How Many Bolts Hold The Transmission to The Engine F150: Everything Covered!

Cleaning or repairing the transmission is necessary after a period. And the transmission is to be disassembled for this type of work. But problems happen if any of the bolts holding the transmission gets lost.

Then the question arises, how Many Bolts Hold The Transmission to The Engine F150?

The 95-03 version of the F-150 needs 14 bolts for holding the transmission. For the next two versions, 95-12/97 & F-150 LIGHTNING, you’ll need 20 bolts. The two versions of the F-150 HERITAGE EDITION ONLY need 14 bolts to hold the transmission. Lastly, the 2004-2008 F-150 also requires 14 bolts for this purpose. 

This is only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more information yet to be unveiled. So keep scrolling!

How Many Bolts Hold The Transmission to The Engine F150: At A Glance

The number of bolts holding the transmission to the F-150 engine is different for different versions. This is due to the different configurations of engine and transmission systems. 

This is just the basic idea about the bolts of various versions of Ford F-150. There are much more details about these bolts. Just like the limited functionalities of ACC FCW, wrong bolts will limit the performance of your F-150. So, you must know all the details! 

How Many Bolts Hold The Transmission to The Engine F150: Detailed Description

There are some crucial details regarding the bolt number of the F-150 besides their number. I will present all the necessary information in this section. So keep scrolling!

F-150 (95-03):

Let’s check out the number of bolts transmission of the first version of the F-150. This version existed between 1995 to 2003. The transmission used in this version is 4R70W. And the engines of the F-150 (95-03) are V6 4.2L and V8 4.6L/ 5.0L/5.4L.

The number of bolts in the 4R70W transmission is 14. The size of the bolts used here is 8mm X 1.25 pitch and they come with a 10mm head. The length of the bolts of 4R70W is 25mm. Getting bolts of this dimension will be alright for your 1995-2003 F-150.

F-150 (95-12/97):

The next version of the F-150 is the 95-12/97 one. This one has a different transmission and engine. The transmission type of this F-150 is E4OD. And the engines available here are L6 4.9L and V8 5.0L/5.4L/ 5.8L. Due to these differences, the number of bolts is also distinct in 95-12/97 versions.

Here, 20 bolts are required for holding the transmission to the F-150 engine. And the dimension of these bolts is M8X1.25X12. Any bolt shop will provide you with the correct bolts if you provide this dimension. 

F-150 LIGHTNING (1/98-03):

The 1/98-03 version of the F-150 is also known as the F-150 LIGHTNING. This one consists of a 4R100 transmission system. And the engine used in this version is V8 5.4L. That means this version comes with only one type of engine.

The number of bolts in F-150 LIGHTNING is 20. This number is similar to the previous F-150 generations. However, there are differences in the dimensions. The bolts of the F-150 LIGHTNING are M8x1.25. 

F-150 HERITAGE EDITION ONLY (2004) (V6 4.2L, V8 4.6L):

After the F-150 LIGHTNING, Ford released the F-150 HERITAGE EDITION ONLY in 2004. This one uses a similar transmission system to the first version of the F-150. The 4R70W transmission is used here. The engines found here are V6 4.2L & V8 4.6L.

The number and dimensions of bolts are also similar in this case. 14 bolts are used here to hold the transmission to the engine. The dimensions of these bolts are 8mm X 1.25 pitch. And the size of the head is 10mm. These bolts are 25mm in length.

F-150 HERITAGE EDITION ONLY (2004) (V8 5.4L):

The F-150 HERITAGE EDITION ONLY has another model with the V8 5.4L engine. Only the engine used is different here. The transmission system is similar to the other F-150 HERITAGE EDITION models. The 4R70W transmission is available here. So the bolt number and dimensions are also similar. 

This version also needs 14 bolts for holding the transmission system. The dimensions of the bolts used are 8mm X 1.25 pitch. The bolts have a head of 10mm. And the required length of the bolts is 25mm just like the other 4R70W transmissions.

F-150 (2004-2008) (V6 4.2L, V8 4.6L):

The next F-150 version is 2004-2008. It comes with V6 4.2L and V8 4.6L engines. The transmission used in this version is 4R75W. This transmission requires 14 bolts to remain in its place. Make sure to install all 14 bolts to avoid any mishaps while driving. 

F-150 (2004-2008) (V8 5.4L V10 6.8L):

The last version of F-150 is the 2004-2008 with V8 5.4L and V10 6.8L engine. Despite different engines, the transmission system of this model is similar to the previous one. The 4R75W transmission is used in this model too. And the number of bolts in 4R75W is also 14.

These are all the details about the number of bolts in different versions of the F-150. The importance of this information is enormous. I will present the necessity of using the correct bolt number in the next section. 

Why Is the Right Number of Bolts Necessary for Holding The Transmission?

The main function of the transmission of any car including the F-150 is to transfer power. It transfers the power generated by the engine to the wheels. This is a pretty hectic job. The transferring process is full of vibrations. For this reason, it is very essential to hold the transmission steadily to the engine.

And using the wrong number of bolts will cause hindrances in holding. Various problems will arise if the transmission is not bolted properly. Let’s see some major drawbacks of not using the right bolt number in the F-150 transmission. 

Thunking Sound: 

The first problem you will observe is a thunking sound coming from the transmission. This happens due to the vibration of the transmission. Less or wrong bolts can not hold the transmission in its place steadily. 

As a result, it moves more than usual and the thunking sound is produced. However, do not mix up the thunking sound with the clicking noise of the F-150.

Compromised Engine Functions: 

The engine performance will be compromised if the number of bolts in the transmission isn’t accurate. The transmission transfers the power produced by the engine. If the transmission is not bolted properly, it will vibrate vigorously during its work.

Then some portions of the power generated by the engine will be wasted. This will decrease the engine efficiency. Vehicle performance will be compromised as a result of all these. 

Transmission Oil Leak:

The worst problem that can happen if any of the bolts is missing is a transmission oil leak. However, this does not happen instantly. Using fewer bolts for a long time will cause the leakage of transmission oil. This oil is very necessary for the function of the transmission. Oil leakage will also make the transmission pan dirty.

The leakage of the oil will hamper the performance of the transmission. Moreover, the transmission system can get damaged if the situation remains unnoticed for a long time.

These are the major problems that can happen if you use fewer bolts for a long time.  Selecting the correct bolt size is as important as cleaning the FCW sensor. So make sure to use the correct size and number of bolts for holding the transmission. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):  

What Ford transmission has 14 bolts on the pan? 

The Ford 4R70W has 14 bolts on the pan. Besides that, 4R75W and 4R75W/E also have 14 bolts on the pan. These transmissions are available in different Ford vehicles. The F-150, F-250, F-350, and various other models use the 4R70W, 4R75W, and 4R75W/E transmission systems.

How long can a Ford transmission last? 

A Ford transmission can last up to 100,000 to 150,000 miles. If you drive less than 10 miles a day, the transmission will last longer. But driving a long distance will decrease the lifetime. The lifetime of the transmission will decrease to 60,000 to 80,000 miles if you drive above 40 miles per day.

Is it better to replace or rebuild a transmission?

Yes, it is better to replace a transmission if the damage on it is too heavy. However, if the damage is less, rebuilding the transmission is alright. The rebuilding process is less costly than replacing the transmission. And it will cover repairing all the damages to the transmission system of the car. 

Conclusion

No you know How Many Bolts Hold The Transmission to The Engine F150. I have tried to cover all the F-150 models to provide you with all the necessary information.

You can see that the number of bolts is different for various versions of the Ford F-150. So be careful about the version of your F-150 while getting new bolts.