C6 vs. E4OD?

Given good maintenance, the E4OD is fine. It's really based on the C6, while there are differences, it's similar.

The C6 is better. It has a serious shortcoming of only having 3 gears, but it is a much stronger and more reliable transmissiion, especially in the early years of the E4OD.

Can you even get the C6 after about 1989? The OD transmission came into being in an attempt to improve CAFE numbers ...

I think that unless you take other things into account, your choice in transmisions in limited.

I think you could get a C6 in later models than 89, but only on HD vans, i.e. 3/4 or 1 ton.

CJB

My E4OD in a '92 Bronco with a 5.8L, that also pulled a travel trailer for 3 years lasted for 173,000 miles before a rebuild. I've no complaints.

Early E4OD are more likely to have a problem than a late C6. There were many upgrades to the E4OD over the first three years of production. I think an E4OD built after 1994 is as solid as a C6. A 1990 E4OD may be just fine, but the odds are not as good as with a C6 of similar vintage. Any 17 year old transmission is likely due for a rebuild soon, so the difference might be trivial. If you do need to have the E4OD rebuilt, make sure they apply all the upgrades.

Ed

Not sure why you would want one (a C6) today as a E4OD is not a bad design and allows the use of deeper gears for less overall tranny strain and better performance while reduced cruising RPM as well as a locking converter for lower average tranny temps and increased MPG.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

I agree completely. We were talking about an 89 model though, I think. The other issue that would relate to a transmission that old is the cost of rebuild or replacement. IIRC, a C-6 is much cheaper than an E4OD.

Having said all that, I'd much rather have a late model E-150 with an E4OD than the 4R70W most 150's (including mine) come with.

CJB

My '96 F150 4x4 Centurion with E4OD is still going, 145k miles!!

Sometimes newer is not better. These newer electronically controlled trannies have more complex "clock works" with each revision and it take less to mess them up too because of this it seems

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Thanks for the help, guys. I'm gonna go for this van with the E4OD, since it's in such nice condition,

I've owned two Fords with E4ODs - a 1992 F150 and a 1997 Expedition. I had problems with the '92 twice. When the truck had less than 50K miles, the transmission decided to dump fluid out through the front seal. My mechanic told me to let the transmission cool off and refill it with new oil. It worked fine for another 45K miles or so. Earlier this year I let my son use the truck. In less than a week, it failed. It would only go forward. It appeared that there was an internal fault, since it wanted to go forward even in neutral. I decided to sell the truck. A local guy bought it and I believe it cost around $1000 to have the transmission fixed. My 1997 Expedition was still going strong when I traded it off with 147,000 miles. The E4OD in the Expedition never had a single problem. I did change the ATF in both vehicles every 25,000 miles..

Ed

I would blame your son not the E4OD for the failure. ALso I would install a aux cooler because heat is trannies biggest enemy as stock cooling is marginal at best and you venting of fluid was likely for overheating not a seal because when a seal fails, it does not start working again.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

So exactly what could my son do to a transmission to cause it to fail? He wasn't towing anything and the truck was hardly a hot rod. My mechanic said it was unlikely it was his fault. I did not actually talk to the shop that repaired the transmission, but it is my understanding that an internal bearing failed.

As for fluid puking out the front seal - I am not the only one to have this problem. Apparently for that vintage E4OD this was a know condition. It seems that under certain conditions when the fluid got really hot, the internal relief valve would fail to operate and excessive pressure would build up, forcing fluid past the front seal. My mechanic had it happen to three different Fords. Two of us were lucky, and the transmissions were fine after they cooled off. The third was less fortunate, the front seal was unseated and had to be replaced.

Ed

I few attempts at power braking it a bit too long is all it would take to oveheat fluid and damage bearings on a tranny that has run hot in the past. Truck likely has tall gears which means it stay on converter stall longer which make extra heat too You are a bit nieve if you think that it just happened to go out for no reason and it was normal. Sure maybe I hotdogged a bit like that over 30 yeras ago but there was a lot more reserve in drivetrain parts them as far as tolerating abuse. I have watched my son destroy two trannies in his own car and they are not hot rods either and his track record in better than some of his frinds too. I do not let him drive my vehicals.

Again this is still a heat related issue because whether it vents or over pressures and then finds a place to vent it is still cause by heat. This would happen to me one time and that would be it, there would be a aux cooler on it the next day. Your tranny has a tendancy to run hot and it needs more than a fluid change every 25K to keep it alive long term. Max tranny life is acheved with temps below 220 and preferably in the 180 to 200 degree range. Nothing is gained by running it a lot colder but there is a lot to loose if it gets to 220 and above a lot.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

I had one of those, maybe it was an 89, anyway, it was just like yours. Mine was a 150 w tow package, so it had the E4OD, 351, 355LS. I wouldn't hesitiate to buy another if I could get a solid one at a good price.

All told, I've had, as best I can remember, 5 or 6 Ford full size vans. Two of them were the new bodystyle, the rest were the old one. Each had it's differences, but they've all been solid. My favorite was actually an old, base model 1980 Club Wagon 1ton with a 351M and C6. It would pull anything and carry anything. A very noisy, spartan van, but I miss it still.

CJB

Please , educate yourself, this is a known problem with early Fords E4OD front seals...

Please re-educate yourself that the problem is heat related!!!!!

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Yeah, they don't hold up within the normal operating heat range. If they can't take the heat generated by putting your truck into four wheel drive then WTF good are they??? The official FIX is replacing the front seal, with a newer design, Not adding a cooler, Hum I guess you do know it all...