Top speed 55mph normal for 6.9?

[Cubey]

This is also why, in an earlier post, I said that maybe this box van just plain can't go much faster than 55 MPH.

I could see that happening, especially with a head wind. My F250 towing that not too tall but very long trailer could barely do 55 at times with head winds. Course it has 3.54 gears, but still.

My motorhome is more like his box van, but being turbo, it's a bit better. Even so, with a good head wind, it slows down a lot despite some slight aerodynamic features of it's pointy tipped cabover. Seems like I got slowed down to about 55 one day when I was heading out here to Arizona from Texas back in November. Of course, I was babying it somewhat due to EGTs. It's like climbing a long grade basically. That one day east of Las Cruces, NM, I had a head wind and a steep grade. I was down to about 20-25mph, manually shifted to first gear, for the last bit of the hill, due to having to balance the coolant temp and EGT so they were both in the safe range.

 

[Cubey]

Exactly what I said. ALL C6 transmissions have slippage since they do not have a lock up convertor.

Makes me think that going to E4OD is slightly better than C6+overdrive unit. At least if your C6 dies. Overdrives are expensive (~$2500) and you still have the slippage. C6s are cheaper to have rebuilt though. Yeah you gotta buy a controller for E4OD, but still.

C6 rebuild+overdrive probably costs the same as a rebuilt E4OD+controller.

Yeah you technically get 6 gears with a C6 overdrive unit but it's something extra that can go wrong separate from the transmission.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Makes me think that going to E4OD is slightly better than C6+overdrive unit. At least if your C6 dies. Overdrives are expensive (~$2500) and you still have the slippage. C6s are cheaper to have rebuilt though. Yeah you gotta buy a controller for E4OD, but still.

C6 rebuild+overdrive probably costs the same as a rebuilt E4OD+controller.

Yeah you technically get 6 gears with a C6 overdrive unit but it's something extra that can go wrong separate from the transmission.

Yes. I feel (and this is just my opinion) that a well built, updated E4OD is better than a C6/OD unit due to the better efficiency and fuel mileage. This is the reason why I'm dropping the C6/OD out of my 1987 dually. Plus, like Wes said, if something goes wrong with OD and your truck is 4X2, your truck isn't moving under it's own power. So, with the C6/OD, you have two different items that have the chance for failure. If it's already there, then I'd say that someone should stick with the C6/OD, but if you're wanting to buy an OD and put it behind your C6, then I'd suggest swapping in a E4OD.

 

[Cubey]

But... Unfortunately it looks like it costs a good $2,000-$2500 more than to have a C6 pulled, rebuilt, and reinstalled in a shop vs going to E4OD. I suppose over 100k miles it pays for itself but in my RV, I will never drive it enough to justify that extra cost. Unless I get a donor E4OD with controller for a reasonable price that is still good to swap in for not a lot more.

Otherwise, I'll stick with the 8mpg I'm getting with the C6.

 

[CBRF3]

But... Unfortunately it looks like it costs a good $2,000-$2500 more than to have a C6 pulled, rebuilt, and reinstalled in a shop vs going to E4OD. I suppose over 100k miles it pays for itself but in my RV, I will never drive it enough to justify that extra cost. Unless I get a donor E4OD with controller for a reasonable price that is still good to swap in for not a lot more.

Otherwise, I'll stick with the 8mpg I'm getting with the C6.

you can find E4OD transmissions around nearly freshly rebuilt for about $1200 just keep an eye out people often blow theyre motors by turning up the fuel on our engines and not having a pyrometer and then they get parked and often get scrapped / sold for dirt cheap I have bought complete trucks with E4OD transmissions that trans has about 20k or less on them and motor went and when they looked at prices to have one rebuilt they backed out and bought another truck and I bought 3 of them complete trucks is descent shape for like $750 each the key thing for our motors is having the mechanical knowledge / skills to do the work yourself if rely on a shop the cost gets crazy fast and then you got the issue about people not doing the maintenance and neglecting them these are the killers for our motors.

 

[Cubey]

you can find E4OD transmissions around nearly freshly rebuilt for about $1200 just keep an eye out people often blow theyre motors by turning up the fuel on our engines and not having a pyrometer and then they get parked and often get scrapped / sold for dirt cheap I have bought complete trucks with E4OD transmissions that trans has about 20k or less on them and motor went and when they looked at prices to have one rebuilt they backed out and bought another truck and I bought 3 of them complete trucks is descent shape for like $750 each the key thing for our motors is having the mechanical knowledge / skills to do the work yourself if rely on a shop the cost gets crazy fast and then you got the issue about people not doing the maintenance and neglecting them these are the killers for our motors.

The issue being that I full time in my motorhome so I would have to get it done in a matter of a few days to a week at most, since I'd be paying for a motel while it's in shop. I can't buy up random "junk" trucks like that since I have nowhere to put them, nor do I have a shop for working in for a transmission swap.

 

[CBRF3]

The issue being that I full time in my motorhome so I would have to get it done in a matter of a few days to a week at most, since I'd be paying for a motel while it's in shop. I can't buy up random "junk" trucks like that since I have nowhere to put them, nor do I have a shop for working in for a transmission swap.

all 3 of those trucks are on the road so junk is not what I would call it and 2 of them had perfect bodies and nearly freshly rebuilt transmissions the 3rd one was a bit rough as far as the bed for a big dually crew cab 4x4 I simply rebuilt the motor then put a flat bed on it I built out of scrap metal I had held onto and again all 3 of them are on the road and every 1 of them I would gladly hop in and take cross country trip or tow with so calling them junk is not how I would call them each one I spent another maybe $500-$700 to rebuild the motors myself and put them back on the road as a good running ready to go vehicle.

 

[Cubey]

That's why I said "junk" with quotation marks. To most people, myself included, they would be "junk", for parts only. I would strip out the E40od and scrap the rest probably, except for certain parts I might want.

 

[Cubey]

Something like this might be good, if E4ODs from PSD trucks can mate with IDI engines. This one even came from a van. Claims to have 6k miles on it. Too bad it's in freaken Wisconsin. (I'm by Yuma, AZ right now)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Automatic-...245663?hash=item56cfaa825f:g:6-kAAOSwdOxd2H3S

This thread claims the ZF5s are interchangeable, so maybe E4ODs are too?
https://www.powerstrokenation.com/threads/idi-vs-powerstroke-bell-housing.61087/

Not that I'm in a hurry to replace my transmission, but it seems like good deals are always way too far away from me. If my C6 starts to fail, I will be looking into getting an E4OD if it's cost effective.

There is this $250 "sold as core" E4OD from a 1990 7.3 IDI in SoCal, but no pics:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-7-3-2...1723035122&hash=item34294f61ac:i:224031367596

 

[CBRF3]

Something like this might be good, if E4ODs from PSD trucks can mate with IDI engines. This one even came from a van. Claims to have 6k miles on it. Too bad it's in freaken Wisconsin. (I'm by Yuma, AZ right now)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Automatic-...245663?hash=item56cfaa825f:g:6-kAAOSwdOxd2H3S

This thread claims the ZF5s are interchangeable, so maybe E4ODs are too?
https://www.powerstrokenation.com/threads/idi-vs-powerstroke-bell-housing.61087/

Not that I'm in a hurry to replace my transmission, but it seems like good deals are always way too far away from me. If my C6 starts to fail, I will be looking into getting an E4OD if it's cost effective.

There is this $250 "sold as core" E4OD from a 1990 7.3 IDI in SoCal, but no pics:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-7-3-2...1723035122&hash=item34294f61ac:i:224031367596

A E4OD is a huge upgrade over the C6 alot better fuel mileage and much better power and way less screaming motor going down highway meaning less wear and tear on motor meaning longer engine life make sure if do a E4OD get a stand alone controller for it and dial it in for tow use yes the shifting will be more aggressive but the power increase is worth it its amazing how much faster a van / camper accelerates and gets upto speed making the driving much easier and less stressfull trying to merge onto highway and such C6 transmissions merging is iffy you have to make sure you got a huge gap to get into but the E4OD will easily kick down a gear and motivate unlike a C6 slow down shift and slowly accelerate.

I forgot to add since will be running lower RPM's and will be around the 2200-2600 rpm range most likely you will be running in the sweet spot for highway driving and this RPM area is where your torgue and HP curve merge. So you get the acceleration and torgue which means much better for going up hills and your EGT's will be much lower I have noticed if can stay in the 2200-2600 rpm area even with alot of peddle mashing your EGT's climb much slower than when your in the 2800+ rpm once you step over the hp / torgue curve your efficiency goes to crap aka high EGT's and they climb quickly.