Archives December 2024

Santa, forget the socks and ties this year. I need horsepower under the tree. Santa, bring me tools. I’ve got work to do. This wind’s waiting on my stand, and I need some help from you.

A torque wrench for the heads, a home to clean the board, and a breaker bar so I don’t throw my shoulder out no more. Oh, Santa, bring me tools and parts, a camshaft with a low B, some sturdy springs and headers built to make it rain.

Oh, it’s going to be a Bullnose Christmas. The B-no stands ready, the six still pulls its weight, but there’s a wind on the way to make next Christmas great.

I need a ring compressor, plastic gauge from your sack, and if there’s room, a trimming tool. I promise, Chris, I’ll pay you back.

Oh, Santa, bring me tools and parts, a timing chain, some plugs, that SPK, and it didn’t take man A-F. That sing some rockers, rid and molar. Oh, it’s going to be a Bullnose Christmas.

Here’s the deal, Santa. Next Christmas, I’ll hook up the Bullnose to your sleigh and let Rudolph take the night off. No reindeer can match a Ford Windsor in full stride.

Oh, pack your bag tight. My V8 roars into the night. A bench seat where my kids can play. Next year, we’ll cruise on Christmas Day.

Oh, it’s all going to be a Bullnose Christmas. Thanks, Santa. Cookies and milk are by the tree, and if you’ve got a spare set of valve covers, I wouldn’t complain. Merry Christmas from Bullnose Garage.

This is the Ford C6 transmission built by Ford to be a rugged automatic capable of handling their V8 lineup. It’s pulled its weight in everything from daily drivers to stump pullers, off-road rigs, and tire smoking strip machines. Hi folks, Ed here. Welcome back to Bullnose Garage. Today we’re shining a spotlight on one of Ford’s toughest and most iconic transmissions, the C6 automatic. Its sheer strength and dead simple design make it a favorite for all kinds of car and truck builds, and it still holds its own in a ton of classic Fords today. But how much do you really know about what’s going on inside that case? Stick around, because by the end of this video, you might just know more than your mechanic does.

Hello, the C6 rolled out in 1966, stepping in for the older MX and FX automatics. Ford needed a gearbox tough enough to handle the muscle of their big V8s like the 429, 460, and the iconic FE series engines. Enter the C6, a three-speed automatic built for serious torque duty. Unlike its cast iron predecessors, the C6 used lighter materials while still delivering solid performance. This transmission quickly earned a name among Ford fans and builders as a gearbox that could handle anything. It stuck around in production until 1997, an impressive 30-plus year run that proved its staying power.

What really makes the C6 stand out is just how many roles it can play. You’ll see it bolted up to everything from small block Windsor to Ford’s massive big blocks and even the International Harvester diesels in Ford’s toughest trucks. But here’s the catch: the bell housing isn’t interchangeable. You’ll need the right C6 for your engine family, and Ford made four main versions: one for the small blocks like the 302 and 351 Windsor, another for the big blocks like the 429 and 460, a version for the FE series engines like the 390 and 428, and the diesel-specific version for engines like the 6.9 and 7.3 L IDI.

Hey guys, future editor Ed here, and I just wanted to make a note that the transmission that you see up on the screen now is the diesel version of the C6. The bell housing is extremely similar to the big block housing for the 460, but there’s a cutout on the bottom for the diesels that’s a little bit different, and also the dowel locations and the holes don’t quite line up between the big block and the diesel bell housings. Now, you can make one fit the other with some modifications, but it’s a bunch of work. So, your best bet if you have a 460 is to go out and find a big block housing. If you’ve got a diesel, go out and find a diesel housing. But just to let you guys know that you can make modifications to make those two interchangeable if you really want to.

And it didn’t stop at cars and trucks. The C6 even powered industrial gear and military vehicles. Its rugged build made it a perfect fit for extreme environments, whether it was digging trenches or rolling through battlefields. Ford hit the jackpot with this one, and the C6’s rock-solid design locked in its legendary status.

Now you might be wondering which vehicles came with the C6. From 1967 to 1996, it was a staple in F-series trucks paired with engines like the 316, 351 Windsor, 390 FE, and 460 big block. It also showed up in Broncos, Galaxies, Mustangs, Cougars, and Thunderbirds, just to name a few. Ford even made 4×4 variants by modifying the tail shaft bolted up directly to transfer cases like the NP 205 and Borg Warner 1356. With all this versatility, it’s no wonder the C6 became Ford’s go-to automatic gearbox for all those years.

Let’s get into the specs. The C6 is a three-speed automatic with gear ratios of 2.46 to 1 in first, 1.46 to 1 in second, and direct 1:1 in third. Reverse comes in at 2.18 to 1. This thing is built tough, tipping the scales around 165 lb dry. The main case, along with the bell housing, is aluminum. Every now and then, you’ll find a cast iron tail shaft, but those are very rare and for specific applications. So generally, the tail shaft will also be cast aluminum. It holds 10 to 12 quarts of Type F fluid, which is famous for its friction properties to give the C6 those crisp, snappy shifts. If you keep up with your fluid changes and filter swaps, this transmission will run smooth for decades.

The C6 wasn’t just tough; it also changed the game with some really clever innovations. One standout feature was Borg Warner’s flexible shift band. Traditional rigid shift bands wore unevenly and led to sloppy shifts over time. The flexible shift band in the C6 wrapped evenly around the drum, delivering smoother, more precise shifts and serious staying power. It’s the kind of thing you just might not notice until it’s not working.

One of the C6’s smartest features is its Simpson planetary gear set. This setup combines two planetary gear assemblies into one compact unit, cutting down on moving parts while cranking up torque transfer. What does that mean for you? Well, it’s less complexity, fewer breakdowns, and better performance, especially when towing or tackling really steep grades. That Simpson gear set is why the C6 can handle heavy loads and big horsepower like a champ, making it a favorite for racers and heavy-duty truck enthusiasts.

Like the C6, it also offered Ford’s select shift capability, letting drivers manually hold the transmission in first, second, or third gear using the column or console shifter. It gave drivers the control they needed for towing, tackling steep grades, or handling rough off-road terrain. Now, while this might sound like a standard feature today thanks to manual modes and paddle shifters, select shift was ahead of its time. With mechanical linkages and internal valves adjusting the gears, it gave drivers a hands-on tactile feel with every shift. Back in the ’60s and ’70s, this feature made the C6 stand out as a driver-focused automatic.

The C6 was sometimes referred to in conjunction with Ford’s select shift Cruisomatic branding, highlighting its smooth shifting and driver control features. Select shift is a key part of that image, proving you could have comfort, capability, and control all in one package.

One of the C6’s biggest strengths is its old school simplicity, which makes it a favorite for installations, swaps, service, and upgrades. Its one-piece design for the bell housing and main case eliminates weak points, making it tough as nails and practically leak-proof. Two big wins over older automatics. Builders love the C6 because it can take on serious horsepower right out of the box, and with a few tweaks, it is practically unstoppable.

Of course, no transmission is perfect, and the C6 is no exception. If the gears start slipping, it’s usually down to worn clutches or low on fluid. Hard shifts, that’s often a sticky valve body. Leaks usually pop up around the pan gasket or seals, especially in older units that haven’t seen regular TLC. Stay on top of fluid changes and keep an eye on seals to head off most problems before they get serious.

There’s also a few other downsides to keep in mind with the C6. The biggest downside is no overdrive gear. At highway speeds, the engine revs pretty high, which kills fuel economy. That’s why a lot of builders looking for modern drivability swap in transmissions like the AOD or E4OD, which come with overdrive. Another drawback is the weight. It’s a hefty unit, and the extra mass can be a concern for certain builds. The C6 also isn’t the most efficient; it eats up more power compared to modern automatics before getting it down to the wheels.

Now let’s talk about hooking it up and plugging it in. The C6’s input shaft has 31 splines at the torque converter end and 30 at the clutch hub. Thanks to its consistent spline design across all the years, torque converters are typically interchangeable across years and models as long as they match the engine family: that small block, big block, FE, or diesel. Ford offered a range of torque converters with stall speeds tailored for specific vehicles and applications. Thankfully, the aftermarket has you covered. If you need something custom, higher stall converters are a favorite for performance builds, while heavy-duty options shine for towing and off-roading. Pick the right converter for your engine’s power band and how you drive, and you’ll squeeze every ounce of performance out of your C6.

Speaking of upgrades, the C6 has one of the best supported aftermarket ecosystems you’re going to find. Shift kits are a go-to upgrade for crisper shifts and less slippage, while high stall converters and steel planetary gears are staples of high-performance builds. Chasing extreme horsepower, builders often even beef up the case and swap in heavy-duty clutches and bands. For off-roaders, a deep transmission pan is a must; it boosts fluid capacity and keeps things cool under tough conditions.

If you’re thinking about alternatives to the C6, the AOD and E4OD, which I mentioned earlier, are worth a look. The AOD throws in an overdrive gear, making it perfect for highway cruising, but don’t expect it to outlast the C6 in terms of toughness. The E4OD, on the other hand, is a heavy-duty four-speed with overdrive built for towing and hauling. It’s more complex and expensive, but it’s a fantastic choice for modernizing old trucks for later duty jobs. The FMX or C4 are solid options; they’re smaller and lighter, and they won’t stand up to the same torque as a C6.

So down to the bottom line: the C6 is a tank, rugged, dependable, and ready for just about anything. It’s right at home in trucks, off-road rigs, or even high-performance street cars—any build where toughness takes a spotlight. Sure, it’s not the most modern or fuel-efficient option, but its simplicity and strength make it a true classic that’s pretty hard to ignore. Whether you’re restoring a classic Ford or dreaming up your next swap, the C6 should definitely make your short list.

All right guys, well there you go. That’s everything that I know or pretend to know about the Ford C6 automatic transmission. Now, I don’t know if you know more than your mechanic does at this point, but you know, I feel like I learned a bunch doing this video. I hope you did too. Guys, if you did, give me a like, give me a subscribe. That really does help me out. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, gripes, if I got something wrong, put them in the comments. I read them all. I really appreciate that. Thanks again so much for watching, guys, and we will see you next time. She’s rough around the edges, but she’s doing fine. Take her away, get things to shine, and oh, Bullnose Garage, she’s considered divine. Thanks again for watching. We will see you next time. Thanks again for watching. We will see you next time.

Ah, the trusty distributor. If you’ve ever tangled with one of these on a classic like the 351 Windsor, you know it’s equal parts genius design and pure frustration. Does this look familiar to you? Howdy folks, and welcome back to Bullnose Garage. And if you want to see how I wrestled this sucker free, stick around. If you’re here for just a know-how or you’re actually standing over your engine bay right now in a cold sweat wondering how you’re going to pull this thing, no worries, I got your back. Hello!

Now, before I show you how I muscled this bad boy out and how you can do the same if yours is stuck, let’s get the basics out of the way. Think of the distributor as the ignition system’s old school brain. Back before computers took over the heavy lifting, its job was to send high voltage spark to the right cylinder at exactly the right time. Fire too soon and your engine pings like a pinball machine; fire too late and it wheezes like an old accordion. Inside, the rotating shaft driven by the camshaft keeps the spark plugs firing on schedule. Older models ran on mechanical points, but newer ones like most 351 Windsors switch to electronic ignition. Sure, the upgrade made things more reliable, but decades of heat, grime, and let’s be real, neglect can still glue these things in place.

The 351 Windsor distributor keeps things simple and durable, but here’s the catch: the aluminum housing loves bonding with the cast iron block. Throw in years of heat cycles, a sprinkle of oxidation, and voila, your distributor is practically welded in place. Now, distributors have a lot of variation, but I’ll go over the stuff that’s pretty much the same across the board, at least for the 351 Windsor. So up top, we got the cap as we, your spark plug wires and the coil make their connections. If you pop the cap off, you’ll see the contacts that keep each cylinder firing in sync. The rotor here goes around and strikes those contacts, and it spins like a top to deliver sparks from the coil to each terminal as the engine turns.

In the 351 Windsor, this shaft goes out into the engine where the gear here connects to the camshaft. It keeps the whole thing running. The bottom of this shaft here connects to your oil pump through the oil pump drive shaft; that’s what powers your oil pump right there. And then finally, the whole thing secures down into the block with a clamp right here.

All right, let’s tackle the gritty part: pulling that stubborn distributor. If you’re dealing with a decades-old engine like my 351 Windsor, then this process might test your patience. But don’t sweat it; I got a whole toolbox full of tricks to help you out. Start with the basics and work your way up until that distributor finally lets go. Whatever method you pick, step one is going to be soaking the base of the distributor with penetrating oil like PB Blaster, Tri-Flow, or a DIY blend of 50% acetone and 50% ATF. Make it all work wonders. If you can, let it sit overnight first and then repeat the process as much as you need to. Be really, really liberal with it.

The easiest way to start after applying your oil to the base is by tapping the distributor itself with a rubber mallet just a few times. You don’t want to hit it hard; you just want to try to break loose some of that corrosion. You’re not going for brute force; just chock the corrosion loose. And while you’re at it, you can try wiggling the distributor back and forth, either this way or rotating it and then pulling upward with as much force as you can muster. If that doesn’t do the trick on its own, and if you’re here, probably didn’t, then you can carefully break out a pry bar. This was what worked for me. Apply steady upward pressure and try rotating the engine by hand to nudge the camshaft position. This can help for the distributor. Remember that gear that I pointed out earlier? It’s meshing with the camshaft down in there somewhere, so rotating that around can help get things into a more helpful orientation.

As you can see here, I also smacked down on the pry bar with my rubber mallet on the end to try to add some extra shock to the connection with my distributor. And the pry bar I used, there’s a perfect spot to make this work. I don’t know if you can see that very well, but it’s right there. The pry bar goes right up inside underneath here like my fingers are, and it pried up real easy. I think we’re making it, boys and girls! Gotcha! When a plan comes together, take your time and be deliberate. The aluminum housing can scratch and even break pretty easily if you’re not careful. Keep in mind I didn’t have all the rest of the engine parts or truck body in the way, so your mileage may vary. But with penetrating oil, persistence, and some luck, most distributors will come out.

At this point, if prying doesn’t cut it, grab a heat gun or a small propane torch and apply heat to the cast iron around the distributor base. Aluminum expands fast, faster than cast iron. So while the distributor shaft itself will actually expand more than the hole that it’s in when it’s heated, the different expansion rates can actually break the bond. The heat can also soften up the corrosion and debris in the joint, making it easier to free up that distributor. If you can manage to keep the heat to the cast iron and not the aluminum, that might be all it takes for the best results. Alternate between heating the area and letting it cool down. The cycle of expansion and contraction is what can eventually break the hold. Be careful not to overheat one spot and make sure to shield nearby parts like wiring, hoses, and gaskets from too much heat.

If that doesn’t work, another trick you can try is rapidly cooling the base of the distributor with freeze spray or an upside-down can of compressed air. The sudden chill can crack the corrosion and help loosen things up. If you can both heat up the block itself and then rapidly cool the distributor base, it’s the best of both worlds. You can also break out a slide hammer with a special distributor puller attachment. Now, it might mean investing in a specialty tool, but it could be worth it if your distributor is being extra stubborn or if you pull a bunch of them.

You can also try positioning yourself directly above the distributor by standing on a tall ladder or even on the frame or other parts carefully and pulling straight up with your body weight. The goal here is to pull straight up, not at an angle, and that’s a tough thing to do from ground level. So if you can get above it and over top of it, then you can always pull straight up. Building on that idea, you could also rig up a nylon strap or rope around this distributor and hook it to a hoist or a cherry picker. Use the hoist to apply steady upward pressure while giving the distributor a few taps with a rubber mallet or a dead blow hammer. You can even leave the hoist pulling overnight while soaking the base with penetrating oil for good measure.

If all else fails and the distributor still won’t budge, it might be time to consider more drastic measures, like choosing violence. Maybe you need to do a partial engine disassembly. Removing the oil pan and oil pump lets you access the oil pump drive shaft passage, and from here, you can slide a long thin steel rod into the passage and carefully tap the bottom of the distributor shaft with a hammer. The goal is to apply direct upward force to pop the shaft loose. While this method can work, it comes with some serious risks. You risk bending the distributor shaft, damaging the gear, or even marring the block. So if you go this route, take it low and remember it’s really only for engines already being rebuilt or replaced.

Once the distributor is out, the hard part’s over, but don’t skip this: clean the bore thoroughly to clear out any corrosion or debris. A dab of anti-seize on the distributor shaft now will save you a ton of hassle next time. Oh, and make sure you double-check your oil pump drive shaft alignment before reinstalling the distributor. Nothing’s worse than putting it all back together and finding out you’ve got no oil pressure. That’s a mistake you only make one time.

And that is the lowdown on distributors, from how they work to wrestle them free. You got a distributor horror story or a trick that I missed? Share it in the comments; I’d love to hear it. I am so glad that I managed to get mine out just going to the pry bar step. I didn’t have to start applying heat and doing everything else, but they can be a bear. But hey, you know, now that I’ve got the distributor out and I also got all the fuel rail stuff and everything off of there, now it’s almost time to pull that thing into the garage and pull that engine off. I am looking forward to it so much. That’s going to be an episode coming up real quick, guys. You don’t want to miss it. Make sure you stay tuned and subscribe if you want to see that stuff. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, gripes, internet ramblings, leave it below. Like I said, make sure to subscribe and stick with me while I do this Windsor rebuild. I cannot wait. And guys, thanks again so much for watching. We will see you next time, tinkering away, getting things to shine. That no garage is divine. Thanks again for watching. We will see you next time. Thanks again for watching. We will see you next time.