I am looking at buying a 1986 Ford 150 XLT Lariet with a 351W and a C6 Trans. It only has 80,000 miles on it and is in very good shape. I was wondering if the C6 is a good transmission. I was also wondering if this would pull a 3500 pound tractor. With trailer it would be 5500 pounds total at the max. Can someone tell me about the C6 Trans? What type of rearend this truck has? If it will pull the tractor?

Dave

 

C-6 is supposed to be bulletproof. I have no problems with mine at 80,000 miles. I think these older 3-speed trannies are better than modern computer-controlled ones. You will miss having an overdrive though. I know I do. At 65, I turn 3100 rpms in my truck. A transmission with OD would greatly reduce your RPMs and improve mileage. Not to mention less noise in the cab. My C-6 is in a "heavy duty" F250 which is rated for 10,000 lbs so that tells you it is a good tranny.

I don't know about yours, but I have a sticker inside the driver's door on my '89 unit which has some numbers you can decode and it will tell you which tranny it has, when the engine was built, etc.

I have a 1990 Ford towing guide. Their ratings for a F150 4x2 with the 351W engine:

3.08 rear axle: 5,900 lbs
3.55 rear axle: 7,900 lbs
4.10 rear axle N/A

They also vary: a 4x4 gets slightly less towing capacity. So does an extended cab. But with a longer wheelbase, you will get more stability on the road towing. I know I do.

I think the only difference was that by 1990 they had fuel injection, not carburators, so this makes a slight difference.

So yeah, it will tow that much. 3.55 rear would help in the mountains. I don't have experience with F150's or 351W but I hear it is a very good engine. 4.10 rear would be even better (but probably unnecessary) but you will get abysmal mileage with it, probably about 12 MPG.