Ranger Mods

The Ford 6R80 is a licensed copy of the ZF6R80, it has a different casing and unfortunately the quality of the main componentry, TC, oil pump, clutch packs, seals and bearings are not up the German ZF standard.
So, the question is does anyone know of a supplier of a ZF overhaul kit that comprises of a ZF torque converter, oil pump, seals, bearings, clutch packs etc. ??? I'd even be interested in a complete ZF valve and solenoid plate. The alternative is an full exchange unit.

Mine has only done 28,500 kilometres but I've been reliably informed that to ensure the box is good for 600-750,000 k's it needs to be overhauled at the 100,000 k mark and quality ZF componentry installed to replace the Ford items so at this stage I'm just planning ahead.

I will get rid of my Ranger well before those kilometres.

At that mileage I am sure that more than the transmission will need overhauling/replacing.

The early 6R80 boxes late 90/08 hade a few issues the later ones are well sorted, the main problems is overheating and service every 50,000k. In the USA they are used with an adaptor plate behind some big horse power motors with no problems.

Sorry all! the first 6R80 trans was produced in 2009 and have been improved over the years they are a good strong box, I personally who know farmers that use there utes for paddock work towing big loads with over 150000k and haven't even bothered to service the poor trans and are still going fine.

hoges wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 7:11 pm Sorry all! the first 6R80 trans was produced in 2009 and have been improved over the years they are a good strong box, I personally who know farmers that use there utes for paddock work towing big loads with over 150000k and haven't even bothered to service the poor trans and are still going fine.

I'd agree with all that you have said and claim but the fact remains that ZF in Germany build their gear boxes to a very high standard whereas Ford construct and assemble to a price and that a 6R80 box with ZF components is a far better option that one with Ford internals.
I had this problem early on with my old Land Rover Disco, it had as standard a ZF4HP22 gearbox, I had it modified with a later model oil pump, TC and clutch-packs, valve plate etc making it a "ZF4HP22/24" and it was as solid as it could be coupled with the larger V8 ATF transmission cooler and thermal by-pass. I only replaced it with a manual box after seven years because parts were becoming scarse and very expensive.
I firmly believe that an auto is far better over soft sand dunes and in the desert than a manual.
No one answered my question though so I guess that no one auto transmission company does a overhaul kit that only uses ZF components, I'll have to go shopping with a ZF parts catalog in that case.

Iainboyd wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:55 am I firmly believe that an auto is far better over soft sand dunes and in the desert than a manual

Totally agree with that, but a trans oil cooler is recommended if it's hot weather.

RossPat wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:59 pm

Iainboyd wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:55 am I firmly believe that an auto is far better over soft sand dunes and in the desert than a manual

Totally agree with that, but a trans oil cooler is recommended if it's hot weather.

Ross, as you probably know the Ford ranger already has a ATF cooler - its a fluid to fluid unit affixed to the side of the auto box.
Fluid to fluid is far more efficient that air to fluid - arround 65% more so. As my engineering professor at Nottingham Uni explained it. "Heat a rod up to cherry red hot, hold it in front of a fan and time it to see how long it takes to cool down, now reheat the same rod to cherry red and immerse it in water and again time it to see how long it now takes to cool down" It will cool down in a fraction of the time.
The other advantage of the fluid/fluid coolant ATF cooler is that the coolant is always flowing through the cooler, the built in wax pellet thermostat will control the flow rate, that isn't always the case with the centrifugal cooling fan drawing sufficient air through an air to fluid radiator. An air to fluid unit will also add to the air flow resistance through the engine coolant radiator - not a good thing.
As for failing, both have that in common. Driving over the Anne Beadell in 2013 in my Land Rover Discovery the transmission cooler (air to fluid type) split open due to the constant corrugation vibrations - one of the alloy welded connection simply snapped off - dumpimg 60% of the ATF on the track. Nothing man made is infallible.

I know this is old thread, but that really isn't a good scenario for comparison.
The water would need to be at around 90 degrees to be equivalent to an engine s cooling system, then you need to factor in that it would be in a closed system, not a bucket of water where the water can turn to steam and be replaced by cooler surrounding water.

RossPat wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:59 pm

Iainboyd wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:55 am I firmly believe that an auto is far better over soft sand dunes and in the desert than a manual

Totally agree with that, but a trans oil cooler is recommended if it's hot weather.

If I can update my last comments on this - we headed off and explored the Coorong - a 90 km long beach on the SA blight, then went up Googs Track, The Finke River Gorge track, and the Old Ghan track from Alice to Finke then over the Madigan in the Simpson Desert as far as Camps 10/11 before having no option but to turn back as Eyre Creek was (at that time) a kilometre wide and 2 metres deep. We did Cattlewater Pass in the East McDonalds before spending just over a week on Fraser Island. Some days the ambient temperatures were in the high 40's and not once did we experience any issues with the ZF6R80 box.
I found that climbing over soft sand desert dunes the best method was to engage 4WD High Range, have the rear diff locked and just let it torque up the dunes around 10 kph and 1850-2300 RPM . The tyre pressures were on the soft sand 14/16 front/rear.
Julie "cut her teeth" in the Wildtrak on the tortuous Finke River Gorge track and loved it, she soon got the hang of coming to a stop, flicking it into neutral and then engaging 4WD low range for the steep sandy climbs out of the dry river bed, some of which were a good 35 degrees, again, the best method to avoid wheel spin was just to let the torque of the big 3.2 do the work.

Brett_32i wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2019 6:03 pm I know this is old thread, but that really isn't a good scenario for comparison.
The water would need to be at around 90 degrees to be equivalent to an engine s cooling system, then you need to factor in that it would be in a closed system, not a bucket of water where the water can turn to steam and be replaced by cooler surrounding water.

Your comments are noted and to an extent you're quite correct but the comparison to efficient cooling still stands, air is a poor heat extraction absorbent medium, it's only advantage is its plentiful it has the lowest viscosity of any medium and its ambient temperature is generally below 50*C .

We are off for another long distance adventure starting April 25 next year, we will be covering approx. 11-12,000 kms including the Kimberly, Kakadu, GRR, CSR, Garry Hwy, Simpson Desert so I've invested in an imported deep alloy sump for the 6R80 - it holds about 6 litres more ATF and has internal as well as external fins as well as a temperature sensor and 52mm digital gauge. Naturally I'll change the filter and spin out the TC of all existing ATF and refill the entire system with new high quality fully synthetic ATF and I'll report back on how we go in July-August of next year.

I know 2 guys who fitted the extended alloy sump and their opinion is that it helped maintain temperature, didn't actually lower it.
If it can maintain a temperature and slow down increase then that has to be a good thing.

RossPat wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:12 am I know 2 guys who fitted the extended alloy sump and their opinion is that it helped maintain temperature, didn't actually lower it.
If it can maintain a temperature and slow down increase then that has to be a good thing.

Yes, the extended sump is never going to lower the ATF temperature, that's governed by the transmission cooler thermostat, -- (there are alternative thermostats available though) -- what the additional volume of fluid should do is assist in keeping and maintaining the ATF as close to its optimum design temperature as possible which is I believe 95-105*C simply because there is more of it and the surface of the sump has been increased to assist in maintaining that temperature.
From what I've read in the Ford works manuals the transmission thermostat begins to open at 70*C and is fully open at 90*C with the engine coolant full flowing at its design of 90-95*C the ATF should maintain "under normal load" a temperature in the fluid design range (95-105*C) - I have seen on eBay that there is a non genuine thermostat that opens at 55* and is fully open at 85*C - this would possibly be a viable option for anyone doing a lot of heavy caravan style towing - there is also a by-pass valve available that replaces the thermostat giving a constant full flow to the cooler, I'd guess that in hot climates this would be okay but not so clever in colder climates where the ATF needs to gain some temperature in order to allow the clutches to smoothly change the gears.

Starts to open at 82deg in the workshop manual at Stillwell Ford.
Yes there are options including the trans bypass.
In my climate a bypass would be fine.
I wouldn't do it in a cold climate as friends in Vic have found there are side effects.
The fluid takes too long to get to operating temp, that's if it reaches operating temp.
Cold fluid has sticking valves & erratic changes.
I will stay with my trans cooler for now as we only tow in winter.

RossPat wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:46 am Starts to open at 82deg in the workshop manual at Stillwell Ford.
Yes there are options including the trans bypass.
In my climate a bypass would be fine.
I wouldn't do it in a cold climate as friends in Vic have found there are side effects.
The fluid takes too long to get to operating temp, that's if it reaches operating temp.
Cold fluid has sticking valves & erratic changes.
I will stay with my trans cooler for now as we only tow in winter.

I only have the on-line works manual and it states the transmission "optimal" thermostat operating range as 70-90*C so I guess 82*C would be right for an accurate workshop check purpose and the exact Ford design temperature.
Does your manual give the optimum ATF operating (maximum) temperature or do they leave that to the individual fluid supplier ?
I'm about to use NULON fully synthetic -- SYNATF-4, this is their equivalent to Ford MERCON V, SP and LV fluids, it's also equal to DEXRON 2, 3 and 4 and ZF "Lifeguard" 5 and 6 grades so I'm confident that it will suit the purpose.
In all I've ordered 20 litres of the (very expensive) stuff as I estimate it will take at least 10-16 litres to replace all the original Ford fluid in the auto-box and the torque converter and allow for the additional 6 litres of fluid in the deep sump pan.
Nulon are very reluctant to give their maximum advised operating temperature.

RossPat wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 11:47 am I will get rid of my Ranger well before those kilometres.

At that mileage I am sure that more than the transmission will need overhauling/replacing.

Like my wife I hold onto things long term/time. I still have my 1998 Landrover Discovery 300Tdi, I've now owned it for well over 20 years and we've done over 685,000 kms in it. Its still good but after the car accident in 2016 (a driver fell asleep at the wheel and drove head on into me) I need a softer and more forgiving suspension so I bought the Wildtrak. I'll all but guarantee you that I'll still have it in 10 years time and it will have done well over 500,000kms simply because we average well over 40,000 kms PA. Regular servicing and overhauls well before breakdown is the secret and like the Disco the engine will receive an overhaul at around 3-400,000 and the gearbox and transfer at around 100-150,000 along with the front and rear differentials. I change my tyres at 70-80,000 and the shocks at every third tyre change. Yes, we still had "moments" and breakdowns but nothing compared to others who blithely drove off into the deserts without a similar maintenance schedule.