FordExcursions.com Forums
Larry Thompson
 |
|
• Columbus, OH, USA |
|
• Registered on 2/2/2004 |
|
• 22 posts |
|
|
|
 Posted:3/11/2004 12:38 |
|
|
Can anyone tell me the best way to change my transmission fluid at home? I noticed a drain plug on the bottom of the pan with a rubber washer around it, can I drain it through this drain plug?
2000 Excursion V-10 4X4 |
|
watchintv
 |
|
• Saddle River, NJ, USA |
|
• Registered on 5/6/2003 |
|
• 72 posts |
• 1 Vehicle
|
|
 Posted:3/11/2004 14:24 |
|
|
|
I haven't done it myself, but I was planning on doing it soon as well. I imagine it's just that drain plug. My question though is where do you refill it. I'm praying that it's not through the tranny fluid dipstick because that looks like a pain. |
|
rozett
 |
|
• Limington, ME, USA |
|
• Registered on 1/10/2003 |
|
• 163 posts |
• 1 Vehicle
|
|
|
Posted:3/11/2004 14:47 |
|
|
If you are doing it at home, don't forget to pull the cover and drain the torque converter.
I just let my mechanic do it with his nifty machine. Works like a dialisis machine.... pumps out the old fluid and pumps in the new. That way it is all replaced.
//bruce
2000 Excursion Limited V10 4x4
ART brakes, Rancho RSX shocks, Hellwig rear sway bar, SD grille, V10 badges, Sylvania Silverstars, clear corners, and Bridgestone Dueler A/T REVO 285s. |
|
LANDYOT
 |
 | 
• Subscriber since 11/23/2003 |
|
• Newport News, VA, USA |
|
• Registered on 7/15/2003 |
|
• 1,110 posts |
|
|
|
|
Posted:3/11/2004 16:23 |
|
|
|
Uh ... OK ... drain plug sounds convenient ... but how does one replace the filter? It makes no sense at all to me to change the fluid and leave the old filter inside the tranny. |
|
Weatherlite
 |
|
• Mountain Home AFB, ID, USA |
|
• Registered on 10/21/2002 |
|
• 133 posts |
• 1 Vehicle
|
|
|
Posted:3/12/2004 11:42 |
|
|
Best way.....remove drain plug. As it's draining you can start to loosen the bolts holding the pan onto the tranny. Once the flow has slowed put the plug back in. .
Now remove the rubber plug in the front of the tranny that accesses the torque converter. You will have to spin the engine around by hand (socket and handle) until you see the drain plug. Now remove that plug and let it all drain....and I mean ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL of it!!!!!!! Once the flow is down to just occasional drips you may want to replace the plug and rotate the engine a few times and then remove the plug again. I've had good results doing this and actually got more out than I expected.
Now, once you are satisfied that the TC is empty replace that plug and the rubber plug covering it.
Notice you didn't take the pan off yet even though you loosened the bolts. That's because it was possible that some fluid may have flowed through the system when you rotated the engine a bit. I'd hate to have fluid flow into where the pan "used" to be!
Now remove the bolts and drop the pan. Be careful not to spill it on you. You may have drained it through the plug but there will still be some residual left over. Clean the inside of the pan ensuring you get all of the gunk off of the magnet in the pan (usually around the drain hole). Make sure it is dry before reinstalling.
Next, remove the old filter and replace with a new filter. Make sure you bought the right kit. There is a difference between the 4x4 and 2x4 models....longer pickup tube on the 4x4.
Using a clean lint-free rag (red shop towels work good) clean the gasket mating surface on the tranny (make sure you discard the old gasket) and then install the pan with a new gasket.
Torque these bolts to spec!!!!!!!!!! Nothing worse than brand new fluid leaking out due to over or under tightened bolts.
Now to fill it. Filling is the fun part. Yes, you have to use the dipstick tube. Sucks I know, but some stores have a 3-4 quart capacity funnel with a hose attachment which means you could just put the hose into the dipstick tube and have the funnel in an easily accessible location.
Doing it in this manner gets almost all of the old fluid out. Using a flush system works ok as well but costs more and tends to mix the old and new too much for my liking.
One more note...if you have a 4x4 do the transfer case at this time as well. It uses auto tranny fluid and I'm not sure if the tranny and transfer case fluids mingle or not. But, better safe than sorry. The transfer case is easy to do. Remove lower drain plug. When empty replace plug and remove upper fill plug. Fill with fluid and replace fill plug. Done.
Well, hope that helped! Good luck.
Mikie |
|
LANDYOT
|
|
• Subscriber since 11/23/2003 |
|
• Newport News, VA, USA |
|
• Registered on 7/15/2003 |
|
• 1,110 posts |
|
|
|
|
Posted:3/12/2004 17:05 |
|
|
|
Very nice write-up! Thanks for sharing. |
|
birdman127
 |
|
• baltimore, MD, USA |
|
• Registered on 10/13/2002 |
|
• 581 posts |
• 1 Vehicle
|
|
|
Posted:3/12/2004 18:19 |
|
|
 nice job! I will be doing that after i replace the anti freeze!! All new fluids this yr for my baby!!  
Moderator
Scott
2000 ltd 6.8 V10*4.30LS*
Lots of mods
check my gallery
|
|
monsta
 |
|
• The Big Island, HI, USA |
|
• Registered on 1/5/2002 |
|
• 1,056 posts |
• 2 Vehicles
|
|
|
Posted:3/13/2004 04:12 |
|
|
Here...
Written by a Ford Transmission engineer himself.
Changing the ATF in your 4R100
Nice write up Weatherlite. Just a few things were omitted, however.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |
|
Larry Thompson
|
|
• Columbus, OH, USA |
|
• Registered on 2/2/2004 |
|
• 22 posts |
|
|
|
 Posted:3/13/2004 16:40 |
|
|
Thanks for all the helpful information. 
2000 Excursion V-10 4X4 |
|
ROBERTH
 |
|
• Raleigh, NC, USA |
|
• Registered on 3/23/2003 |
|
• 62 posts |
|
|
|
|
Posted:3/22/2004 10:57 |
|
|
Do yourself a favor, follow the instructions in the document that monsta posted a link to. I just did mine this weekend. It takes some time, but is the right way to do it. The gasket is re-usable, this is even stamped on the bottom of the tranny drain pan.
Bought 2 cases of fluid from my local wholesale club, a 3/8" X 20' roll of clear pvc tubing, and a 3 gallon bucket with the graduated measurement marks inside so I could measure what I took out in each stage, and put that much back in each time.
Draining the pan, filter change took out 7 quarts exactly.
Replaced the pan, torqued bolts to spec.
Put 7 quarts back in.
Disconnected the rearward cooler line from the tranny, slid the 3/8" tubing over the line, ran to a bucket and clamped so that I could monitor fluid pumping on the drivers side.
Started engine, watched fluid pump out into bucket until you begin to see first sign of air bubbles, turn off engine.
Measured 5 quarts exactly, so refilled with 5 quarts.
Repeated starting engine, refill with 5 quarts each time until I had pumped out 15 quarts.
Re-connected line to tranny.
Started engine, moved through all gears for a few minutes leaving in each gear for about a minute.
Checked fluid level, was at the bottom of the lower limit. Filled to the upper limit and DONE!
My 2002 did not have a drain plug on the torque converter as the article stated. Also, it is not required to drain by following this procedure.
You will need a good transmission dipstick tube funnel. I tied mine up under the hood from the windshield wiper to allow it to hang in place while I filled it.
In the end, I used 22-1/2 quarts of fluid!
This is the cheapest way to do it, and you get self satisfaction knowing it was done right.
I don't trust the machines used at the change places. I had that done to my GM pickup several years ago, and my front pump seal blew a little while after the change. I am wondering if that transfer against the pressure of 16 or so quarts in that unit is too much for the seals and pump. Think about it. Try and push a big piston down a cylinder with 16 quarts of fluid being forced into a small tube!
Might have been a weakness in the seal in the first place, but following the procedure stated above put's no pressure on the seals and/or pumps.
 |
|
|
|
