2016 F150 6R80 30K Miles - Found 2 Magnets in Trans Pan

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Just did a drain and fill at 30K miles on my 2.7L Ecoboost 4x4 with the 6R80 transmission and STOP/START feature. I reused the filter as I wanted to get a look at it since it is different than the typical 6R80 and has 2 outlets on the top side of the filter. I will try to buy a new filter for my change at 60K.

When I dropped the pan, I was shocked to see 2 magnets in the pan as opposed to the standard single magnet. I assume this was a mistake during assembly since there isn't a second dimple in the pan to locate the additional magnet. After cleaning the pan and magnets, I put them both back the way I found them. The second magnet wasn't interfering with anything and both had a thin gray layer on them...figuring two magnets are better than one at clearing metallic fragments. Refilled with about 7 quarts of Mercon LV and seems to be working fine.

Has anyone else found additional magnets in their transmission pan before?

 
Back in the 70's Ford plugged the dipstick hole with a plastic plug. The assembly guys were supposed to pull the plug out when they installed the dipstick. Most just shoved the plug on through and into the pan.

A few years later someone pulls the pan and finds the plug. Goes into a panic trying to figure out where it came from.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Back in the 70's Ford plugged the dipstick hole with a plastic plug. The assembly guys were supposed to pull the plug out when they installed the dipstick. Most just shoved the plug on through and into the pan.

A few years later someone pulls the pan and finds the plug. Goes into a panic trying to figure out where it came from.



I had an 04 F150 and I found a red plastic plug in the pan on the first change...I called my Uncle who owns a shop and he said the same thing you did. He said he still finds them on occasion even on "newer" trucks.

As for 2 magnets OP i have no idea. If it doesnt hit anything it wont hurt to have it in there IMO.
 
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Yeah, I remember working on a friends 2004 F150 and found that plastic plug in the trans pan, they had clearly been doing that for decades. I had seen a few descriptions online so it wasn't a surprise. I can imagine how that would freak someone out though!
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
I had 2 magnets in my 2015 2.7 F150


So, if it happened to your 2.7L as well, either they are quite sloppy on the line or somebody is doing this on purpose. Maybe it's not a flaw, but a feature!
 
The magnets are different sizes, maybe it's intentional. The first pan drop i did on a Pinto i found that goofy plug. It was a little puzzling.....
 
In less than 2,000 miles, I will be changing fluid in my 2014 Mustang GT with that transmission. I expect to see only one magnet.

Any tips on getting a proper fluid level since this tranny has a thermostat that controls the fluid flow or did you just refill with the amount that you took out.

I do plan on changing my filter.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Back in the 70's Ford plugged the dipstick hole with a plastic plug. The assembly guys were supposed to pull the plug out when they installed the dipstick. Most just shoved the plug on through and into the pan.

A few years later someone pulls the pan and finds the plug. Goes into a panic trying to figure out where it came from.


I average about 3 calls a year for this.
 
This may have been covered elsewhere; but does anyone in this thead have a solid opinion
on adding a strong magnet to the outside of the pan?

My thinking is to put a strong magnet near the drain plug, then a few seconds before removing the drain plug, remove the magnet, then do a drain and fill. Seems like the flow of the old ATF out the drain hole should bring some of that magnetic dust with it?? Then put the magnet back in the same place after done changing the oil and before starting the engine.
 
Originally Posted By: loneryder
It looks like the magnets are supposed to go in those 2 squares in the pan??


No, those bumps in the squares at the front of the pan make contact with the bottom of the filter. There is a specific place at the center/rear of the pan for the magnet with a raised dimple to center the magnet and some small outer dimples to keep it in place. The second magnet was just off to the side past the filter, so it seems out of the way and shouldn't interfere with anything.
 
Originally Posted By: Bob69
This may have been covered elsewhere; but does anyone in this thead have a solid opinion
on adding a strong magnet to the outside of the pan?

My thinking is to put a strong magnet near the drain plug, then a few seconds before removing the drain plug, remove the magnet, then do a drain and fill. Seems like the flow of the old ATF out the drain hole should bring some of that magnetic dust with it?? Then put the magnet back in the same place after done changing the oil and before starting the engine.


I wish my pan had a drain plug to make removing the fluid from the pan easier. The magnets were covered in a gray film of metallic goo, but the inside of the pan itself had a very light gray film as well. I guess the magnet helps to magnetize the entire pan. I am glad I dropped the pan to clean it out, but I guess an external magnet like you described could work. Just draining the pan after removing the magnet would remove much of the gray goo, but it still might be worth dropping the pan to wipe it out just to be sure.
 
Originally Posted By: wtd
In less than 2,000 miles, I will be changing fluid in my 2014 Mustang GT with that transmission. I expect to see only one magnet.

Any tips on getting a proper fluid level since this tranny has a thermostat that controls the fluid flow or did you just refill with the amount that you took out.

I do plan on changing my filter.


After reinstalling and torquing the pan bolts (98 in lbs), I filled with about 5 quarts until a bit overflowed from the opening and started it up to idle in park. Checking the little dip stick while it was running showed that it was barely registering on the bottom. So, I added one more quart while it was still running and checked again. It was now about half-way up the stick. This let me know that about one more quart would get me close. My dip stick had two marks, a hatched section labelled A, and a checked section labelled B. This was a bit confusing until I found the image below showing that it is supposed to get to the top of section B when at full operating temperature (206-215 degrees F). Mine was at the top of A/bottom of B while the transmission was near 100 degrees F. After running a while, the temp went up to about 120 degrees F and the fluid level started rising into section B. Given the expansion rate of the fluid when it was heating, this should get me to the top of section B when fully hot. I couldn't get it any hotter idling in my garage and I didn't feel like taking it on the road to heat everything up and then get it all back lifted up to check again.

 
I think the 2 magnets are a feature rather than a mistake.
When I had a Buick I intentionally installed a 2nd magnet in the transmission pan....I had it laying around from the Magnafine I had taken off my Corolla.
 
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
The magnets are different sizes, maybe it's intentional. The first pan drop i did on a Pinto i found that goofy plug. It was a little puzzling.....


I believe the magnets are the same size, they just look different in the photo due to the shadows and lighting. It would seem that someone likely put the second one on purpose since it was in a location that was out of the way of the filter.
 
Originally Posted By: hatt
One magnet in my 2013.


Maybe the use of two magnets is a running change in the newer 6R80 F150 models. Does anyone know if the same thing is being done on the new 10-speed transmission?
 
Originally Posted By: Minorgroove
Originally Posted By: Bob69
This may have been covered elsewhere; but does anyone in this thead have a solid opinion
on adding a strong magnet to the outside of the pan?

My thinking is to put a strong magnet near the drain plug, then a few seconds before removing the drain plug, remove the magnet, then do a drain and fill. Seems like the flow of the old ATF out the drain hole should bring some of that magnetic dust with it?? Then put the magnet back in the same place after done changing the oil and before starting the engine.


I wish my pan had a drain plug to make removing the fluid from the pan easier. The magnets were covered in a gray film of metallic goo, but the inside of the pan itself had a very light gray film as well. I guess the magnet helps to magnetize the entire pan. I am glad I dropped the pan to clean it out, but I guess an external magnet like you described could work. Just draining the pan after removing the magnet would remove much of the gray goo, but it still might be worth dropping the pan to wipe it out just to be sure.


I actually bought another factory pan and had a drain plug welded in to it so when I do change it, I will just put on this new pan. It will make future changes a lot easier.
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