Ford Ecosport Transfer Case

[radtech91]

I’ve got a 2018 Ecosport 2.0L with a little over 60,000 miles. Bought it used at 60,000. I’m going to be doing an ATF exchange and brake flush. But I wanted to change out the transfer case fluid as well, but I can’t find any information on what type of fluid or even where the drain and fill bolts are online or the manual.
I haven’t had the time or space to put it up to look myself yet. Taking it to a garage to lift it up to do the other maintenance, but I wanted to have the fluid and change the PTU while I have it there.

Anyone have any info on this?

 

[ctechbob]

He's recommending the 75W-85 Motorcraft stuff, so I would say a 75w-90 or therebouts. I would use the absolute best oil i could get my hands on for it. Those things don't hold a lot of oil and it appears to beat what little oil is in there to death.

Ford has changed the design quite a bit over the years as well. From being sealed for life to having drain plugs, to having more capacity and ducting to keep them cool and adding a 30k change to the maint schedule.

Good idea to change it. At 60k, if it has never been done, I'll bet that oil is smoked.

 

[GSCJR]

75w-85 gear oil

 

[BMW Dom]

If you prefer to stick to OEM viscosity: Gl5 75w-85 (Redline, or other)

If not: GL5 75w-90 (Valvloline, Mobil, Amsoil, etc)

 

[radtech91]

Thanks guys! I did finally find in the ford pass app in the manuals, only the revised one from 2019 (not the 18 or revised 20) has in the capacities section a 75W-85 gear oil. But does not say what it is for and there is no mention of transfer case anywhere.

I finally found some pictures of the transfer case on eBay that someone is selling and I could see that it does in fact have drain and fill plugs. So I’ll be stopping on my way home from work and pick up a quart of 75W-90.

Is nobody changing this oil out on this car!? I couldn’t find anything anywhere on it.

 

[Greasymechtech]

Remember the older PTU's that died running their lifetime 75w140?

If it calls for a 75w85, I would consider a non-LS 75w90 without even thinking about it. I might even use a 75w140 if no one was looking.

 

[meep]

This is where I would absolutely do everything I could for a robust fluid. in addition to what was said above, something like Amsoil SVG (severe gear) would be worth the trouble to get. I think they also make a hybrid weight… around a 115, splitting the difference between 75-90 and a 140. I’d probably be looking at that.

id shy away from redline, based on very dated information that might be incorrect - that they focused on more race-day high intensity lubrication and less on long-term additives, favoring towards short intervals under racing conditions, rather than long term use. That was a long time ago and may have changed, but for that reason I’m inclined to put amsoil first on the list for this use.

 

[bdcardinal]

Remember the older PTU's that died running their lifetime 75w140?

If it calls for a 75w85, I would consider a non-LS 75w90 without even thinking about it. I might even use a 75w140 if no one was looking.

I find it ironic that the PTUs in Explorers and Flex's that we replaced all the time had just fill plugs. But my mom's 2014 Fusion 2.0EB has drain and fill plugs on the PTU and they never fail.

 

[radtech91]

Got the fluid changed out. I ended up using mobil1 75w-90. There is not that much fluid in these transfer cases. The change was very easy and quick to do. I attached pictures of the fill and drain plugs, just in case for anyone in the future since I couldn’t find pictures anywhere.

 

[Whimsey]

I find it ironic that the PTUs in Explorers and Flex's that we replaced all the time had just fill plugs. But my mom's 2014 Fusion 2.0EB has drain and fill plugs on the PTU and they never fail.

Our 2017 Explorer 2.3L has drain and fill plugs, thankfully. I've been doing approximately 25,000 mile changes using Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-140. The last time there was really nothing on the magnet.

 

[JTK]

Good work!

Looks super easy to get at based on your pics. The T-case is a pain to get at on my 2019 Nissan Pathfinder. The unit in my pathfinder holds ounces of gear oil (Nissan calls for 80w90) It's very wise to change it regularly. I used synth 75w90.

 

[ctechbob]

I find it ironic that the PTUs in Explorers and Flex's that we replaced all the time had just fill plugs. But my mom's 2014 Fusion 2.0EB has drain and fill plugs on the PTU and they never fail.

Didn't they add some capacity to them as well? Thought I remembered seeing somewhere they went from around 1/2 quart to almost a quart in them. Somewhere along the line, they also appear to have added a small amount of ducting in the undertrays to get some cooling air on them. I know mom's Maverick has a nifty little area they cut out to blast air in there.

 

[bdcardinal]

Didn't they add some capacity to them as well? Thought I remembered seeing somewhere they went from around 1/2 quart to almost a quart in them. Somewhere along the line, they also appear to have added a small amount of ducting in the undertrays to get some cooling air on them. I know mom's Maverick has a nifty little area they cut out to blast air in there.

The one on my mom's Fusion shows a .48qt capacity of 75W140. I just have one of our lube techs change it when they are doing every 3rd oil change along with a d&f on the trans. The tech was stoked when I gave him one of the Amsoil bags to fill it.

 

[thastinger]

Remember the older PTU's that died running their lifetime 75w140?

If it calls for a 75w85, I would consider a non-LS 75w90 without even thinking about it. I might even use a 75w140 if no one was looking.

PTU isn't dead yet in our 04 Escape at 140k, but I change it out every 30k with 75-140