Oops!!! it seams that Duecemac cought me in the middle of a brain fart and I now look like an idiot. I meant not over-drive but a dual range transmission with three manual up-and-down shifts. The c6 was built from 1966 - 1973 and it had been some time since I have had to work with one. My 1968 F-100 had a c6. I am now more famiiar with the fordomatic and it's sister the cruise-o-matic that later became the fmx. And there were two versions of the c4 there was also the c4s. The control levers were not used on the c4s transmission on the left side of the valve body. Sorry again to mis-inform you.
The C-4 was built in Dual Range from 64-66 that was the version where you had Low, Drive (which actually started in Second) aka the Green Dot, and normal drive And Select Shift from 67-79, which allowed manual shifts of all three gears. (like you mentioned for the C6) There was also the C5 which was a C4 with a lock up converter and the C3 which was a "Light Duty" version of the C4. (P.O.S.) No where have I ever heard of or seen reference to a C4S And they built the C6 from 66 until 1996!
I prefer the C4. It's smaller and lighter. If and when I change out the one in my Merc,i'm going with a 302/C4 combo.
The C-3 was ALL it's own. It was a French piece of junk that Ford brought to these shores in the mid '70's for light duty. The only thing good about those were they broke all the thime and kept beans on my plate. I ford's infinite lack of wisdom, they chose to make the C-3 into the A4LD and kept the flow of trash transmissions alive. Why they didn't modify the C-4 into a real overdrive like they did the C-6 to E4OD, I'll never know. But A4LD's kept me fed and clothed also but sure screwed lots of customers because of poor design
I have a friend that owns a trans shop and he specializes in high performance ******s. He also drag races a blown and injected 2500 hp 72 Mustang bodied record holder. He had built a C4 and had many p***es on it but just couldnt keep it together, he claims it out performed the C6 he originally built for it. He told me the C6 will eat up 60 HP, where the C4 is only around 20-25 HP. He then built a Chevy 350 turbo with an adapter to mount to the monster big block Ford he runs. That out performed both C4 & C6 trans and only consumed around 15 HP but still couldnt keep it together. So now hes running a $25,000 Liberty air shift! I have several friends that drag race Fords and all run C4's with no problems. I had a 69' Mustang street car with a built 351CJ motor/C4 Trans and I could shift all day at 8000 R's never grenaded the ******!
AOD if its a streetcar. I just replaced the c4 in my 40 sedan with an AOD. Very pleased after 30 k miles. The AOD is a bit fatter but the overall dim's are about the same. For freeway/highway the od sure is nice.
We just did a 351w with a C4 AOD, 411 gears in a 57' Ford. Nice combo, great take off and low R's on the highway!
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