ZF8HP50 fluid exchange frequency?

Have had multiple Wranglers and Gladiators with the license built version of that transmission. I usually do a 30K mile fluid and filter service at first and then every 60K after that. While in warranty, I would recommend staying with a licensed ZF 8/9 speed fluid like the ZF or Ravenol brand. After that, I have no qualms using Valvoline Maxlife ATF.

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For the sake of not starting a new thread let me ask. If you wanted to replace all the fluid via draining and refilling, how many quarts would you need? I don't know how much it holds but heard it swaps 40% a drain. Is that accurate? What's the process of trying to replace it all? Fill, run the engine for a minute or two, drain, fill?
 
For the sake of not starting a new thread let me ask. If you wanted to replace all the fluid via draining and refilling, how many quarts would you need?
For the Jeep Gladiator/Wrangler factory dry fill is 9.5 quarts (9 liters). On a overnight cold vehicle, I have had 5.5 quarts drain out and another time 6.5 quarts drain out but about the same went back in. The sump to the fill port will hold about 4 quarts with the rest is what has drained back from the torque converter overnight.

Most of the Euro Part houses will sell transmission fluid and filter kits that will ranger from 6 to 8 quarts depending on application.

What's the process of trying to replace it all? Fill, run the engine for a minute or two, drain, fill?

Cliff Notes:
  • On cold engine and transmission, fill transmission until it dribbles out fill plug hole.
  • Run engine and transmission and right before transmission temp reaches 86F, shift transmission for a few second through all gears and in manual mode and place back in park.
  • When transmission temp reaches 86F and before reaching 120F with engine still running and transmission in park, pull fill plug and add fluid until in dribbles out fill plug hole and reinstall fill plug and then you are done. Do not exceed 120F
Most OEM instruction will say to drive to reach transmission temp and shift through all gears but that is really not needed. Nor do they call out a second drain and fill until next service interval. So another drain and fill shortly there after will remove more of the original fluid but is at your discretion. Me personally, if I was going to do a send fill/refill, I would drive it for like a week and then do it again.
 
45k-60k. Change filter too.
After that every 30k drain and fill. Every 60k include filter.
Well so there's a big event in Moab where I expect it to be pretty hot and harsh on everything. Crawling around all day, putting a lot of hours on it. Last time I did this I put 57hrs in a week on it. I'm at 21k miles. I have a jug of Valvoline extended protection sitting on the shelf. Would it be wrong to do a drain and fill before the big trip? I'll probably have 22-23k miles by then. I'll be doing an oil change since I'll have about 4k miles on that prior so figured if I'm there, why not.
 
Well so there's a big event in Moab where I expect it to be pretty hot and harsh on everything. Crawling around all day, putting a lot of hours on it. Last time I did this I put 57hrs in a week on it. I'm at 21k miles. I have a jug of Valvoline extended protection sitting on the shelf. Would it be wrong to do a drain and fill before the big trip? I'll probably have 22-23k miles by then. I'll be doing an oil change since I'll have about 4k miles on that prior so figured if I'm there, why not.
What is your current transmission fluid temperature when pushing/off roading?
 
What is your current transmission fluid temperature when pushing/off roading?
That’s a good question that I don’t know. I do this about twice a year and it was never excessive. Is that what’s telling and really matters?
 
That’s a good question that I don’t know. I do this about twice a year and it was never excessive. Is that what’s telling and really matters?
High temperature will cause oxidation. My thinking, considering what that vehicle is made for, is that transmission temperature is in check, meaning, cooling system has enough capacity. I personally wouldn’t change before. But, I would track it and see where is temperature where you live, and where is at Moab. Moab is higher, so cooling system will have harder time to maintain temperature on lower side. B58 comes in BMW with oversized cooling system, far bigger than what actually needs. So, could be the same thing with Ineos. If you hit some super hogh off road passes in CO, like Imogen or Ophir, or Black Bear, that is good test how effective cooling system is. No heat presents challenge anywhere to what 13,000ft altitude throws at you. If system maintains operating temperature there, or close to it, there is no need to excessive fluid changes.
 
There are thousands of Ram trucks running the ZF transmission with 100k miles that never had the fluid changed. If the fluid were cheaper and the pan more serviceable, a more frequent interval might make sense. 16k miles is another story.
True. I have the 8HP45 in mine, which Jaguar claims is "sealed for life"; something BMW used to claim not that long ago. My problem is in the summer; a lot of stop and go traffic, which heats up the transmission fluid to anywhere between 104 - 108 °C (219 - 226°F). I also take it to the track, where it sees very similar temperatures, so while it is quite short, it's still cheaper than a new transmission.

You can find the OE pan from ZF for ~$150, but I was able to purchase the full kit from Febi Bilstein (176857) locally for ~$165 which isn't bad, all things considered.
 
True. I have the 8HP45 in mine, which Jaguar claims is "sealed for life"; something BMW used to claim not that long ago. My problem is in the summer; a lot of stop and go traffic, which heats up the transmission fluid to anywhere between 104 - 108 °C (219 - 226°F). I also take it to the track, where it sees very similar temperatures, so while it is quite short, it's still cheaper than a new transmission.

You can find the OE pan from ZF for ~$150, but I was able to purchase the full kit from Febi Bilstein (176857) locally for ~$165 which isn't bad, all things considered.

I found the proper kit through FCP. I don't know why they call it the ga8hp but going to ZF's website they state the Zf8hp45 is the same pan as the 50/70 and a few others.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-ga8hp45z-ga8hp70z-oil-pan-and-filter-kit-zf-24118612901

I went ahead and ordered the pan. As well oils for the tranny, differentials, transfer case, couple kits of engine oil and filters, air and cabin filters, set of new spark plugs. When people ask "why do you change your fluids so soon" my response is because nature won that day.

Crazy thing is it held water out for 45min but as the water level kept rising it eventually lost. Shut it off, didn't want to leave it running while that deep and risk worse. Towed it home and pulled the plugs. Cylinders were dry. Drained oil and changed filter, charged it up, started it up and let it idle for a few hours coming up to temp and clearing out the pipes. Changed the oil again, looked clean, sent for UOA. Drained the tranny fluid and checked but no water in it. Didn't check the diffs yet. Sent it to the dealership because it wouldn't go in gear due to the computer in the dash going bad. Water never got deep enough to get to it and they told me "we know exactly how deep it got and it's designed for this. Believe it or not we can tell it was already failing and probably went out on it's own" so believe it or not that covered under warranty. Here's to hoping I get it back Monday after the part comes in. That $10 starlink subscription really paid off on this one. I will say I love this thing. Pulled the mats right out by hand. Have drain plugs in 6 locations. Designed to be hosed down on the inside. Getting the sand out of the seats is about to become someone else's problem though. My shopvac didn't seem to want to do the job.

We'd been out there for about 3hrs and wanting to make one more pass around the place. It'd rained a lot so the creek was flowing but had been through it. After two times through I guess a log rolled into the area and we straddled it, couldn't get off. Had to watch the water keep rising for a couple hours. In the end after getting home way to late at night I asked my buddy if he had fun and we both couldn't stop laughing because with all the headaches it really was.


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@FlyingTexan Kudos for you for swamping out your $80,000 play SUV. Nice!!
More than that but I didn’t buy it to keep it in the garage or mall parking lots. It’s honestly a very good vehicle for what it is. Buy anything else and MOD it to that point and you’ve spent just as much. It’s still in the shop but I’ll say this. It’s all been under warranty. Ineos is fantastic to deal with. Their response was “it’s designed to handle that and should have”. It wasn’t swamped to start with. 12” of rain and rising waters got it.
 
My truck is approaching 70K and I have all the stuff to do the change, but the drain bolt on the pan is less than an inch above my exhaust X and I don't see how I'm going to get it done without lowering the exhaust.. Plenty of folks say you don't have to, but even if I cut an Allen wrench I still don't see how I'm going to get the plug out. I realize my pan/filter should be changed, but has anyone tried sucking the fluid out of the fill hole with an extractor? Seems like that'd be much easier going forward if it would work.
YES,,,,,,,,, BOUGHT A 12V PUMP OFF AMAZON ,,,,,STUCK THE HOSE IN THE FILL HOLE AFTER CUTTING HOSE ON AN ANGLE AND SUCKED PAN DRY .....APPROX 5 QTS ....... made sure hose was on top of drain plug and jacked front of truck up a little .................. Worked great
 
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