HELP: C-6 shift question

My C-6 transmission, when in drive, takes off in 2nd gear. If I put it in low, it takes off in 1st as it should. But, when in drive should it not take off in 1st?

HELP please...........

 

what year is it? Sounds like normal behavior for early ones....

 

Sounds like an FMX or Cruise A Matic (not C6) - They were Designed that way!

 

The Govenor ( inside tail housing) is sticking. Sometimes backing up ( as fast as posible) will free them up. Otherwise remove the tail housing and take it apart and clean it.

 

Early C6s do start in Second in the D selector position...you either have to select the 1 position, or, depending on the vehicle & the linkage, and how it's adjusted, you need to use full throttle to make it start in First.

This holds true through, I think, mid-'67....don't quote me on that, however.

As Don stated, Cruise-O-Matics and Ford-O-Matics did the same thing....except the Ford-O has some additional quirks...

 

X2 on the governor. Pretty common problem. It doesn't take much to make one stick.

 

As do the Cruise-o-matics do, there are two drive ranges, commonly known as D1 and D2 (small dot, big dot on some quadrants). D1 starts in 1st and shifts to 2nd and 3rd, D2 starts in 2nd and shifts to 3rd. I agree that this is normal for the early C6 automatics. Don't recall what year they changed it but it was somewhere around the late 60's early 70's.

You should have 6 positions on the C6. PRND1D2L.

Furdomatics were single range Cruise-o-matics with Dr normally starting in 2nd and shifting to 3rd. You could stomp on it at stop and get a 1st gear start, which would then shift up to 2nd and 3rd. These were similar to BW transmissions, although BW used the one way sprag (like the Cruise-o-matics did for D1 range) to get a 1st gear start. The BW transmissions were single range units (PRNDL), but 3 speeds in DR.

Probably nothing wrong with your transmission like Squirrel mentioned.

 

They changed the valve body in 67 for the start in first, PRND21 selections.

For the earlier valve bodies do the "shuffle"

from another site;

"You hold it down in low...The lowest position.

When you want it to hit second you go up and hit normal drive...The second it hits Second, You Tear the shifter back into low (Or else the ****** will stay in second gear for all of about a second then hit third)

Hold Low until you want to hit third, then put the car in normal drive.."

 

Put it in drive and drive it through the gears and when you slow down to a stop brake torque it (one foot firmly on brake pedal and give it a good amount of gas) and if you feel a thud like it's popping into 1st gear it's the gov primary valve. Just take off again normal and if it now feels like 1st gear it's the gov. If it is the gov. and you havn't opened a cooler line or had the pan off lately it may not be real good news. Keep us informed and good luck.

 

Forgot to mention if you do the brake torque thing make sure your motor mounts are in good shape

 

Mine is out of a 62 model. If that is one that is supposed to start in 2nd, can it be corrected in any way? Maybe change out the valve body? It is a P,R,N,D,2,1 shifter.

 

C6 means 1966 in fordspeak, that's the first model year the C6 transmission was used (the beginning of the part numbers for all the parts on them is C6...). If you have a Ford transmission from 1962, it is not a C6.

So you have a Cruise-o-matic or something. You can manually start out in 1, then shift to D once you get going, if you're in a hurry. Otherwise, just let it start out in second, you'll probably get a bit better mileage too.

 

the C6 has a throttle pressure rod . if its not adjusted correctly it will do that , also a stuck governor will make it pull off in second.

 

If it is a Cruise-O-Matic, you might check with Jay Robarge at Broader Performance..he's developed some mods for them. http://broaderperformance.com/

 

I have a C6 in a very light car - '33 Willys. It was doing the same thing. Cruising around it seemed to start off in second gear. If I put it in "D" and floored it from a stop it would run up through all three gears. I think the vacuum modulator that controls the part throttle shift points was calibrated for a heavier car. I put in a B&M adjustable modulator and after a little trial and error it now starts in low and shifts through the gears properly.

 

Squirrel is correct the c-6 was born in 66 and the c-4 was born in 64.

 

Hmm, any way of telling what year it is? The car is a 59 Ranchero, the engine is a 62 FE, but I was told it had a C-6 (I don't know the year). I will be pulling the engine & ****** after next week and can look the, What do I look for to tell the year?

 

If it's a one piece aluminum case it's probably a C6.




if it has a separate bellhousing and cast iron middle section it's probably a Cruiso

 

It is a one piece aluminum ******. I am certain that it is a C6, just not sure what year it is. I am pulling the engine & ****** next week so I'll see what kind of codes are on it.

What am I looking for to tell the year model?

 

There's a metal tag thats bolted to the intermediate servo cover. If Ammco or some builders were in it they throw the tag away.Good luck. Lots of good stuff you can do with a C-6

 

Before you pull it you should find out if it's a gov. prob of not, that way when you have it out and apart you know what your after besides rebuilding it. Most ****** guys will always want to drive the vehicle before they pull the ******. Let us know maybe we can help.

 

OK, I tried the reverse deal. I doesn't change anything. Also, I did the start in low thing, hit it hard and shifted to 2nd. Once it hit second, I jerked it back to low, she stayed in 2nd. After she rapped out some, I shifted it to 3rd, she shifted fine. If I start out in low, hit her hard and then shift to 2nd, it shifts to 2nd for about a mini second, then straight to 3rd. So, I am ***uming that I have an "early" c-6 trans.

Can the valve body be changed out on these to the later version so she starts out in low?

Also, who can do this for me in the Houston area?

 

Brian,

I don't "think" it can be updated, but I can't swear to it. If memory serves the early case is different as well to match the VB. I think I'd probably talk to a transmission guy to verify.

You might check with Jay at Broader Performance...he has experience with them, I believe...http://www.broaderperformance.com/

 

The early C-6's satrt out in low and shift through the gears normally when in D1 and start in second and shift to high when in D2.
The only time (other than being in D2) I have seen one not start out in low was if the governor was sticking.

If you start in L or 1 and hit it hard then shift to 2nd it will probably not drop back to low if shifted back to low because it is designed to not shift into low above a certain speed.

You need to be sure which C-6 you have before you try to decide if it is shifting properly and what the cause of any problem is.

 

If it was ever a reman trans it could have a 66 valve body and it can be a 66 trans and thats normal,try putting it where 2nd would be and see what happens. If it goes through all the gears in the spot where 2nd is then you have a 66 trans or 66 valve body.

 

hey beep, iv been building tannies for 35 years.
c6, hell just role about 20 mph, fast enofe so it wont catch, and shove it in park for2 or 3 good seconds.
the loaded parking paul will will buzz off the lock and vibrate the piss outta the governor, 9 outta 10 tomes dislodging the stuck valve.
you can do this several times till it frees up, as long as your going 20 it wont catch, sounds crazy but iv done it a million times.
and if its designed to take off in 2nd, it will have a little green got i think with a little circle around it on the selector.
they where designed to take off in 2nd cause the engine didn't need the low gear to pull off, unless you where loaded then throttle demand would force it to start in 1st.
hope this helps.
elwood

 

OK, thanks guys, but a little explanation is needed here.

First: This car originally had either a Cruisomatic or Fordomatic in it. Whatever came in 1959 Fords as standard equipment back then when using a 332 CI engine. The shift lever on the dash has P, R, N, D, D2, L (there is no "green spot).
Second: The transmission is in-fact a C-6. As to what year, I don't know. Of course the tag is missing.
Third: Although the shift point indicator on the dash lines up (more or less) with the transmission lever, IE, when ****** is in low, the gear indicator shows low (sort of), when it indicates it is d, the ****** is in D also.
Fourth: I need this sum***** to start off in low........................
Fifth: Go 20 or so and throw here into Park?????????? Holy ****, are you sure?

 

We used to do "Reverse Drops". Go to about 20 mph and shift to Reverse. The whole truck would shudder pretty good,lol. Then stop and use Drive - 1,2,3. Might take up to three tries but it would work.
Never tried Park, but I've seen it fixed probably 20 times in differant C6's. They said it freed up a stuck valve body. It would cure the pulling out in 2nd problem.

 

Thanks, but damn,,,,,,,,,20mph, then reverse or park,,,,,,,,kind of a scary thought. But, I guess no pain, no gain.

 

If it helps I'll tell you I've done the reverse thing but not the park one although I know the park pawl won't lock in if moving (a saftey thing).
I have used the reverse trick and it works. Just be sure you are off the gas.

I agree. It makes you nervous to do it and it makes you nervous to tell someone else to try it too.

ps. If you do the park thing don't let it get much below 20 before you pull it back out of park.