Howdy

I picked up an 86 F150 with the 4.9l and a 4speed Od trans and supposedly 138,000 miles this past weekend. Got it for $800 with new tires, brakes and a new clutch. Seems to run quite well and have already started on a list of things to work on. I’m looking to keep it on the road for a while and hopefully in time do a full restoration, but we will see how that goes. I believe it started life gray but has morphed into a strange conglomeration of colors now.


I’m having trouble identifying the transmission I have. Door code shows a Clark 4 speed OD trans, which seems to hold true with what is there, but I’m not finding any info about it online. I need to replace the output seal on it because it is leaking, but I have no idea what the part number should be

Welcome!  Nice truck, especially for $800 and those new parts.  Then, to say it runs is a huge bonus!

Where's home?  We have a member's map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map on the menu) and I'd be happy to add you if you would give me a town and state.

As for the Clark tranny, I assume your transmission code is B.  Unfortunately I don't yet have any info on here about it.  But, I'll see what I can find.....  

Yes, door code is a “B”
I found some #s on the side of the trans which are
RF-E5tr-7006-AA
C-2605524

Home is Emmaus, PA

Welcome!

Looks like a great start for an old truck!

Your trans should be the third one down in the list shown below "TOD"...

http://www.f150hub.com/trans/t170-smod-srod-tod.html

Somebody mentioned previously that they thought the Clark transmission was a mistake in the Ford literature, but I have no idea. I don't think there's any mention of it elsewhere is there Gary?

Thank you! I believe you are correct. By searching the T170 trans I found a whole write up that goes into a ton of detail about the Tremec transmission options used in F150s. The numbers listed for the “Code B” option match with the numbers on my transmission casing.

*Edit to include link

http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/TremecT170FT.htm

Here is part of the Transmission Identification Chart.  And there is no "E5TR" in it.  And no "C" for Clark.  And no "7006" anything, much less 7006-AA.

I'm not at all saying that the transmission wasn't used, but it is either called something else or, more likely, was omitted from this version of the catalog for some reason.




Anyway, you are now on the map.  But, I've been to Emmaus.  We used to live in Kennett Square and a group from church went up there.  It seems like we went to see a monastery or something like that.  And, if I remember, it was literally just off the road, right below the road.  A really old community?

Samhammett wrote

Thank you! I believe you are correct. By searching the T170 trans I found a whole write up that goes into a ton of detail about the Tremec transmission options used in F150s. The numbers listed for the “Code B” option match with the numbers on my transmission casing.

*Edit to include link

http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/TremecT170FT.htm

That is great info on that trans. Definitely what you have.

I'm not sure where the "Clark" part comes from...maybe somebody else will know. Somebody did mention on here not all that long ago that they thought the Clark Trans thing was a mistake. As far as I know, in the Bullnose years the manuals are New Process, Warner, and Tremec...but it could be that the Tremec is also called "Clark"??...

I think parts for it should be readily available from one of the many transmission shops?

My guess is that the catalog is wrong and that Tremec was supplying transmissions well before 1980.  I say that because I've done some searching and found some interesting tidbits, like this one from Hanlon Motorsports regarding TREMEC:

The history for this worldwide transmission manufacturer goes back to 1964, when Ford was looking for a company in Mexico to manufacture transmissions. The Big Three up until that point had been producing cars there, but nearly all of the components were made in the USA. A government mandate in 1964 required 60 percent of the vehicle to be made in Mexico, including the engine and transmission. Ford worked with American-based Clark Transmissions to form a manufacturing company in Mexico for the transmissions with Civil Engineer Associates and Electric Industries. Thus, Transmissions and Mechanical Equipment, or Tremec, was founded.

Tremec went to work manufacturing transmissions for Ford, GM, Chrysler, and American Motors. By 1970, the company was producing 500,000 units and exporting 85 percent of it. Tremec licensed several transmission models from BorgWarner, Clark, and New Process, and did some strategic merging with ZF, Cummins, and Rockwell. The company later acquired the BorgWarner transmission business and the rights to build the T-5 and T-56 transmissions.

And this from Tremec Blog:

TREMEC was founded on April 12, 1964. The genesis was to manufacture transmissions in Mexico for Ford, GM and Chrysler. At that time, the Mexican government enacted a protectionist policy that mandated all vehicles assembled in Mexico have engines and transmissions 100-percent manufactured in Mexico. A joint venture was formed which included one of Ford’s large transmissions suppliers – Clark Transmissions – and two entrepreneurial companies based in Mexico. TREMEC’s first transmissions would be produced later that same year.

Soon TREMEC was exporting transmissions to American assembly lines, including the legendary T-18 transmission.

The famous Ford Toploader was produced by TREMEC and helped solidify TREMEC’s reputation for design and manufacturing excellence.

In the 1990s, TREMEC acquired BorgWarner’s manual transmission business. This included the rights to build the venerable T-5 5-speed and the T-56 6-speed. These two transmissions would play a pivotal role in TREMEC launching its performance aftermarket transmission line in the late 1990s.

So it looks to me like transmissions that had been Clarks became Tremecs.  But for whatever reason Ford's documentation didn't change?

Gary Lewis wrote

So it looks to me like transmissions that had been Clarks became Tremecs.  But for whatever reason Ford's documentation didn't change?

I'd say so, yes. Great info.

Welcome