics pics pics

 

[funnyman06]

would the Allison tranny work with our truck or are they to big?

 

[BigRigTech]

Pretty large and heavy the Allisons are, not to mention expensive to repair.

 

[MUDKICKR]

does the tranny have a wiring plug on it or a vacuum shift thing? that will be the easiest way to know if its a e4od or a c6.

 

[sassyrel]

If its an automatic trans and its an 89 it will be an E4OD which is a 4 speed that has an overdrive. It also will be cast into the side of the trans. Just look for it. If its an 88 year then its a C6 auto. Look at the injection pump. If it has an electrical switch instead of a vacuum switch on the drivers side then its an E4OD. If the switch is vacuum then its a C6 trans. At no time did these motors ever have a 5 speed auto bolted up to them. The manuals did have a 5 speed and they were ZF type trans. The C6 was found behind the 6.9 and first year 7.3 in 1988. In 1989 it was E4OD only for the automatic trans.

ican--i hear ya--but somewhere in the other site archives--someone proved that there were c6's available as a option up to i believe 95??? i had a hard time believeing it also---

 

[icanfixall]

Sassyrel... Say it anit so.... A C6 in a 95... Oh the humanity of it.... I haven't heard to this but I'm open to believe its true. I just had no idea someone could or would want a C6 that bad.... I never feel I know everything and reading all the postings enlightens me constantly. Learning is also nice if it doesn't cost you anything..... Like a Darwin Award....