'98 Escort with a Neglected Transmission

[Tigerman]

Hello fellow lube enthusiasts!
At 125,000 miles on my girlfriend’s ‘98 Escort, I checked her transmission fluid and it was dark and gritty but smelled fine and the car shifted fine. I assume the fluid had never been changed. I dropped the pan, cleaned it out good, and swapped the filter. I had never done a cooling line flush and for some reason was nervous to try it, looking back I don’t know why. Anyway, I instead siphoned out a few quarts at a time through the dipstick tube and think I eventually got about 70% fresh MaxLife before her sister took the car out of state. It has now returned with 135,000 miles.

Questions

Should I drop the pan and replace the filter again? With the fluid being neglected for so long I am not sure how likely it is that the new fluid will knock something loose and clog the filter. How about just swapping out more fluid?

Valvoline MaxLife Dex/Merc or Mercon V? I tend to favor “regular” over high mileage products, but since I can get a gallon of MaxLife cheap from AAP with their online discount codes I am wondering if there is any reason to pay more for Mercon V, or do you guys know where I can get some decently priced Merc V? I understand Castrol Mercon V is not a full synthetic which is something I would prefer.

Napa has transmission kits with plastic filters (obviously Wix) but who makes the ones with metal filters? Are either of these worth the price vs. an AAP kit with an online discount code? Who makes AAP transmission filter kits anyway?

Thanks Guys , and any other tips or ideas are certainly welcome!

 

[The_Jeff]

Keep doing what you're doing. I would not mess with inline filters. The maxlife is a good fluid and a good deal. Another pan drop/ filter change in 10k miles would probably be good.

 

[chad8]

Just swap more fluid . I use a mityvac down the dipstick hole . mercon v especially motorcraft or any good old mercon you find is fine. I like amsoil for fords. I would not use maxlife if the trans is shifting o.k. and is not leaking.

 

[chad8]

http://www.gordontransparts.com/ my filter supplier. $5-7 for filters.

 

[Lead Shoes]

If she is going to take it out of state again I would change them out again for piece of mind, and to try and get out some of the other 30% you couldn't get to. But if she will be around for another 10k miles wait until then.

 

[Tigerman]

Thanks guys!
I just snagged a Chilton manual from the library and it says there is a transaxle drain plug which can be accessed through an opening in the support insulator. What and where is the support insulator?

The car will be staying so I will leave the filter for another 10k but would like to finish replacing the fluid.

 

[Kestas]

I had a 98 Escort ZX2 bought new that has 201K miles (now gifted to a nephew) and still has the original transmission with no hiccups. Maintenance was 30K fluid exchanges with Mercon, nothing more.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

Get a drain plug put into the pan.

 

[Donald]

+1 on the Amsoil. An inline filter (Magnefine) will be the best $20 you spent on this car. With it you can forget about dropping the pan or changing the regular filter. The regular filter is a "rock catcher" and the Magnefine is a 30 micron media filter plus a magnet.

 

[mechtech2]

An inline filter is a very good idea. Magnefine is proven.
Just do a nice job with no leaks - maybe double clamp it.