6 Speed Transmission in 70 F100

[texasjammer1]

A buddy of mine was suggesting putting in a 6 speed in my 70 F100... to save gas on the highway.....

Has any done this? Thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks

[ultraranger]

I presume your friend is referencing the Tremec T-56 6-speed that came in the SVT Cobra Mustangs?

[CNM67]

Are these car trannys HD enough to push our big trucks around?

[ultraranger]

Are these car trannys HD enough to push our big trucks around?

I'm not certain of the weight of the Cobras but my '03 Mach 1 weighs someting over 3,500 lbs, which is about the same weight as my SWB '69 F100 Ranger.

The '03/'04 Cobra 4.6L engines were Eaton supercharged. Ford rated the Cobra at 390 hp but they put out well over 400. The weight of a typical Bump shouldn't be a problem for a T-56 and even a fairly modified 302/351W shouldn't be a problem for the transmission.

[Calfdemon]

But will a T-56 work with an FE motor? Or does there need to be a motor swap as well to run a T-56?

[hazelnut]

They make a bellhouseing to beable to use one behind a FE. I think a T-56 will hold up as long as the truck was being used as a car would, If it was put into a worktruck thats hauling a heavy load most of the time i don't think its going to last very long. Our trucks are about as aerodynamic as a sheet of plywood and would always have a strain on the transmission unlike a car that will cut throught the wind IMO.

[HIO Silver]

I recently talked to Modern Driveline at a Goodguys event about a TKO-500/600 (5-speeds) which I plan to do on my 70. Besides the Quicktime bellhousing, ya gotta spec the tranny with a 10-spline, shortened input shaft (6.75).... plus the shifter needs to go to the back of the tranny requiring an different shift tower. So, I know it's a 5-speed and your question is about a 6-speed, but the tally just for a TKO-500 will come out to around $4000.... $2300 for the TKO-500, $600 for the bellhousing, $400 for the shifter, and a clutch package. Wanna go hydraulic clutch? Then tack on another $300 or so... plus having a driveshaft made up... and since you're there opt for 1350 U-joints.

But wait, there's more! If ya got 3.50 rear gears (or numerically lower) then the T56's 0.64 sixth gear will be geared waaay too low. A 4.10 rear gear will equate to 2.64 final drive ratio.. Better have an engine that makes torque down under. .. A 4.56 rear gear will equate to a 2.91 final drive and better suited for the FE.

Hope ya got a donor T-56 for cheap cuz one from MDL is $2900... plus the cost to go 10-spline and a shortened input shaft. With a TKO-500, it's an off-the-shelf tranny that they already offer.

Good luck with your decision... I'm going with the TKO-500 to maintain some modicum of simplicity and another gear isn't gonna really help out. Can it eek out 22 mpg? We'll see!!

http://moderndriveline.com/index.html

[ultraranger]

The T-56 is a double overdriven transmission --5th gear is overdriven and 6th gear is also overdriven.

Some T-56 1st gear ratios differ but typical gearing is:

1st 2.66

2nd 1.78

3rd 1.30

4th 1:1

5th .74

6th .50

1993-1997 T-56 is rated for 350 ft/lbs. 1998-later are rated for 450 ft/lbs. (interestingly enough, a Ford 4R70W automatic
4-speed overdrive transmission has more torque capacity than the T-56. The 4R70W, without any enhancements, is rated for 516 ft/lbs.).

[HIO Silver]

An stand-alone electronic controller for a 4R70W ranges from $600 to $800. A reman tranny is about $3500.

[ultraranger]

An stand-alone electronic controller for a 4R70W ranges from $600 to $800. A reman tranny is about $3500.

I have a Baumann Optishift controller for the 4R70W I'll be putting in my '69 Ranger. The stand-alone shift controller was $450.00. I plan to rebuild the transmission myself. I got the transmission, torque converter, block plate, wiring harness, dipstick & tube from U-Pull-it for $138.00. I bought a 2500 stall converter, Alto Red Eagle performance trans rebuild kit and an SFI-rated flexplate from PATC in Bossier City, Louisianna for just under $800.00.

If you're not rebuilding a core transmission yourself, you can get a professionally rebuilt one for much less than $3,500.00.

http://www.monstertrans.com/store/categ ... eavy-Duty/

These transmissions came in passenger cars as well as the full-sized Ford F150s so, they are not "car" transmissions. The 4R70Ws for a 4.6L/5.4L will not bolt up to a 'Windsor' block pattern but the 3.8L/3.9L/4.2L 5.0L 4R70Ws will. Easy way to know if the 4R70W will bolt to a 'windsor' block pattern is if it has (2) starter bolt holes in the bell. If there are (3) starter bolt holes, it's for a 4.6l/5.4L engine. Best 4R70Ws to have came from the 1998-up Ford vehicles.

The 4R transmission is very tough, can withstand more than 650 HP (with added mods to the trans), and can propel a 3500 + lbs vehicle (which is about the weight of an average F100) into the 9 and sub-9 second range, in the quarter. --I'm not saying with this transmission and a high horse power engine that your F100 would necessarily be able to run similar times as the Mustangs in the links below. The F100s have the aerodynamics of a brick. The point I'm illustrating is if the 4R70W is more than capable of handling a heavier vehicle and can stand up to lots of horse power being sent through it, street use would definitely be no problem.

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnGgEbmvfeI

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC7GkT8QExc

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQz4pwKG ... re=related

[HIO Silver]

Cool.. the price for a 4R70W sure has come down since I priced one out for my 01 S'crew. More options!

[ultraranger]

Cool.. the price for a 4R70W sure has come down since I priced one out for my 01 S'crew. More options!

Yep yep. The 4R70W evolved from the AODE which evolved from the AOD. The 4R70W is a far superior transmission to the other two and is one of the all time best automatic overdrive transmissions Ford has ever produced. It will handle anything from a grocery getter to an all-out sub-9 second strip car, and anything in between. Of course, it's primarily designed for smaller Ford engines; 3.8L/3.9L/4.2L V-6s, 5.0L (302) Explorer V-8s, and the 4.6L (281 cubic inches) & 5.4L (330 cubic inch) V-8 Mod engines.

If you have a 385-series big block (that would be the 429/460 Ford engines) and are currently running a C-6 but would like to have the advantages of an automatic with an overdrive, the '89-up E4OD would be the logical replacement transmission for those engines. They can easily handle 1000 ft/lbs of torque.

If you do not have a fuel injected engine in your old truck with an ECM/PCM (Engine Control Module/Powertrain Control module) to control the transmission's shifting, that's ok. The stand-alone shift controllers to shift the electronic overdrive transmissions will work with either fuel injected or carbureted engines.

The shift controllers have two modes of operation (at least the Baumann unit does). One setting will control the transmission to factory stock shift parameters. The optional 2nd mode actually allows you to program the shift points and line pressures of the transmission for a 'performance' mode. The two modes can be alternated between just by the simple press of a button.

Naturally, there is more involved to installing a 4R70W into a small-block Bump than there is to throwing in a C-4, small-block C-6 or an AOD, but it's not overly complicated and the 4R70W has far more capabilities and avantages than any of these others --and C4's/C-6's don't have overdrive. The initial effort & expense is quickly made up for, once it is installed and operational.

I see references to transmissions like the 4R70W as being a "car" transmission and will something like a "car" transmission hold up to a "heavy" vehicle, like a Bumpside? As I mentioned before, these transmissions didn't just come in the Ford Mustangs and passenger cars. They also came in full-sized F150s too. While it is true the car V-6 versions have (2) less clutches [1 less friction disc in each of 2 drums]. The 4R70W transmission in a 3.8L Mustang is physically the same as one that was installed in a full-sized F150. This means the additional friction discs can be added to those drums to put it on par with the V-8 versions. On a V-8, one of the 4R drums has 5 friction discs compared to the 3.8L Mustang's 4 friction discs. However, it is possible to install up to 7 friction discs in this particular drum. This would put the capacity well above that of the (stock) V-8 version 4R. --the downside to this, though, is there will be more heat generated in the transmission and heat is the killer of automatic transmissions. Regardless of what vehicle you have and regardless of what or how it's used, if it's equipped with an automatic, you should have a quality transmission cooler on it. For every 20-degrees the trans fluid gets above 170, the oil's life is cut in half. If all automatic-equipped vehicles came from the factory with a quality trans cooler, there wouldn't be a lot of transmission repair shops around.

The 4R70W also came in the Crown Victorias. Amazingly enough, the Crown Vics actually weigh more than your average Bumpside.

[youngone]

Lots of good info there .....Thanks.

[Heirloom]

Another option is a Gear Vendor under/overdrive and what ever tranny you want.

[BlueovalFE]

I ordered a Tremec Magnum 6-speed that should be here early next week. Got the clutch, Bellhousing and transmission, plus I bought new 4:11 gears. I'll let you know how it worked out.