The Ford E-350 Super Duty van uses several transmissions, one of which is the C6 transmission, which is a rear-wheel drive transmission. It could be removed without using a lift, but it is heavy. You should use a helper, but if one or two friends are not available, make sure you have at least two floor jacks to support the transmission as it is lowered from the E-350.
Open the hood and disconnect the battery ground cable. Set it aside, ensuring that it does not touch metal. Still working in the engine compartment, remove the two upper converter housing-to-engine bolts. Unplug the neutral safety switch wiring harness, located at the back of the engine compartment, at its inline connector.
Remove the transmission fluid filler tube and dipstick using the appropriate socket or wrench. The bolt is attached to the cylinder head. Jack up the van using the floor jack and support it with the jack stands.
Slide the drain pan under the transmission pan. Loosen the bolts (do not remove them yet), starting at the back of the pan and working your way toward the front. The pan will tip as the bolts are loosened, allowing the fluid to drain into the pan. Keep loosening the bolts until the fluid no longer spills out of the pan. Remove the bolts and the pan, taking care to keep it over the drain pan, as not all the transmission fluid will drain out. Reinstall the pan with two bolts on the back of the pan to temporarily hold it in place.
Push the drain pan forward, toward the converter. Remove the converter drain plug access cover from the bottom of the converter housing, using the appropriate socket. Remove the converter nuts that attach the converter to the flexplate. You will only be able to remove a couple of nuts at a time, so place a wrench on the crankshaft pulley bolt and turn the crankshaft a few inches. This will turn the converter so that you can access more bolts. Repeat until you get all the converter-to-flexplate bolts out. Look for the converter drain plug as you are removing the nuts. Remove the drain plug to allow the converter to drain. Reinstall the drain bolt.
Disconnect the driveshaft at the axle using the appropriate sockets. Move the drain pan under the extension housing. Slide the driveshaft toward the rear of the E-350 van and away from the transmission. Install the seal installation tool in the extension housing to keep all the fluid from leaking out.
Disconnect the speedometer cable from the extension housing on the transmission by unscrewing it. Disconnect the linkage rods from the levers on the transmission using the appropriate socket or screwdriver.
Disconnect the oil cooler lines from the transmission using the appropriate line wrench. Loosen the clamp on the vacuum diaphragm using the appropriate screwdriver or socket, depending on the type of clamp used. Pull the vacuum line off. Remove the vacuum line-retaining clip.
Loosen the nut for the cable on the starter. Remove the cable, then put the nut back on the stud. Remove the three starter bolts, then pull the starter off the engine. Disconnect the downshift linkage and manual cables using the appropriate sockets or screwdriver. Remove the two bolts that attach the rear engine mount and insulator. Remove the six bolts that hold the crossmember on the side rails.
Slide the jack under the transmission and jack it up enough to raise the transmission so you can pull the crossmember out. Pull the crossmember out. Secure the transmission to the jack (or two jacks, if you need to use two jacks) using the chain. Remove the rest of the bolts in the converter housing. Pull the transmission out from under the E-350 van.
