That's the nice thing about manual xmissions - they are basically bullet proof , I've never much trusted automatics. I have no id on the cost to convert to a manual for pulling but maybe would be worth it rather than rebuild an automatic.

 

Even nicer when you can split 3rd and 4th.

 

Not bad down here but I seem to have brought some clouds from BC with me Wasn't it supposed to be hot now that summer is starting LOL???? Haven't seen hide or hair of a 6.9, but did see the odd 80-86 fullsize bronco and even a sweet 70s F100. No road salt down here.

For tranny upgrades, you have a few options for how to proceed.

1) upgraded the one you have. Knowing the full history of the transmission is needed for this because you might end up ordering upgrades that you already have. This would involve having your truck disabled for the upgrade while ordering parts from the states (not fun).

2) buy a ready upgraded transmission and simply swap it out. This is by far the fastest, and most expensive. Remember, time and money are inversely related. Ford transmissions are decent from what I hear and warranty is also fairly good, but you are still stuck with the crappy OEM torque converter.

3) buy a used tranny and upgraded it as time and funds permit. This is an interesting option because the downtime of the truck is still low, but the risk is also low if something gets screwed up. Since you can take your time with it, the option now becomes to perform the work yourself and save the labor cost provided you are comfortable with getting inside an automatic.

Upgrades that are critical, are:

roller bearing center support (depending on the year of the factory build, or later rebuild, it may already have this)
Anything turboharged needs a billet torque converter,
1995 model pump offers 15% more fluid flow (anything rebuilt by ford should have this, but not all jobber shops do it, so read the fine print if looking at a rebuilt)
Big cooler. Make sure your OEM is not restricted if you choose to still use it in series with your aftermarket cooler.
Valve body shift kit. Do not use an electronic line pressure riser in the place of a real shift kit.

Other options that you could consider if you can afford it,
Steel planetary gears for forward, and overdrive. Reverse is also available, but not needed IMO. There is an upgrade kit out there that has the overdrive 4 pinion steel planetary, 6 pinion steel forward planetary, roller bearing center support, and some updated shafts and thrust bearings to complete the upgrade.

If you want to go nuts, you can go with red eagle clutch packs, but other than for racing, I feel they are an overkill.



If you are seriously considering building you own transmission, then I strongly advise the first thing you buy are 2 ATSG manuals for the E4OD transmission. The first one is the rebuild manual, and the second one is the upgrade manual. They are both the same size, so that should give you an idea for just how much the design has changed over the the years. After reading through both of them, then decide if you still want to tackle it.

I didn't have much choice because there were not real tranny shops in town, and I didn't trust the other ones further away.
Newer overdrive one way roller clutch

 

Well I know there is at least one 87 4x extended cab green and tan there somewhere.

 

and how do u know that star i wonder

 

David85,
I have the OEM core for my truck and have thought about having it rebuilt with upgrades but have gotten little information about what upgraded parts are available. Is what you are suggesting relative to my truck and if so are there any more upgrades you might suggest? Good info. Scott

Upgrades that are critical, are:

roller bearing center support (depending on the year of the factory build, or later rebuild, it may already have this)
Anything turboharged needs a billet torque converter,
1995 model pump offers 15% more fluid flow (anything rebuilt by ford should have this, but not all jobber shops do it, so read the fine print if looking at a rebuilt)
Big cooler. Make sure your OEM is not restricted if you choose to still use it in series with your aftermarket cooler.
Valve body shift kit. Do not use an electronic line pressure riser in the place of a real shift kit.

Other options that you could consider if you can afford it,
Steel planetary gears for forward, and overdrive. Reverse is also available, but not needed IMO. There is an upgrade kit out there that has the overdrive 4 pinion steel planetary, 6 pinion steel forward planetary, roller bearing center support, and some updated shafts and thrust bearings to complete the upgrade.

If you want to go nuts, you can go with red eagle clutch packs, but other than for racing, I feel they are an overkill.

 

We loaded it at my shop and sent it down there.

 

Hey Scott,

If your core is an OEM 1994, then thats already a decent starting point. There should be some better roller clutches (sprags) in there and you should already have the roller bearing center support. I'm going to incluse pricing info, but keep in mind, a lot of this could be out of date by now.

The planetaries are probably good enough for stock power settings, since there should be 4 pinion aluminum carriers throughout. However, if you can afford it, I would advise at least replacing the overdrive and forward planets with steel if you intend to run turbo boost or lots of towing. Forward planetary could be found for $60 each, or $90 for the overdrive and new input shaft.

The reverse planet is also available in a 6 pinion steel, but in all honesty, the gear ratio is so flipp'n tall that you will probably overheat the transmission by slipping the converter in reverse long before you break the reverse planet even if its a 3 pinion aluminum, but I suspect you have a 4 pinion aluminum set throughout. Do not try to push a trailer up a long, steep incline in reverse with an E4OD. Its just a limitation that you have to live with unless you have a transfer case or underdrive to get you enough torque to the axles.

Pumps can be Found on Ebay for decent prices sometimes, but you will have to inspect them to verify that they are not damaged. Your other option is to pay a bit more for a reconditioned one. Prices range from $100-300 last I checked. Got mine used for $70 before shipping. The $40 shift kit I bought had enough upgrades in it to replace all of the pump valves with better steel upgrades, so it ended up being better than new. Many of the reconditioned pumps have similar upgrades so ask for details before buying. You want to be looking for "F5", "F7" or "F8" pumps. F5 is for 1995, F7 for 1997 and F8 for 1998. Do not buy an older pre 1995 pump because thats what you already have anyway. Ask vendors about that before ordering because they had better know about this. If not, walk away.

The overdrive clutch pack is a little weak in the E4OD (what else is new). Normally, there are only 2 friction elements, but there is a ford authorized update that changes this to 3 elements. I did this and 3-4 shifts are very crisp everytime. Some go as far as 4 elements. You will need to buy a different backing plate for the 3-4 clutch pack and one extra friction and steel plate for this upgrade. It sounds complicated but is in fact very easy to do and all the parts simply pop in without modding anything in the case.

A similar upgrade is available for the 2-3 clutch pack that upgrades it from a 4 friction clutch to a 5 friction clutch. Some heavier E4ODs came from factory with this while lighter gasser versions only had 3 friction elements. I believe I am still running a 4 friction in mine, since its nearly an identical design to the C6, and we know that those have no problem surviving behind a diesel. I should also mention that this upgrade is more involing than the overdrive upgrade because you will have to replace the drum as well.

Torque converters.......
These are almost like tires in that you get what you pay for, but the most expensive is usually not the best deal.
Some things you want to look for are;

Furnace brazed blades (factory ones are *gasp* cimped together),
anti-balooning re enforcing (this keeps them from "exploding"),
Billet front cover (not mandatory unless turbocharging)
multi clutch lockup (2 is adequate, 3 is better, 4 is usually overkill for most towing/turbocharging and you will pay a premium)
Low stall (~1400RPM is a good range)
Upgraded lockup clutch piston (be sure to ask them about this one!!!! if it cracks you get the dreaded converter clutch slip code and you will have to replace it again)

Converters are also something that you want to buy locally if a all possible because of the higher cost and the fact that you can't inspect their work before putting it in your truck. This forces you to rely more on their warranty so be careful who you order from.

Clutches, bearings, gears, and other soft/hard parts can be inspected right out of the box. Converters are wielded shut, so you can't see the brazing, lockup clutch, and other upgrades that you are paying for. Prices also vary widely.

I paid $740CAD a couple years ago while there are some on the web that are anywhere from $300 to $1200 and up. Also bear in mind that local shops and retailers know full well what the prices of online parts are these days. Internet prices are now often the higher end of the scale, so do shop around and rattle some cages.

And once again, I can't stress enough to get both manuals before tackling something like this.

 

Hey guys, reading through your posts on xmissions - whoda thought they were that complex interms of upgrading. My take is to pull 10,000 pounds with an older 350 auto you need to be seriously prepared - would it be cheaper to just slap a manual tranny in the thing? Thanks for the mega info.

 

it would handly it but i would say manles is allways better in my book

 

Yea but unfortunely even the manuals with overdrive are not as tough as the old 4spd's.
The six speeds are considered by some to be as tough (no expieriance here) but not a bolt in option for these trucks.

 

and your egts were probly higher than mine with what i do to mine

 

David85,
Hey Scott,

If your core is an OEM 1994, then thats already a decent starting point. There should be some better roller clutches (sprags) in there and you should already have the roller bearing center support. I'm going to incluse pricing info, but keep in mind, a lot of this could be out of date by now.

Wow, I had no idea there was so much that could be done to bullet proof the E4OD! But just to be clear I've seen the blow up of the trans and it made me dizzy, definitely over my skill level. I know a few fellows that do this type of work in Quebec where I spend the summer and one guy here in NH that has alot of rebuild experience (more Mopar than Ford) but I'm not sure that the three combined could approach your skill level based on what you said. Maybe I'll have to take a Steelhead trip to BC!. My thinking was to assist whoever did the labor so I can gain some hands on experience. I will get the two manuals regardless. Thanks again for your enlightening input. Scott