Reconditioned Ford Transit Gearbox

Transit van: from the 5-speed gearbox on the early 2.0 TDCi to the 6-speed fitted to post-2006 generations

A van that carries heavy loads, tows and racks up high mileages puts its gearbox under strain in a fundamentally different way from a light vehicle. On the Transit, this shows up as a set of tell-tale symptoms: difficulty selecting lower gears after years of pulling away under load, premature wear of 5th gear on 5-speed versions used heavily on motorways, and input-shaft seal leaks caused by the constant vibration of a diesel engine. Before identifying the gearbox that matches your engine, you need to ask the right question: is it a 5-speed or a 6-speed, and which generation does the engine belong to?

Nine engines, two gearbox families: how to find your way

The Transit covered here spans 23 years of production, from 2000 to 2023, across nine distinct engines. The split between 5-speed manual and 6-speed manual does not follow engine capacity: the 2.2 TDCi (codes CVRA, CYFA, CYFB, CYFC, DRFA, DRFB, DRFC, DRFD, DRFE, DRFF, P8FA, QVFA, SRFA, UFFA) and the 2.4 TDCi (JXFA, PHFA, PHFB) are available in both versions. So is the 2.0 TDCi (ABFA). By contrast, the 3.2 TDCi (SAFA), the 2.0 EcoBlue and the 1.0 EcoBoost (SFCA to SFCF) are 6-speed only. At the other end, the 2.5 TDCi (4EA, 4EB, 4EC, 4FA, 4GA, 4GB) and the 1.8 TDCi (BHPA, HCPA, P9PA, P9PB, P9PC, R2PA, R3PA, RWPA) are 5-speed only. The 1.5 TDCi (XVGA, XWCA, XWDA, XWGA) takes both.

The identification trap on versions with interchangeable gearboxes

On engines that were fitted with both gearbox types, the engine code alone is not enough: you need to note the reference stamped on the gearbox casing (Ford format such as 3C1R-7002, 6C1R-7002, GK2R-7002…) to confirm the exact family. This precaution prevents you from ordering a 5-speed instead of a 6-speed on the same 2.2 TDCi — a common mistake on fleets where the vehicle history is incomplete. EDEN BOITES offers two solutions for this model: a direct-replacement unit, or the rebuild of your own gearbox which is then returned to you — a worthwhile option when the gearbox carries a specific reference that is difficult to source.