Ford C6 Transmission Info

[19_Chevelle_69]

Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Production: 1966–1996
Predecessor: Cruise-O-Matic
Successor: E4OD
Class: 3-speed longitudinal automatic transmission
Related: Cruise-O-Matic
Similar: Turbo-Hydramatic (GM), TorqueFlite (Chrysler Corp)

The Ford C6 transmission was a heavy-duty automatic transmission built by the Ford Motor Company between 1966 and 1996 for use with large, powerful big-block V8 engines. It featured three forward speeds and reverse.

It was initially built at the Livonia Transmission Plant in Livonia, Michigan, but production was shifted to the Sharonville Transmission Plant near Cincinnati, Ohio during the mid-1980s.

It was very similar to the C4 transmission but could handle greater power. It was used primarily in trucks, although it was also used in some larger cars with big block engines (see Ford FE engine and Ford 385 engines). The transmission is very popular in drag racing today, with units equipped with manual valve bodies and transbrakes, some of which are air shifted.

Factory Applications:

1964–1970 Ford Fairlane
1966–1969 Mercury Comet
1966–1972 Mercury Meteor
1966–1979 Lincolns
1967–1978 Mercury Cougar
1968–1976 Mercury Montego
1968–1978 Ford Torino
1968–1979 Ford Thunderbird
1968–1996 Ford F-Series
1975–1980 Ford LTD
1977–1979 Ford Ranchero
1978–1991 Ford Bronco

[Every_Mn]

So, the C4 would be comparable to the TH350 and TF904, and the C6 would be to the TH400 and TF727? Am I right? Ones for small blocks and the others for big blocks?

[19_Chevelle_69]

Basically true. The 350, 904, and C4 are the lighter duty ones, where the 400, 727 and C6 are the heavy duty models.

[73ranchero]

C6 was also availible for the small block, they had two designs, one for big block bolt patterns (FE, 385 series and 351M 400M) one for small block bolt patterns (289-351C/W). The 351 and 400M are not big blocks and one could easily mistake them as one, they only had the big block bell housing bolt pattern, C4s can also bolt to big blocks with the change out of the bell housing being as it is removable from behind the converter, c4s also carried to different flywheels 164 tooth and 157 tooth. 164 tooth for the Cleveland and 157 tooth for the 289-351W series.

[WINGNUT]

There is a great tech article on the C6 in the November issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.....just read it tonight.

[grezmico]

so this maybe a stupid question but there is only one c6 big block bell housing pattern right? so a c6 that was bolted to a 460 will bolt to a 390?

[75 Squire]

No. the Fe's and the 385's along with the 351M/400 are 2 sepeart bellhousing. There were a limited amounted of C-6's for teh small blocks but those were behind the 'Q' code 351C Cobra Jet engines.