When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a F150 ShortBed StepSide 351w, C4 Tranny and a C6 laying in a shed,which came with truck when bought; whats the difference between the two and which gives the better torque and performance?
I can't say whether to go to a C6 or not, but I don't believe that you can EVER make a C4 handle the torque that a C6 gets. The Linky 460 429 etc all had gobs more torque than a C4 can handle, unless you feed it little pieces of platinum and gold equivalents. (read: MONEY) A stock C6 will handle a 460, out of the box, no added parts, nothing special.
The C4 was designed for a 200cid 6 cylinder, then a 221-260-289-302. My old Cougar with a 351w had an FMX because the C4 wouldn't handle its torque...
As they say, opinions are worth exactly what you pay for them...
Dude! No offense but where you been? The c4 can handle butloads of power. Ever seen the PRO 5.0 mustang series? These guys push 1300 to 1800 horsepower through these trannys! Here on the east coast you can buy a C4 from performance automatic or dynamic transmission that will handle over 500 hp for liiile more than a factory rebuild.
I think he was saying that in stock form the C6 can handle more torque than the C4. Obviously you can make the C4 handle 1300-1800 hp, but think how much money is poured into one of these transmissions and how often they get rebuilt. Not a practical, real world application for the average driver. If I had one of each in stock form, I would us the C6 for obvious strength reasons. My '78 pickup has gone through 4 C4's before I finally put in the C6 with no problems to date. It got regular maintenance, its just not built to handle the torque in stock form that a C6 is, even behind my stock 302! Enough rattlin' on my part.
later
And the Trans shops have piles of C-4's and havent seen a small block C-6 in years, cause everybody that knew about them grabed them up a long time ago!! By the way most small block C6's came in TRUCKS.!
Along these lines, I have an 84 F150 XL with the 302 V8 and 3-speed auto transmission (inherited the truck . . . saved it from the salvage yard).
I have the engine running great, but they tranny is a mess (loud, will not engage in reverse, etc). Not knowing ANYTHING about transmissions, I had a guy look at it for me. He told me that the truck has a C5 transmission. Can that be right?
If I do find a C6, can I make that work in this truck? How much conversion will need to be done?
Ford did make a C5 trans, although I do not really know much about it and what it was put in. A C6 should bolt up to that 302. I dont see any reason why not. You may have to modify shift linkage and kickdown mechanisms. I know the C6 bolts in place of the C4, so maybe the C5 too? Not too sure though.
Good luck,