I'm getting ready to rebuild a C6 to put in my '78 F250 4x4. I have never done an automatic before (my neighbor is a retired Ford mechanic and says he has done hundreds). I am plenty comfortable doing the rebuild, but have some questions about the rebuild kits on the market. Some are listed as being "Truck" kits and some are "High Performance" with Alto clutches and bands. I have a mildly modified 400 that makes about 350hp and 430 ft/lbs. What do you guys think is the right kit to buy? I am also considering putting a Hughes low stall "towing" converter in it. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

Contact the mfg of the kits and tell them what you're doing and get their rec.

Rebuilding an automatic on the kitchen table..... imo a false economy.

Good luck.

 

I get parts like that from a transmission shop, they are very helpful. That is your best bet for good advice if you can find an honest one. And then there is your neighbor????

 

Not exactly the kitchen table or a shade tree. My shop is top notch and includes a machine shop with two lathes, a bridgeport mill and a 6x12 surface grinder. I also have tig and mig welding capability, a glass bead cabinet, two solvent washers, etc,etc,etc.
I was trained as a Ford Mechanic in the late 60's. I have all the special tools to do the job (clutch compressors,seal protectors,bushing removers and drivers, etc.) I've narrowed rear ends, cut and welded drivelines, built engines and manual transmissions and since I don't know everything there is about Fords and automatics, I have a real expert next door (he also has the factory transmission manuals and a genuine Rotunda transmission tool set!). He is well regarded in this area. Was a Ford mechanic with competition awards for 23 years then he took over vehicle maintenance for the county. Part of his job was maintaining and repairing the Sheriff Department's vehicles and the county trucks. He has rebuilt literally hundreds of C6s and E40Ds.
I am just interested in advice specific to the truck from somebody who has experience with certain rebuild parts. Mainly trying to find out about LOW Stall converters and what the down side is(the up side is less heat and better gas mileage). As far as the rebuild kits I was just curious if anyone had an opinion on the worth of the "High Performance" kits for a truck like mine. I'm not racing it and I don't crawl rocks or do mud bogs. The companies selling the kit are going to recommend the item with the highest profit margin.
As far as the economy of the rebuild, I will have about $700.00 in the rebuild for parts. The cheapest reputable shop in the area wants $1600.00 for the same transmission. Automatics aren't rocket science, Clean like an operating room, measure twice and be real careful with the seals and valve body(that's why the seal protectors). I'm buying a rebuilt pump so that part is taken care of. I've put in a bunch of shift kits over the years so the valve body isn't a mystery. I spent the last 30 years rebuilding high speed centrifugal air compressors with up to 14,000 hp and speeds up to 80,000 rpm. I think it will be fun!

 

Yeah, you're right. I spent the $20 on a folding table and set it up in the basement, rebuilt the tranny on it for a total investment of $250 including buying the core, book, and table.
I installed it in my parking space out front of my apartment, it went into my lifted F250 which then got 35s, and driven cross-country towing a trailer.
I guess I should have spent the $800 to get a similarly built tranny.
I got my kit from Napa for a later truck c6 so I could just run regular Dexron in it, but I got the band from Ford.

The one thing when putting these back together is to get the end play right. The shims are available from Ford still, they are color coded for different thicknesses.

 

Yeah, I want to upgrade the tranny somewhat. I bought a whole kit of shims from Oregon Performance transmission. I think they were about $30.00. There are also specific snap rings for clearance. My neighbor has a lot of small parts left over from before his retirement a few years back. I have the luxury of rebuilding a spare. I did the same thing with the transfer case. Cost me about $140.00 for all the bearings and seals for the rebuild. The gears looked good so I saved about $500.00 over a rebuilt transfer case. I was trained as a Ford mechanic, but didn't stick with it. That was when the FE was king of the hill. I worked a lot with small block Fords and Chebbies over the years, but most of my cars were manual transmissions. I built a C altered drag rig and spent more time rebuilding it than I care to think about. It ran a 2 speed Packard tranny and sometimes the 700 or so horsepower were more than the hardware could handle. Like I said, measure twice and be surgically clean and you have a pretty good chance of doing it right. (Oh and don't roll the seals).
Based on the lack of response I think I will stick with the stock level clutches and bands and try a low stall converter. (the Hughes unit raises the price a couple of hundred bucks, but I know they have a good rep) The engine has been worked a little, but it is only about 350 HP and 430 ft/lbs and I don't drag race it.

 

A rebuild kit doesn't cost much. There is only 1 band in a C6. I'd tear it down before going and buying parts that might not be needed, front pumps most always can be reused. I'd at least add a extra forward clutch to it, you can usually toss the wave plate and just add one. I would use some sort of a RV converter. Maby get a L or R servo a E or F shift lever to go with it and a mild shift kit. You don't have to drop a ton of money in a C6 to make a good one.

 

Thanks for the info. This is what I am looking for. The tranny has 200,000 on it and the pump is a little shaky so for the 60 bucks it cost, I bought a rebuilt. The RV converter I decided to use is sold by Oregon Performance Transmission. The owner says he has several hundred of them out there and no problems with them. It is a low stall (200-300 under stock) I've got the shift kit and am considering the servo. Can I install the E or F shift lever with the stock servo and install the E or R servo later? (I know I can install a servo with out pulling the tranny) My neighbor is pretty knowledgeable, but beyond the shift kit that they routinely put in the county rigs he is pretty much familiar with stock configurations.

Thanks
Gary

 

The shift lever would have to go in now, you would have to remove the trans to replace it later & yes it would help out with any servo. It would be kind if a pia to put a servo in later although the trans wouldn't have to come out.