What was it that you didn't like about the E4? I have a C6 now and it is a loyal unit, but I have never driven a truck that had an E4OD in it.

 

I have way to many friends with E4OD trannies that have been rebuilt way to many times for way to much money each time.
One of the guys I work with has a neighbor with his up for sale, 97 F350 Stroke, on it's 7th E4OD transmission.

He has more money in transmissions alone than I have in repairs and operating expenses since 97, including building my motor last summer.

 

I know the E4OD (mainly the pre-95 ones) has some problems that can affect the life expectancy of the tranny, but rebuilding and improving an E4OD is not as complicated or expencive as some would think. The biggest problem is that many shops will not make the minimum updates that would make the E4 compairable, in reliability the the older C6, so of course they break down again. With a little more updates, an E4 will eat a C6 for breakfeast in overall performance.

 

I just love my T 19.
Bullet proof cast iron box, tough internals.

 

I think the only real advatage a well built E4OD would have over a compairable manual tranny is the ability to tow in overdrive. Other than that its just a matter of preference. I don't know much about the ZF-6, but it seems to have a nice OD ratio-almost the same as the E4 actually.

 

I have a GV behind my C6, which was not cheap. I took the unit off my dads Excursion after the input shaft went out. It was on the Ex when he bought it. Sent it to Cali for a new input shaft to fit my truck, $650. Took it to a Tranny shop for installation, $1000. Total: 1650, a lot cheaper than any of my other options, but if you had to buy the unit, add the 1650 to 3000 to get 4650 total cost, that could get high. However, I love my GV, you leave it on auto and it shifts just like an E4, but when my tranny went out 3 weeks ago, I was back runnning after 750 plus 150 for the new flex plate that was busted. which beats the hell out of a $3000 E4od rebuild

 

I like the E4 but not real fond of the electronic crap that goes with it. Just gives to much more to go wrong with it. Plus they are huge heat generators and the stock coolers barely keep up with an unloaded truck. I have the extra cooling that I installed which gives me piece of mind. This truck I only drive in the summer so the salt and winter driving does not kill her. The other truck has the C6 also with a huge cooler in it this unit basically shifts better than my Torque Shift did in my 2004 (Torque Shift = 1 Mother of a heat generator that beast would be at 140 degrees idling from a cold start in 10 minutes).

The C6 has been rebuilt once the E4OD x3 I work the C6 x10 harder than the E4. The C6 has 178,000+ on it the E4 has 180,000+. But with anything if you DUMP enough money into something it will eat the others for lunch for sure.

Stock for Stock C6 undisputeable.

 

Well I'm not going to dispute a stock C6, thats for sure. A stock E4 cannot be trusted as far as you can throw it, which is why its so important to correct some of the flaws if and when it ever has to be rebuilt. I guess sometimes I forget not everyone has the time to rebuild thier own transmission. But for around 1500, you can get your hands on a decent reman E4OD.

 

What upgrades are we talking here?

 

Most good transmission builders will have a list of updates they can recomend based on what the application is, but here is what I've learned. First, put a shift kit in, this will prevent overheating caused by the long shift between gears, paticularly while towing. Next get a good quality torque converter, make sure it has as many internal updates as possible. Updates should include: updated clutch piston (to prevent cracks), furnace brazed turbine and impeller blades (stock ones are crimped together!) at least a double clutch lockup (three is better) If you end up turbocharging, get one with a billet cover, there are other potential updates for the TC, but I can't recall, but those are the most critical.
Now for the internal updates. I would update the geartrain (and center support bearing) to steel carrier plannetaries. I got an update kit for the forward and overdrive gears that replaced my four pinion alum. carrier forward plnnetary with a six pinion steel, the four pinion overdrive was replaced with a four pinion steel (way stonger than a C6). Be sure to get the complete update kit as there are other parts that come with it that are needed. A new center support roller bearing comes with the kit, and replaces the crappy wear prone bushing. The overdrive geartrain is retained by a snap ring that is prone to popping out, sonnax makes a preminant fix spiral snap ring that will not dislodge. A pre 1995 unit should also have a newer higher output front pump installed. And when is all said and done, get a big trans cooler an a temp guage. For $1500, you probably will not get all of these updates, but unless you are going to punish you vehicle, you don't really need the sleel geartrain, and front pump (the C6 is proof that aluminuin carriers can survive behind an undersized pump), but I would make as many updates as possibe if you plan on keeping it for the foreseeable future. I should mention that a GV overdrive would still be pushed through a stock C6.

 

Man David, thanks for the well thought out answer. Do you rebuild for a living? Most guys & myself included, see all those parts in a schematic & it makes one shy away from doing something as ambitious as an automatic. A shift kit, TC, & a cooler, along with a good PM program is about as far as I've ever been into one of these.

 

No, I don't do this for a living, insread I build aluminuim railings and install vinyl decking. But with four (on the road at least) vehicles in the family, I have become quite the backyard mechanic . The E4OD is not very complex, (though it can seem that it is) if you get your hands on a good overhaul manual, and read through it a few times, you can overhaul an E4 while blindfolded. There are special tools that are recomended but since they are expencive and I'm cheap, I made my own (not hard). Many transmission shops will try to discourage you because you are basicly taking money out of there pockets. For resons like this, no one touches my truck but me .

 

Show me where to get a GOOD E4OD for $1500?

 

Show me where to get a GOOD E4OD for $1500? Heck, a decent convertor costs $500

 

Ok.

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/e4od.htm For one thats bulletproof. (I'll admit a little more than $1500)

Or

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-...mZ180095507352

For one that is decent.

There are other souces as well, but this is the general idea of what can be expected if you were to buy one.