How do I know if a checkball should be installed in a certain valve body location on an E4OD?

Look at the separator plate at that location: two holes means install a ball, one hole means no ball.

What size checkballs does the 2nd Type E4OD valve body use?

Two 5/16" plastic checkballs (marked C) plus 2 or 3 balls of 1/4" (.250) size.

What does the Optional Gear Command Feature do?

It allows the transmission to hold 1st gear to any speed and shift back to 1st gear at any speed. It is intended for hot rods and off-road use, and is NOT recommended for heavy-duty or tow/haul applications.

When should I skip Step 1 and Step 2 of the Gear Command modification?

If the original 2-3 valve is longer than the valve furnished in the kit, skip Step 1 and Step 2.

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Ford E4OD Valve Body ID & Checkball Locations - Shift Kit Instructions Page 2

Transmission valve body identification and checkball location service instructions with figures

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Service procedure page for transmission valve body identification, checkball locations and a step-by-step valve install.

AI caption October 2010 · Photo 36 of 108

This document is page 2 of an installation instruction sheet (identified as E4OD-HD2, dated 13 Feb 04) for a heavy-duty valve body modification kit for the Ford E4OD automatic transmission. It shows how to identify the two valve body types ('1st Type VB' and '2nd Type VB') and where the checkballs are located: the 2nd Type uses two 5/16" plastic checkballs plus 2 or 3 balls of 1/4" (.250) size, while the 1st Type uses two 5/16" plastic checkballs. A tip explains how to determine whether a checkball is required by inspecting the separator plate: two holes means install a ball, one hole means no ball. For the 1st Type valve body only, an optional 'Gear Command Feature' is described, which lets the transmission hold 1st gear to any speed and shift back to 1st at any speed—recommended for hot rods and off-road use, but not for heavy-duty or tow/haul applications. Step 1 covers inserting a 3/16" ball and rod into the new 2-3 valve and installing it with the original spring; Step 2 covers installing a plain tight-wound spring with end plug and clip, noting to skip both steps if the original 2-3 valve is longer than the one furnished.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a checkball should be installed in a certain valve body location on an E4OD?: Look at the separator plate at that location: two holes means install a ball, one hole means no ball.
What size checkballs does the 2nd Type E4OD valve body use?: Two 5/16" plastic checkballs (marked C) plus 2 or 3 balls of 1/4" (.250) size.
What does the Optional Gear Command Feature do?: It allows the transmission to hold 1st gear to any speed and shift back to 1st gear at any speed. It is intended for hot rods and off-road use, and is NOT recommended for heavy-duty or tow/haul applications.
When should I skip Step 1 and Step 2 of the Gear Command modification?: If the original 2-3 valve is longer than the valve furnished in the kit, skip Step 1 and Step 2.
Which valve body type can use the Optional Gear Command Feature?: The 1st Type valve body only.