400 plus parts isn't to bad. About 10 years ago I a c-4 rebuilt by a transmission shop and all said and done the cost was 700. They also changed the bracket from floor to column shift because it was backwards.
Ford had like 9 or 10 servos for the C4 - they all have a different characteristics in the way they control the application and release timing for the band. Getting the right one depends on how much horsepower you have and what your doing with the transmission (strip, street, towing, ect) If you go to the transmission forum, at the very top is a pinned post about the C4 - post #15 has info on the servos commonly used. There are many aftermarket servos made too. A common one sold for performance applications is the H To Transmission Forum --- Transmissions | Maverick/Comet Forums
I am currently working on my own C4 rebuild. I pulled the stock 250 and bought a 302 from a salvaged '92 F150. Unlike the 200, the 250 does have the correct bell housing size for the 302. I bought a B&M automatic transmission master rebuild kit to use for the rebuild. This is my first rebuild, but it is pretty easy going so far. I recommend that you check out this YT video that helped me immensely: I also bought Workbench's book (https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai...56Oycv3AhV-DkQIHYPYD2sQ9aACKAB6BAgCEEA&adurl=) to aid in the rebuild, but honestly, the video was way more beneficial. I hope this helps. Good luck on your endeavors!
C-4 is actually very easy compared to some. The biggest issue is don't force "O" rings into their positions. You pinch it or cut it and it leaks. another is many forget the pressure relief spring/ball that goes under the filter. I cleaned mine and changed the burnt clutches along with fixing the mistakes in the valve body. Pressure spring/ball missing and 1 of the 3 check balls in the valve body missing. Also changed the servo from an A to an H it had.
This remind me of my first time inside a C4 back in the early 80's...but instead of video we used a car magazine. Under one of the photos it said "Blow out this passage with compressed air." It didn't say turn it upside down to drain out the extra fluid first. We both ended up with little brown dots on our face and tee shirts. We had to stop working and go clean up and change shirts just to keep from laughing every time we looked at each other.
LOL! I also rebuilt my first C4 whil I was in HS in the mid 80's. All I had was magazines. There was no YT, no internet, just books, magazine, the Library and friends. That's how I learned, and as I recall, even doing the rebuild by myself, it was pretty easy. I had done a couple valve body shift kits for friends by that time also, and was very aware of the potential for losing the check valve balls and springs etc. That was something that I was warned about in advance. (Thankfully, by a friend in Automotive School at the time) I had also rebuilt a 3 spd toploader, and would eventually rebuild 2 more of these 3 speeds. I think the 3 speed was more work than the C4.
