98 Mustang ATF

[Deltona_Dave]

Recently, I bought a 98 Mustang 3.8 with a 4R70W automatic. It has just over 100K and has a shudder, mainly between 30-45 mph at cruise/light throttle. When I bought it a few weeks ago, it had a small leak at the cooler connection at the radiator. I fixed that leak.

This weekend, I plan to drop the pan and change the filter and drain the TC. I am thinking of using MaxLife or Valvoline Mercon V.

Do you think adding lubegard red with the new fluid would help? It does not look like the transmission has been serviced at all, and have heard a complete flush might mess things up.

Any thoughts?

Dave

 

[bdcardinal]

Do the pan drop and fill with a new filter and see if that helps. The Mercon V was supposed to help with the shudder.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

I am not sure what current ATF is in the trans. When I bought it, was almost 2 quarts low on ATF. The previous owner probably used Convenience store ATF, due to the leak.

The owner had different priorities, such has cheap HID's, Wal-Mart stereo, K&N air filter, poorly welded dual exhaust, etc.

Can't complain, price was right and car is pretty sound, just needs good maintenance.

Dave

 

[bdcardinal]

Sounds like a lot of the V6 owners. Assuming they didn't throw it away, the trans pan gasket is elastomeric and should be reusable.

 

[SuperDave456]

Definitely need a pan drop then.

Start with draining via cooler line, then drop the pan, that will get out a large portion of what is in the pan before you drop it, and it will lessen the chance of getting a ATF shower.

Maxlife is good stuff. I use it in all my Fords.
I also use Lubegard Red in about every car I can. I've never had a problem with it.

BTW, once you get the car up on ramps you might just want to go ahead a disconnect the battery. Don't know how much it will apply to a '98, but a bunch of cars do better if their computer re-learns the shift point after a significant service to the transmission is performed.
It sounds like this could be considered a significant service on your ride.

Keep us informed as to any other hooliganism you find. It seems that you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Mustang that has something funny going on.

 

[stxonall8]

I had a cougar with the same trans and it did that. Lube guard red will help.

 

[ethangsmith]

Factory fill was probably standard Mercon, but Mercon V is approved for all Mercon applications and is a better fluid. A bottle of Lubegard red certainly would be a good idea as well. I've found that after putting Mercon V in all my cars, a bottle of the Lubegard red is the icing on the cake for smooth shifts and good converter operation. It seems like people don't flush automatics as they should and I've noticed that most Fords that were factory filled with Mercon usually start to have poor shifts or torque converter shudders by 80K miles if never serviced. You're probably doing yourself a big favor by doing a pan drop and fluid exchange on your car!

 

[Deltona_Dave]

The OM specs Mercon V and it is on the Trans dipstick handle. I am going to fill with MaxLife and try some lubegard.

Thanks for all the tips.

Dave

 

[RF Overlord]

Dave, be advised if the friction modifier (Mercon V is an HFM fluid) is depleted, as I would suspect it is with that many miles, if you aren't going to change ALL the fluid it may take a few miles for the torque converter clutch shudder to abate, so don't panic if it doesn't fix it immediately. I used Valvoline Mercon V for the last change in my DD below and I can't tell any difference between that and the previous fills of Castrol or Motorcraft.

ethangsmith, Ford changed the 4R70W to Mercon V in 1998.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

RF, thanks. I was not expecting a "spill and fill" to work fast. I am hoping that it will tame down the 1-2 upshift, it is pretty hard on light acceleration. I have MaxLife in my Titan and it works well.

Dave