After searching these forums for the longest time, I still can't get a stait answer. Is it possible to bolt a 460 pattern transmission to a 6.9 diesel (or any other diesel) engine?


This weekend I had planned to finally swap an E4OD into my 86 F250 in place of a C6. But after pulling the C6 and the "adapter plate" I took a good look at the two trannies and things are not looking good . The only holes that seem to match are the two at the top, everything else is off-there isn't even room for the starter! Maybe now would be a good time to mention that I had rebuilt the tranny myself and made manny upgrades along the way (shift kit, geartrain, tc, center support) so I'm not really likeing my options.


Am I stuck with getting another tranny? or is there actually a way to bolt a 460 pattern to a 6.9? I had talked to a few local mechanics before starting the project, and they agreed that the 6.9 had an adapter plate (confirmed) to convert the bolt pattern to that of a 385 series big block (busted?).
Is there any truth to this?


I have a few ideas on what to do next, pease let me know what you think.

-Hack the bellhousing, and make it fit. This will involve welding, and I
don't know if the casting will take kindly to that (is it possible?) . A custom adapter plate will also be needed for this option.

-Find an actual diesel transmission ( ) that's a junker, and swap the guts. Are there any major internal differances between an E4OD for a 7.3 and one for a 7.5?


Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, but at least for now, it looks like the ol' slush box is going back in. I guess 22mpg will have to wait a little longer .

 

diesel trans will only fit diesel, gas trans will only fit gas. you can not put a diesel trans on a gas engine, and you can not put a gas trans on a diesel engine.

 

Plus getting your bell housing alignment would be extremely difficult if you tried to adapt a diesel bellhousing to the gasser transmission. If your torque converter is pulled even slightly off the perpendicular axis of the input shaft, you could shred the whole front half of your transmission.

 

What trans are we talking about here?
Auto or manual?
I machined a zf diesel trans to accept a 460 engine, ran it 3 years no problems.
More details if anybody wants.

The automatics do NOT have the extra material to go either way. The top 2 bolts are the same and the other 4 are different and the dowels are different.

The adapter is the same on all IDI engines and adapts the engine to the trans pattern that ford designed, maybe it was for the stick shift so they could get a larger clutch in there.
International uses a thicker adapter to the different transmissions, I have only seen the allison adapter from busses tho.

 

Thanks for the response guys, looks like I got myself into a mess here.

"Plus getting your bell housing alignment would be extremely difficult if you tried to adapt a diesel bellhousing to the gasser transmission. If your torque converter is pulled even slightly off the perpendicular axis of the input shaft, you could shred the whole front half of your transmission."

Yes, I realize the match must be very exact, and it probably will not be easy if I try to adapt the bell housing.

"What trans are we talking about here?
Auto or manual? "

The E4OD is an automatic.

"I machined a zf diesel trans to accept a 460 engine, ran it 3 years no problems.
More details if anybody wants."

Yes I would like to know more. You mention the two top bolts are the same, is that how you lined up the rest of the pattern? The best I can figure is to weld all the holes shut exept the top two bolt holes, then drill the new holes (to a very high accuracy).

"The automatics do NOT have the extra material to go either way."

Yeah, I noticed there isn't much meat on the bellhousing. Thats why I was wondering if it is possible to weld the case. Not very practical, I know, but I'm trying to examine all my ontions here.

"The adapter is the same on all IDI engines and adapts the engine to the trans pattern that ford designed, maybe it was for the stick shift so they could get a larger clutch in there. "

I was wondering about that, why use an adapter plate and still have a different bolt pattern.



What about the internal differences between an E4OD for a 460 and one desinged for a deisel? Could I get a diesel pattern case and transfer the internal components from the old case?

 

I imagine it was the proximity of the dowel pins to each other they are the only problem area, also maybe they wanted less interchangability, more parts sales??? who knows

 

So how did you get diesel pattern on the 460?

 

Search E4OD diesel on E-bay, there are several cases listed, a guts change may be easier than trying to fabricate up an adapter, especially since you already know how it all goes togeather!

 

One concern between the gasser and diesel trans may be the output shaft splines for the driveshaft. If I recall they are different.

 

The E4OD was used in both gas and diesel trucks, they both went into a 1356 transfer case on the 4x4 trucks.
The output shaft can not be very different.

 

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your help on this. I have already checked out a few E-bay listing, and it doesn't look like it will cost too much to get back on track. If theres no major internal difference between an E4OD for a 460 and one for a diesel, then thats probably the way to go. I'll check out a few wreckers tomorow and who knows, maybe theres a case or core with my name on it. At least this time I'll know a diesel pattern when I see it .

BTW, feel free to point out the obvious, I'm actually replacing a prefectly good C6 with a "legandary" E4OD. Am I nuts, or an I nuts! Oh well, I guess I realy an crazy.

Thanks again .

 

The trans was a diesel zf5 and they have enough meat to machine for the gasser bolt pattern. I made a template and drilled and reamed it. took about 2 hours.
Wont work on an automatic though.

 

Yeah, thats what I figured. The patterns are different and yet the holes are close enough to interfere (and then there are the casting ribs). Thanks anyway though.

 

I think the early E4OD's gave the tranny a bad rep. Looked after and serviced properly, and don't try to drag around 18000 GVW and I think they are OK. Mine is not original to the truck, but I dont know the real history on it, though I do know my truck was set up for a 5 th wheel, so ???? I have serviced my trany with a new filter, added a true cool 20K GVW cooler (if some is good more is better!) a temp indictor in the top end of my oil pan, and a B&M shift plus for when I do some towing.
No worries, hopefully, touch wood, etc. LOL

 

Actually, from wnat I've learned, and from what I've seen in this transmisson, making an E4OD buttet proof is not that hard. Many or the early failures can be blaimed on heat. Heat, that is usually caused by the undersized cooling system and the extra smooth shift that was used to "wow" the uninformed buyer. Torque converter failure was a paticutarly nasty problem, sometimes taking the whole transmission with it. What sold me on the E4 was it's ability to tow in overdrive (the overdrive planetary is actually larger than the main forward planetary). Although one still has to be carefull not to run the temps too high.