6R60 Shift Kit 2006

The 6R60 is the six-speed Ford put behind the 4.6L V8 in the Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer starting with the 2006 model year, and it is the one most owners do not realize they have. If your V8 Explorer feels like it has an out-of-balance tire at 30 to 45 mph, bangs into first as you roll to a stop, or flares between gears once the fluid is hot, the pressure regulator and converter clutch circuits in the valve body are a likely cause. This listing is the TransGo SK 6R80-A, a new valve body repair kit. TransGo's instructions list it for all GEN1 Ford and Lincoln 6R60, 6R75 and 6R80 valve bodies from 2006 up, which is why a 6R60 owner and a 6R80 owner can use the same box.

What the shift kit does in a 6R60

Ford's 6R60 is built on the ZF 6HP26 design, and its valve body shares the same weak spot as the rest of that family. The pressure regulator valve sets line pressure for every clutch, and after years of cycling it wears its own bore and balance bushing. Line pressure then wanders, applies get soft, and the computer starts logging ratio errors because the clutches are slipping longer than it expects. The kit replaces that valve with a two-piece hardened steel PR valve whose longer lands seal on bore surface the factory valve never touched, so no reaming is needed. It also swaps the converter clutch regulator valve for a steel one with a new calibration spring, which is aimed squarely at the light-throttle TCC quiver. New wire retainers and rubber pulse damper inserts round it out. It is a repair kit, not a race kit, and it does not include solenoids.

Symptoms on a 6R60 Explorer or Mountaineer

• Vibration or quiver at about 28 to 46 mph with the converter clutch applied
• Soft or slow shifts that get worse as the fluid heats up
• A clunk on the coast-down into first or second
• Gear ratio codes P0729 and P0731 to P0734
• Shift solenoid performance codes P0781 to P0784 and P0829

How to confirm it before you buy

First confirm the transmission. On the 2007 Explorer, Ford's VIN label TR code X means the 6R60, while V is the older five-speed 5R55S, and nothing for a 5R55S fits here. Next, check the fluid level hot. TransGo wants it at the top of the hash marks at 190 F, read from a scan tool, and a low level alone will mimic a worn valve body. Then read codes: ratio and solenoid performance codes with no open or short circuit fault point toward the hydraulic side this kit repairs. Electrical faults belong to the solenoids, which our shift solenoid symptoms guide walks through, and the wider list of family failures is in our 6R80 common problems guide.

Fitment

This kit is for the GEN1 valve body used in every 6R60, from the 2006 Explorer and Mountaineer V8 onward. The same kit also covers the 6R75 and the 2009-2014 6R80. Ford's 6R60 never received the later GEN2 valve body, but a replacement valve body from an unknown source can be anything, so do the check TransGo prints in the instructions: pull the factory PR valve and measure the land. A .495 in reading is GEN1 and this kit is correct. A .514 in reading is GEN2 and needs a different kit. When in doubt, send us your year and VIN before ordering. Everything we carry for this family is on our 6R60 and 6R80 parts page.

Install notes for 2006-2010 units

• The valve body drops out through the pan, so this is an in-vehicle job. Mark every solenoid's position before removal and return each to its own bore.
• Early 6R60 units use the 2006-2010 solenoid set, not the later calibration-numbered parts. TransGo lists brown-connector 6L2P-7G383-AD, black-connector 6L2P-7G383-BD and SSE 6L2Z-7G484-AA for those years. If the originals are tired, a 6R60 solenoid kit is the time to do it.
• Gen 1 separator plates come in a six-dampener version and a two-dampener version. If the plate has a hole over a damper pocket, a damper must go in that pocket. Replace any flattened rubber insert.
• Return all eight check balls to their original spots and photograph the plate before you split the halves.
• Ford originally filled the 6R60 with MERCON SP, and TransGo notes shops get the best shudder results with a fresh refill of it. Check your owner guide for the current approved fluid, then set the level hot.
• If the clutches are already burnt, put the kit in during a full overhaul with a 6R60 master rebuild kit.

Does this fit my 2008 Ford Explorer?

It fits the 2008 Explorer if it has the V8 and the 6R60 six-speed. The V6 Explorer of that era used the five-speed 5R55S, which this kit does not fit. Check the TR code on the door-jamb label or send us your VIN.

Why is a 6R60 kit called SK 6R80-A?

TransGo names it after the most common member of the family. The 6R60, 6R75 and 2009-2014 6R80 all use the same GEN1 valve body layout, so one kit covers all three.

Will it stop the shudder at 40 mph?

If the shudder comes from the converter clutch regulator valve, the new steel valve and spring address it directly. TransGo notes that if the quiver has been going on for more than a month or two, the converter itself may also need replacing.

Should I replace solenoids with this kit?

Only if they are faulty or the valve body has very high mileage. TransGo recommends fresh solenoids and repairing the lube and solenoid regulator bores on valve bodies past about 140,000 miles.

Does the transmission need to come out?

No. The 6R60 valve body comes out from under the vehicle after the pan is removed. Expect a few drive cycles of adaptive relearn afterward.

• 6R80 Common Problems and Fixes
• 6R80 Shift Solenoid Symptoms and Replacement
• 6R80 Harsh Shift Causes and Fix