Daily driving with a C4??

[The Shape]

I happened upon an '89 5.0 notch I can pick up really cheaply because it has a bad AOD . Well actually it has no transmission in it since the owner took it out to have it rebulit and lost interest in the car all together. I really don't NEED another car but at such a cheap price I hate to turn it down. Anyway as for the tranny I was thinking of going with one of the cheaper C4's from PA. Most of my driving is in town, hell the AOD in my '87 probably only gets shifted into OD maybe once a month. Even though I don't plan on driving this notch I am looking at across the country or anything I would still like to be able to jump on the interstate and run to Memphis (45 mins) or Little Rock (1 1/2 hour) if I get ready to. I am sure the car has stock 2:73 gears in it still. I don't know alot about the C4 would the RPM's on the interstate be close to what my AOD is with OD locked out or is the 3d gear on the C4 a higher ratio? I know people drove cars with C4's in them for years before OD was even an option , but I just wanna make sure I won't be turning 3500 RPM's at 70 either.

 

[ohyouknow]

3rd in the c-4 should be 1 to 1 which would be the same as third in the aod if im not mistaken

would be fine if you dont go to high with the gearing, if you do its a real pain............ 275/40/17's and 3.73's reads about 3800 on the stock tach(not to accurate) but its up there, and it got to the point highway driving was just to much for me lol

 

[The Shape]

Thanks for the response. I am planning on keeping the stock gears and stock 15'' tires.

 

[Scorcher2005]

Thanks for the response. I am planning on keeping the stock gears and stock 15'' tires.

the tires arent 15", the wheels are. I believe the stock tire is something like 225/55/15. If thats what your running, the tire diameter is around 25"

 

[The Shape]

Right that's what I meant the stock siize tires. 225/60/R15

 

[HISSIN50]

Or James, were you not once thinking of switching from an auto to a stick (conversion)? How about do this with this new acquisition?

I always wondered how bad highway revs were too. I like your thinking with the venerable C4.

 

[The Shape]

Yeah JT I was also thinking of going the manual route. If I can find the parts used at the right price I might, but I am thinking since the car is already set up for an auto it would be cheaper to go the c4 route.

 

[The Shape]

Also I may be wrong seeing as I have never owned a car with a C4 , but isn't the shift pattern 1-2-d wich would allow you to manually shift if you wanted or just stick it in D and cruise? Have I got that right or not??

 

[The Shape]

Can anyone confirm or deny that this is the C4 shift patern? And if so am I right in thinking you can hold any gear as long as you want unlike a stock AOD?

 

[HISSIN50]

I am curious too. bump.

 

[bobcatv8]

No problem. I've run a C-4 for years in many cars, even in a Ranchero with a 351M engine! High gear is 1:1 just like 3rd in an AOD or 4th in a T-5. The loss of an overdrive gear will definitely affect highway MPG but should be negligible in around town driving. The C-4 is comparable in strength to the AOD, they share the same Ford part numbers with the clutches and steel plates. {BTW, the C-6 and E4OD share the same clutches as each other too}. A properly built C-4 will snap nicely when manually shifted and is perfect behind any Ford smallblock V-8. The stock shift pattern on a C-4 is 1-2-D and using the stock valve body will do exactly like you want. I raced my wagon for years using a stock Pinto/Bobcat C-4 shifter and it worked perfectly. I liked it better than the POS Quarter Stick I had in a Maverick before. Ran 12's all day and never missed a shift. Just make sure your shift linkage is correct and adjusted properly and you will be good to go! I think with 2.73 rear gear you might not fare too badly on the highway either.

 

[Michael Yount]

With that rear gear and tire size, you should be somewhere around 2300 rpm at 65 in top gear. It'll be workable on the highway -- that's about what my car is with 3.73's in 5th -- I get 25-27 mpg on the highway.

 

[The Shape]

Thanks Bobcat that is what I needed to know I wanted the option of manually shifting sounds like the C4 will be perfect. And thanks for giving me an Idea of RPM' Michael sounds like 70 on the highway will be no problem for no more than I plan on doing it.

 

[HISSIN50]

I raced my wagon for years using a stock Pinto/Bobcat C-4 shifter and it worked perfectly.

Is that the wagon that Jerry bought off ya? It sounded like a fun little ride.

James, I cant remember if you have gears or not in the other stangs, but FWIW I am turning 2100 RPM in top gear in the '94 at 70 MPH (with a super loud exhaust) and it is not bad. I kinda wish there was one more cog, but it is not bad.
The 4.10 guys are in your C4 territory with AOD(E)'s and dont seem to mine either (why am I saying this; you know it all).

The reason Michael gets such good milage is that he engineered a plasma inverter, which when coupled with his anti-matter generator, allows him to get 27 MPG.

 

[The Shape]

Still have the stock gears in the '87 and my rpm's are about the same as you have in the '94. Oh and I definently don't know it all. Hope I never do because then there would be nothing left to learn and life would get boring quick. How are you liking the AODE in the '94 so far anyway?

 

[HISSIN50]

How are you liking the AODE in the '94 so far anyway?

Sometimes it is actually pretty nice (driving in traffic, driving while tired, errand running, etc). But sometimes annoys me. I just dont like how it shifts quick if I stand on it and then let off cuz traffic levels off [because some moron is trying to drink coffee and pick his nose at the same time]. I end up in 3rd real quick, at 30 mph.
I think a manual valve body would make me pretty happy (I dont like manually shifting autos, let alone electronic autos. A C4 or 6 would be different). I think I might end up TwEECering the '94 to get the timing and fuel tables how I want, but that is an SN issue (which is exacerbated by not being able to control shift times. O.D. lugging at 1200 RPM = detonation).
But it is not bad and I am getting more used and accustomed to it - I can see why you like them. I was not sure before, but now I understand why guys like the autos.

 

[Camman]

I just thought I would chime in about the green dot c-4. The odds of you having one are pretty slim, but the stock shift pattern on those is simply 2-D. But manually shifting it works to go 1-2-d

 

[The Shape]

Yeah I have read about those somewhere. Weren't they mostly from 65-66?

 

[hllon4whls]

The stock shifting pattern on a C4 is PRND21, not 12D. A valve body change can mod it to 12D.

To see what any car would be like without OD, just drive around in 4th (5speed) or 3rd in AOD.

With 273's it wouldnt be too bad for a 45-1.5 hour trip. Expect MPG to be in the 15-18 range (guess).

 

[bobcatv8]

Yup Hissin', That's the one! It was a lot of fun, ugly as sin and way faster than it looked ! Just got tired of all my toys and cleaned out. I sold all 5 of my ATVs, my 66 F100 that I bought in 1978, my car trailer and all! If I can get motivated enough I'll get started on the Bobcats replacement soon.


hllon, I shifted pushing the shifter foward so I was able to use the stock valve body. The Pinto shifter I used was real tight and notched right into gear every time. I used the stock neutral safety switch and passing tech was never a problem, even at Gainesville. If I ever got serious and made some real HP I would have done the aftermarket shifter route, just NOT a QuarterStick!