transmission question....
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transmission question....
i just bought a 1986 f150 with the 300 v6. it appears to have the 3 speed transmission in it. everything runs fine, but i was wondering if i swapped out the tranny for something different that had overdrive, would it increase the gas mileage that much? i dont even know what the mileage is yet since i havent had it that long, but im sure anything with overdrive is gonna due better on gas. thanks for any input.
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Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Norfolk, VA
If you plan on using it for highway operations, on flater roads; I would think it would a lot. But if you live in mountains and stuff like that where you downshift all the time, I would leave it. just my thought.
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thanks 757. at the moment im not worried about the highway, but i really bought this truck for my daughter in about a year or so. she has always wanted an old ford and for now im gonna pull a landscaping trailer and mowers. i was just thinking ahead. are there a bunch of choices of trannies that will fit this engine?
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Do you have the 300 or the V6? They are different motors. The 300 is an inline motor while there was a 232ci V6. They are two completely different motors. If you have the 300ci 4.9L (which you probably do) you can get around 20mpg out of it. I have a 94 with the 300 and a 5spd and I commonly see over 20 on the highway and can go over two months on a tank of gas running around town. There are a couple that you can get to fit into the truck. You can stay with the C6 or you can go to an AOD but if you plan on pulling trailers with it I would stay away because I hear alot of problems with the overdrive failing on those transmissions. Also there is a T18 and a T19 4spd manual that can fit the truck. There is also a M5OD which is a little weaker of a 5spd trans but as long as your not pulling rediculous loads you'll be fine. And there is the much coveted ZF 5spd which is the very best manual transmission Ford has ever built. You cannot kill it. It really depends on whether your daughter can drive a stick or not.
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Fleet Mechanic
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From: patricia ab canada
there's always a gearvendors overdrive unit.their very costly though.they bolt behind your c6.
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I realize that you have an automatic currently I was just throwing out the other transmissions that you can put in there. The gear vendors overdrive unit is nice but its real expensive and it would take you awhile to make the money back in regards to fuel economy unless you drive the truck every day for alot of miles. It really isnt that hard to put a manual in an automatic truck. I am doing it in mine and have done it in a couple other trucks before as well as done it in a few cars. There is great write up on here as to a step by step way to do it. Its really up to you if you want to stay with the auto or go to a manual possibly.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: New Zealand
I'm replacing the AOD (automatic, overdrive) in my truck, 351W & 3.54 rear, with a manual. It's primarily a work truck & I'm in a hilly area with winding roads, where the overdrive is just not usable, & I prefer manual. Second gear has been slipping a little.
Even out on open roads & motorways where you can drive at good speed, I find the overdrive drops RPM's but the engine is still under load so mileage isn't any better. Maybe with a 460 or a diesel this would be different.
But if I slow down & stay around 55mph in 3rd, which is the same as top in your C6, I get a consistent 20 mpg (16-17mpg US) on open-road driving, even with our hills. It just seems that the right foot is where the savings are even without overdrive.
OD would have to be a big help in an aerodynamic car, but with these trucks you're pushing so much air at higher speed, the advantage is lost, in my experience.
Even out on open roads & motorways where you can drive at good speed, I find the overdrive drops RPM's but the engine is still under load so mileage isn't any better. Maybe with a 460 or a diesel this would be different.
But if I slow down & stay around 55mph in 3rd, which is the same as top in your C6, I get a consistent 20 mpg (16-17mpg US) on open-road driving, even with our hills. It just seems that the right foot is where the savings are even without overdrive.
OD would have to be a big help in an aerodynamic car, but with these trucks you're pushing so much air at higher speed, the advantage is lost, in my experience.