Hi,

I'm driving an 1985 6.9L F250 with camper, and it has been doing fine shifting gears until now. Although for a few years now, I find that I have to hit the gas when I start up and put it in Drive, before it will kick into gear if you will. Now I'm also noticing on the freeway driving, that it is having a hard time shifting into 4th gear, when driving from a stop, it sometimes won't shift to 3rd or perhaps it's 4th gear. It used to switch to this gear after about 45mph, now even at 55 miles an hour it's still not switching over.

Any ideas? Is this an easy transmission fix for a mechanic, or major?

Any help appreciated!

 

welcome to FTE.
your C6 automatic does not have 4th gear, it is only a 3 speed trans.
it is probably shifting into direct, because i don't think the C6 will pull 55 in second.

 

You could always look under the truck and see if someone swapped in an E4OD(4-speed) vs the C6(3-speed) that should be there.
You can find pictures of both on the internet, look at the oil pan size etc.

 

Yes, sorry I should say 3 speed, I just keep thinking it must have 4 gears. But it sounds pretty horrible when it doesn't shift into 3rd, and I'm trying to go over 50 mph. Could you elaborate what you mean with "shifting into direct"? I'm clueless about transmissions on the old Ford, as I've never had to deal with issues before. I do now have another issue where shifting into rear does not work either. So last night I had to use a hill to slide back in order to turn around (we're camping :-).

Thanks for your response!

 

3rd gear in a c6 is 1:1 or "direct drive".

I'm not an expert at automatic transmissions, but the first thing I'd check is the fluid level. That's the cheapest, simplest fix. Also check if it's burnt smelling or anything like that...

 

OK, thanks, I'll check the fluid level. Thanks!

 

Ok, so it does look like I should add some transmission fluid. I had it changed earlier this year by JiffyLube. The fluid itself seems OK, pink and clean looking.

 

that is low enough to cause shifting issues.

 

Oh, and remember with an automatic, you want to check it with the truck at operating temperature, with the engine running in park.

 

Yeah, I'd taken those pics on a cold engine, it's even lower when the engine is running. I've now put in two quarts of ATF, bringing the level close to the "don't add more" area, and with the engine running it's still showing slightly below. I took off the camper, figuring the weight would make it a bit harder to shift to 3rd gear, it's still slipping a bit when going into 3rd. Reverse is still difficult, have to really rev the engine to get it to slowly reverse. Will add some more to see if it helps with the reverse. THanks for the help you guys, as I live 2 hours from the nearest transmission mechanic.

 

I added another quart, up to the "don't put more" marker, while idling. While under no extra camper load it roars up fast, once it hits 45mph you can hear and feel it slipping, as the RPM's go way up. Only when letting off the gas, does it then move into 3rd gear. Going in reverse is still taking hitting the pedal hard, and hearing extra rpms before it starts moving in rear. Any other ideas, before I have to consider a transmission mechanic?

 

It has a direct clutch problem. I think this trans needs a professional.

 

Thanks Mark. This is good to know. While I do know a trustworthy mechanic out here in So Cal who saved us thousands (compared to what several dealers quoted us)

on a 5th gear that went out on our Toyota Rav, I would guess that this is not going to be as cheap for the F250 6.9L.

Not being a mechanic myself and living in a town with no reliable diesel mechanic, and with a heavier camper I'm wondering if I shouldn't go for a newer F350 at this point. It's hard to know when to give up with this truck when you're spending on average close to 2K a year on maintenance. My wife and I are attached to this '85 truck, that now also has brand new tires, but the same issues keep popping up, making trips sometimes frustrating, we've had the keytumbler replaced several times, which is not consistently sending a charge to the starter solenoid, causing starting issues. The starter that has to be replaced every couple years. The alternator doesn't seem to charge the batteries enough, even with batteries bought within the last two years. The cruise control which also seems to fail every couple years. And the brittle interior keeps withering away!

 

At some point, the cost of repairs outweighs the cost of a new vehicle. There is also the reliability factor, which is much harder to put into absolute numbers.

Rebuilding a C6 is usually relatively inexpensive as compared to other automatics. It does not require a diesel mechanic, but a transmission shop would probably be your best bet. Since you have a mechanic you trust start there. If he doesn't rebuild transmissions he can either outsource the work or recommend a place for you.

I wouldn't wait too long, because once it starts slipping there isn't a lot of time left before it isn't moving under it's own power any longer.

 

Thanks for the head's up, good to know as the transmission shop is 2 hours west of here over the mountains.