460 Ford Forum banner

Really thinking I want an overdrive transmission

9K views 27 replies 8 participants last post by  CarsByCarl 
#1 ·
My 521 has a fully built C6 with a 3000 stall 10" non lockup converter. Rear gears are 3.55 in a ford 8.8, this is all stuffed in my 87 firebird. The trans used a deep aluminum pan, remote trans filter and also has a super duty trans cooler that's about the size of a radiator.

Its officially warm out and that means car shows and such and I drove my car to a show that was 20 miles away and my trans seems to be overheating. Engine temps get to 190-210 and my trans got to 220-225. This is cruising at 55-60mph at 2800-3000 rpms and its killing my motor and gas! I love the C6 bc I won't be able to break it but an overdrive with a lockup would be perfect and maybe I could actually drive this thing farther than 10 miles away. Trans temps drop to like 200 or so when I get off the highway and stuff.

Anyway I've been looking at my options. Either a E40D with a trans controller, and AOD or a block adapter with a 700r4 or something right? I've rebuilt a few 700r4s and they can handle 700hp reliably. I don't think I want the AOD and I think the E40D is also a good choice. I know the gear vendors unit are good but I loose alot bc I can't have a lockup converter with the GV C6 setup.

What do you guys recommend? And what's the cheapest route? I see the E40Ds for like 2000$ plus core charge and all I would need is a controller and my driveshaft shortened and such. 700r4 would be nice but the adapters are like 500$.

Motor is prob making 550hp and has a NOS kit but prob won't use it for more than 50-150 on track days which won't happen often.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
My racing buddy and best friend races fords, he has 2 fox body stangs. His drag car is a LX coupe stang or the "lightest" one with a very mild 302. Stock 302 with a small can and OTB aluminum heads, prob around 300ish Hp, then he hits it with a 100shot and the car runs 11.4s all day. He had his AOD built twice in a 1 year period, original AOD build had lots of money into it with alot of upgrades and he basically broke it 2nd time at the track. Welded one of the internals right together and lost reverse. Then getting it on the trailor he lost the rest of it. That's when we tore it apart to see what happened and now its been rebuilt again. It's this experience I want to stay away from the AOD, I've built a few 700r4s without any issues behind some 460hp
Motors. Basically I know what he put in the AOD and then again and it's way more than my 700r4 builds and they held up better.
 
#3 ·
From my research and why I chose the 4r70w is that it is newer and can be built fairly strong and it is built on the AOD platform. I considered the 700r4 but it is an older transmission and you can't get hard parts for them anymore, wreckers only. There area ton of 700r4's out there but in the end the all come out similar in cost for an OD. The E4OD can be built as well but in a lot of cases it's just too big to fit under trans tunnels.

D


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#5 ·
It is personal preference, if you like the 700r4 do that it will do well. Check out this page, that is where I bought my adapter very pleased with it. There is a guy on this forum with a 700r4 behind his bbf, I think he is quick52 or something similar and he is very happy with his setup.

D

http://www.transmissionadapters.com/Pricing.htm


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#6 ·
That adapter from that site which I saw is 875$!!! I thought these things were like 450-500$. That's the cost of a really good converter and will run more than the controller for the E40D.

Any cheaper ones?
 
#7 ·
You are $3000 easy for an OD but it is probably one of the best things I did. Just order a piece at a time and you will be happy.

D


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#9 ·
I bought the 4stb-e from FBperformance, to go with the PI lockup converter I already had.
It's almost ready to come off the jackstands, so can't really comment yet.
It has a fwd manual, with a button for OD and another one for lockup. When I tap the brake, both will disengage.
I live pretty far out in the sticks, so without OD, it would cost me a fortune to cruise into the cities.
On the other hand, with the price of the trans, I guess it would be accurate to say it STILL cost me a fortune to drive into
town. Ugh!
 
#10 ·
4r70w with a JW bell and a constant pressure manual vb. with the right parts it will hold up, JW's bell is for AOD but will fit the 4r70 with minor modification, and they now make them deeper so you can use a true lockup converter, not the 2 input shaft mechanical type lockup the AOD has(that cant handle ****). Im building one right now to put behind my 521 SCJ headed motor
 
#11 ·
Well another reason I want to go 700r4 is that the trans tunnel was originally setup for a 700r4 so I know it will fit.

Does anyone have any pics of the adapters installed? Reason I'm asking is about firewall clearances and such. Does it push the trans bell housing farther away than the original C6?
 
#16 ·
#17 ·
That's exactly the same part I posted last lol.

Looks like a winner. Might be able to save some money as I might not need the flexplate. Think I remember mine being drilled for both ford and GM converters. Will have to check
 
#18 ·
the adapter I used was a coan around $350... it is a mid plate also so I cut it down as close as I could to the engine.... not much left afterwards then I polish the outer 1/2" width looks great... with the coan setup you can use your ford flex plate and starter... and crank adapter will be needed also of coan $125... I have my 700r4 in a 1952 F1 truck behind a 472 BBF been working fine for 4 year's... Did take out the converter clutch doing full throttle lockups... Truck runs a best of 11.31 @ 118 on motor and !0.50s on hose
 
#19 ·
Thanks guys, made up my mind. Got a used 2004R and just threw about $1350 into it to basically make it bullet proof to over 800ftlbs. Thinking ill have about $2,800 into the whole setup with everything including adapter kit, converter, lockup harness, DS lengthening. Went with the 2004R as they have a better gear selection, the 700R4's first 3.06 first gear used to annoy the hell outa me with a 450hp 383.

So the C6 will be for sale!
 
#20 ·
Make sure to do a build thread so we have another OD reference. Excited for you as my OD is one of the best things I have done for my rod.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#22 ·
Ha I'm going to do the new holley terminator efi and enable the timing control function. Great minds think alike. :)


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#23 ·
One thing I haven't confirmed is the timing adjustment, does that mean we can't run a non ecu controlled distributer? Something like the duraspark wouldn't work correct?

Which distributers can we use?
 
#24 ·
Depends on the model but yours probably doesn't control timing, only the brand new versions do. You can keep your carb style distributor for the standard fast efi.

D


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#25 ·
Yea that's what fast said too. But the standard fast EZ EFI is only able to support 550hp barely which means It won't work on mine correctly. Guy here is selling his barely used fast EZ EFI for like $900 but its no good for my application.

So basically most of the billet MsD and stuff basically just run a mag pickup and can't control timing either, fast said it would work with there new 2.0 version I believe. It prob just manipulates the signal from the distributer. I forgot to ask if they allow u to run an aftermarket CDI box as well
 
#26 ·
I know that the new holley terminator will work with a crank trigger or without, you have to run a TFI style distributor with it like the 8453. I contacted Danny Cabral and he highly recommended the new system, and he has a ton of tech work into the holley product. Plus I think the newer systems support upto 1200hp.

D


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top