Calling c6 gurus... Just rebuilt a c6 and found what I now know is the "wave spring" from the forward clutch pack. The haynes manual didn't have this part included in the clutch pack, so I left it out (put another friction disk in its place) thinking it was an unnecessary mod from years ago, and clutch clearance ended up within specs. Well, come to find by doing some searches that the spring's purpose is to soften forward engagement. Rebuilt tranny is not yet installed, but... am I screwed?
BTW, this has got to be the best Ford site on the net. I got the courage to tackle this job by reading others experiences, and the rebuild experience wasn't bad for me at all either. Awesome stuff...

 

No, I don't think so. Without the wave spring it's going to have a firmer enagement. If you like a performance trans you'll like this. If you like the C6 that was used in a Lincoln, you'll want to put the wave spring back in.

 

This is for a 1987 f150 so it looks like I'm in business. Thanks Casey...

 

A mechanic friend of mine who rebuilds transmissions was telling me about this one day when I was watching him rebuild a transmission. He had left out one wave plate, but installed another one and I asked why. He said you could get away with leaving the one out on the individual gears, but the one that he put in there was the one for forward engagement and he said that it needed that one there for tame engagement. He said he built one in his younger years without that forward engagement wave plate and it would scare him every time he put it into gear and lurch forward. I dont' know enough about automatics myself to say if it's going to be a problem or not, or which one was left out of your transmission, but just something to think about.

 

You are ok leaving it out.
The extra fibre will give a bit more holding power.

 

I am rebuilding, for the first time, my C6 in my F350 1 ton 2wd. I am going by the books that i was able to bet off line and the ‘forward Clutch pack’ it talks about a wave plate, also in the ‘reverse-high Clutch pack’ it mention one. I check all my old plates and steels, on a piece of glass mirror and no wave plate for either. I believe this is the first rebuild on My tranny. It has 0ver a 150,000 on it. Not i could not find a clearance measurement for the forward pack to spring clip but in my reverse-high i have a clearance of .062-.065. I was told that was ok but thee book talks about .048 max. So can anyone help please. I am a disabled vet and money situations does not allow me to repeatedly putting and taking back out. I pilot back in exactly what has been taken out steel per steel and plate per plate.