6R80 Overhaul Kit 2011-20

This overhaul kit is for the second-generation Ford 6R80, the version built from 2011 on with a one-way clutch in the center support. That covers the 2011-2017 F-150, Expedition, Navigator and Mustang, plus the 2018-2020 F-150 with the 3.3L V6. These trucks pile up miles quickly, and once a high-mileage unit starts leaking at the pan, engaging slowly after a cold soak, or slipping between gears with a trailer behind it, the seals and rings are usually spent. This is the gasket and seal package that a 2011-and-later rebuild starts with.

What the overhaul kit does in a 2011-and-later 6R80

The 6R80 makes six forward speeds from a Lepelletier geartrain and five clutch packs: driving clutches A, B and E and brake clutches C and D. In 2011 Ford added a diode-type one-way clutch, and that changed the low gear. GEARS Magazine explains that on these units the D clutch only holds in first until roughly 3 mph and then releases, with the one-way clutch carrying the load. To fit it, Ford redesigned the center support, the low-reverse piston, its return spring and retainer, and none of those parts interchange with a 2010-and-earlier unit. That is why a 2011-20 seal kit is a separate part. It replaces the piston seals, Teflon sealing rings, O-rings and gaskets in every circuit, including the reworked low-reverse piston, so each pack fills and holds as designed.

Symptoms this kit addresses

• Fluid leaks from the pan, the case connector or the front seal
• Slow engagement into Drive or Reverse that improves after a few minutes of warm-up
• Flare or slip on upshifts that grows with heat and towing load
• Ratio or slip codes that come back after a fluid service
• Burnt fluid and friction debris on a unit that has been run low

How to confirm it before you buy

On the 2011 and later 6R80 the most common driveability complaints are electrical, not hydraulic. Ford recall 19V-075 covered 2011-2013 F-150s that could downshift unexpectedly to first from a lost output speed signal, and bulletin 13-6-8 covered trucks taking off in fifth gear with a dead speedometer, fixed with a new lead frame rather than a rebuild. Read codes and freeze-frame data first; our 6R80 F-150 common problems guide lists the recalls by build date, and the F-150 shift problems guide separates a lead frame fault from a slipping pack. If the electrical side checks out and the commanded and actual gear ratios still disagree, or the unit leaks, the seals are the job.

Fitment: 2011-2020 6R80

This listing covers 6R80 transmissions from 2011 through 2020. In the US that is the 2011-2017 F-150 (Ford moved most engines to the 10-speed for 2017-2018), the 2018-2020 F-150 3.3L, the 2011-2017 Expedition and Navigator and the 2011-2017 Mustang; Ford's fluid chart also lists the 6R80 in the 2017-2019 Transit. It does not fit a 2009-2010 unit without the one-way clutch, a 6R60 or 6R75, or any 10R80. Ford kept making running changes through these years, including a 2015 switch to segmented forward and low-reverse frictions and a 2014 pump revision, so compare each ring and seal to the one you remove, read the tag on the case, and send us your year and VIN if you want the match confirmed. Everything for this transmission is on the 6R80 collection page.

Install notes

• Soak every piston seal in Mercon LV and size the sealing rings with assembly gel so they seat without rolling.
• Inspect the one-way clutch and the low-reverse piston while the center support is apart; they are second-design parts specific to 2011 and later.
• Replace the lead frame while the valve body is out if the truck had speed sensor or range codes; the 6R80 lead frame kit with filter and connector seal covers the filter and case connector seal too.
• If the valve body is worn or the solenoids have lost their calibration, the 2011-2020 6R80 valve body is the matching late unit.
• Air-check each circuit, fill with Mercon LV only and no additives, then clear adaptives and drive several relearn cycles before judging the shifts.

Will this kit fit a 2010 F-150 6R80?

No. Ford added a one-way clutch in 2011 and redesigned the center support and low-reverse piston to fit it. Those parts do not interchange with a 2009-2010 unit, so use a kit built for the earlier transmission.

Which 2018-2020 vehicles still used the 6R80?

In the US, the F-150 with the 3.3L V6 kept the 6R80 through 2020, and Ford's fluid chart lists it in the 2017-2019 Transit. Most other F-150 engines moved to the 10-speed 10R80.

Does an overhaul kit include clutch frictions?

No. An overhaul kit is the seals, sealing rings, O-rings and gaskets. If the frictions are glazed or burnt, add frictions and steels or choose a master rebuild kit.

What fluid does a 2011-2020 6R80 use?

Mercon LV. Ford's fluid chart lists Mercon LV for 6R80 applications and warns against adding supplemental additives.

My truck starts in fifth gear with no speedometer. Do I need this kit?

Usually not. That pattern on a 6R80 points to the lead frame and its output speed sensor, which Ford addressed with a lead frame replacement and recalls. Diagnose the electrical side before rebuilding.

Do I need a relearn after the rebuild?

Yes. Clear the adaptive tables with a scan tool and drive several full shift cycles so the controller relearns clutch fill on the new seals.

• 6R80 F150 Common Problems and Fixes
• 6R80 F150 Shift Problems: Diagnosis and Fix
• 6R80 Mustang Common Problems and Fixes
• 6R80 Expedition Common Problems and Fixes
• 6R80 Common Problems and Fixes