5.0L toa C4,C5, or C6 Trans?

[1996BLKBauer]

So I have been reading around, but cannot find a for sure answer, I am stating a drag explorer project here in the spring to summer area, and I want to ditch the 4r70W trans for a C4,C5, or a C6, wiring, and odometer aside, which one bolts to the newer version of our 5.0L engines? I am pretty sure the C4 will, but I heard the C5 bell housing bolts to the 4.0, but the c6 directly bolts to big blocks, but I have also read there are some c6's that bolt to small blocks... is there a link to a ford service manual or something, this stuff is pretty confusing, lol.

Thanks for any input guys, I know I can pick up a trans pretty cheap up at the Jefferson swap meet in the spring, so I got some time to figure this all out anyway.

 

[colintrax]

Should be adapters out there that'll let you bolt up whichever you want. How much HP you planning on pushing? The C6 is a huge HP thief

 

[vroomzoomboom]

pretty much all c4s have a small block bolt pattern. they even came behind a I6 from the late 60's to late 80's. the bell housing is even bolted on to it as well (i have even broke a few when i had my carpi on the road many moons ago). the c5 i can remember any thing about them. now the c6 did have both a big block and small block pattern however the bell is part of the trans and is not removable. two ways to tell a c4 from a c6 is by the bell housing (as mentioned one bolts on, the other doesnt) and its pan. a c4 has a square oil pan. a c6 also has a square pan, but with a small square shape missing from one corner if you know what i am trying to describe to you. the the trade off is yes, a c6 will take more power away then a c4, but a c6 is indestructible compared to a c4. another thing you need to watch for with a c4 is there is two different bell housing sizes. one is a 164 tooth flywheel and i think the other is a 158. it doesnt sound like much, but if you mismatch them, they wont fit one and other.

 

[1996BLKBauer]

So C4 it is, now does it matter what flywheel I get for the explorer? I remember reading something about an imbalanced 50oz? flywheel, does that mean anything? once I know for sure what I need, I will then research the crap out of it to make sure I don't get the wrong one.

I'm looking forward to having a ratchet shifter in a Explorer, should be badass!!!

Thanks a ton guys!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

that is a hell of a good question. i know on my motor (28 ounce balancer) the flywheel looks different then the stock explorer one. i want to say yes, but can say it for sure

 

[1996BLKBauer]

that is a hell of a good question. i know on my motor (28 ounce balancer) the flywheel looks different then the stock explorer one. i want to say yes, but can say it for sure

OK, good to know, I'll dig a little bit deeper to make sure, but if it worked on yours I am sure It would work on mine.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

well, i cant tell you that for sure. the animal i have under the hood is a lot different then yours

 

[1996BLKBauer]

well, i cant tell you that for sure. the animal i have under the hood is a lot different then yours

Well, it wont be too crazy, mild cam, with a small shot of Nitrous, possibly moving up to twin turbos later on. But honestly I could find both variations of the transmission so cheap, that it wouldn't hurt to get both. The fun part about building a custom rig is doing it, even if it is more expensive, at least you made it, and that's all that matters.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

what i mean is my motor is 28oz balanced. i dont know for sure if you can use a flywheel from a 28oz motor on a 50oz motor and vise versa. i will with 99% say no

 

[1996BLKBauer]

what i mean is my motor is 28oz balanced. i dont know for sure if you can use a flywheel from a 28oz motor on a 50oz motor and vise versa. i will with 99% say no

Ah, I see what you mean, well since I will be running a stock 5.0 for the first little bit, I might as well figure out what a stock 5.0L Explorer engine is balanced at...

 

[CDW6212R]

You need to use the flexplate the engine has, 50oz for all mid 80's and newer 5.0's.

The 4R70W is stronger than the C4, and likely the C6 uses up as much power as the 4R70W does. For all out racing, the C4 would be just a hair quicker, but not really enough to be worth it, unless maybe the trans had to come out a few times to swap torque converters or something. The C4 is a little smaller, so easier to R&R.

The 98+ 4R70W's all have the strongest 2nd gear one way clutch, called the mechanical diode. It can swap into any 4R, or AOD or AODE.

With the 4R you can adjust shifting with the same computer tuning(programming) as the engine will get. The tuner can do it all, besides the torque converter stall speed. You have to figure out what the best stall speed should be for your vehicle, and get one built for it.

The 98+ 4R's have a slightly better range sensor and accumulators. You can buy new accumulators for your 96 model, but from the start it'd be best to use a 98 4R to build with. The 2004 Mustang V6 trans is the last of the 4R's that bolt to the 302, and it's got all upgrades built in. Using a 99+ 4R in a 96-98 Explorer requires rearranging the wiring going into the trans connector. It's an easy thing to do, with the little picture showing the wiring changes.