ZF8HP50 fluid exchange frequency?

FlyingTexan said:
I have my Grenadier which uses a BMW Powertrain. They say the transmission is for life. We all know things fail at some point so I don’t know what their definition is. What I do know is the Grenny is 6,000lbs, tuned, and driven hard. How often should I real world be swapping out the plastic drain pan/filter and the fluids. It’s not about the cost. To me it’s peace of mind, the joy of taking care of my baby, and having it last forever.
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45k-60k. Change filter too.
After that every 30k drain and fill. Every 60k include filter.
 
Falcon_LS said:
From what I've read, ZF recommends 50,000 - 75,000 mile intervals. For my ZF 8HP, I stick to 25,000 km (~16,000 mi) intervals due to heat and a lot of stop-and-go. Too frequent? Maybe, but I sleep better.
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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.
 
QwikKota said:
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.
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Right but if they failed at 120k they'd have met their warranty but been called unreliable. I'm wanting a half million miles on my vehicle.
 
QwikKota said:
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.
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The question concerns what interval is best for trans longevity in ZF trannies that are ostensibly specked for life. That vehicles might get to 100k on original fill, or that replacement fluid is pricy are facts that are not pertinent.
 
TomYoung said:
The question concerns what interval is best for trans longevity in ZF trannies that are ostensibly specked for life. That vehicles might get to 100k on original fill, or that replacement fluid is pricy are facts that are not pertinent.
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Yea the cost is the cost but isn't part of my decision. It's an expensive vehicle and replacing a tranny isn't going to be cheap so keep it with fresh fluids is cheap insurance and peace of mind.
 
FlyingTexan said:
Yea the cost is the cost but isn't part of my decision. It's an expensive vehicle and replacing a tranny isn't going to be cheap so keep it with fresh fluids is cheap insurance and peace of mind.
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Some that complain about the ATF cost/service might be thinking of Mopar fluid from a dealership - it’s ridiculous …
Others got ZF fluid from eBay for much less …
 
FlyingTexan said:
Right but if they failed at 120k they'd have met their warranty but been called unreliable. I'm wanting a half million miles on my vehicle.
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Yet you don't hear of failures on Ram forums or they are very rare. The main issue is the lifters failing. I plan on attempting to transfer some fluid out using a pump through the fill hole and putting back in the exact amount I get out. $25/quart is nothing to sneeze at but I have a lifetime warranty on my truck, most do not. A service at the dealer is close to $1,000. At these prices 60k change intervals are about all that makes sense. For the Ram, there is no maintenance schedule that refers to the service. This differs from other automotive manufacturers and never changing isn't sound advice.

There are a few people running MaxLife with good results but it's risky if under warranty.
 
QwikKota said:
Yet you don't hear of failures on Ram forums or they are very rare. The main issue is the lifters failing. I plan on attempting to transfer some fluid out using a pump through the fill hole and putting back in the exact amount I get out. $25/quart is nothing to sneeze at but I have a lifetime warranty on my truck, most do not. A service at the dealer is close to $1,000. At these prices 60k change intervals are about all that makes sense. For the Ram, there is no maintenance schedule that refers to the service. This differs from other automotive manufacturers and never changing isn't sound advice.

There are a few people running MaxLife with good results but it's risky if under warranty.
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These ZF transmissions with 8 or 9 gears (maybe 10) are absolutely ubiquitous, in many current 3, 4, 5 Series BMWs, in Honda and Acura products and in these RAM trucks, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. If MaxLife was causing any problems with these excellen ZF units, you would be sure to have heard about it.
 
QwikKota said:
Yet you don't hear of failures on Ram forums or they are very rare. The main issue is the lifters failing. I plan on attempting to transfer some fluid out using a pump through the fill hole and putting back in the exact amount I get out. $25/quart is nothing to sneeze at but I have a lifetime warranty on my truck, most do not. A service at the dealer is close to $1,000. At these prices 60k change intervals are about all that makes sense. For the Ram, there is no maintenance schedule that refers to the service. This differs from other automotive manufacturers and never changing isn't sound advice.

There are a few people running MaxLife with good results but it's risky if under warranty.
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Because of the distinct color difference - I will wait a while before considering the newer Valvoline EP ATF that’s in our 2017 Tahoe …
 
TomYoung said:
These ZF transmissions with 8 or 9 gears (maybe 10) are absolutely ubiquitous, in many current 3, 4, 5 Series BMWs, in Honda and Acura products and in these RAM trucks, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. If MaxLife was causing any problems with these excellen ZF units, you would be sure to have heard about it.
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Yep. It’s been used for several years - and the newer EP has an extensive “recommended” list …
I’d probably only hesitate for CVT or ATF-4 applications …
 
nwjones18 said:
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.
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It's been awhile since I owned my 2019 Ram classic hemi with the 8HP70. I recall the cross-over pipe being close, but not impossible close. Have you checked any of the Ram boards to see how they address the situation? That's the nice thing with the Pentastar Ram 1500's with the 8HP45, no cross-over pipe blocking the pan.

I probably wouldn't even worry about the drain plug. It's really only there so you make less of a mess dropping the pan. Main thing is clear access to the fill / level check plug.

As far as I recall, ZF always recommended a pan and fluid change at 60K miles. Per the videos and pics I've seen people post, the drained fluid never looks horrible on them. If only they were all like this.
 
For the Ram drain plug clearance issue, a 10mm hex key will work if you cut it down to fit. For my diff drain plug I used a bolt head that fit the plug with 2 nuts on the shank to attach a wrench to. Might be able to see what fits from bolt bin. Lots of 10mm hex head screws on vehicles these days, M6 etc.
 
JTK said:
It's been awhile since I owned my 2019 Ram classic hemi with the 8HP70. I recall the cross-over pipe being close, but not impossible close. Have you checked any of the Ram boards to see how they address the situation? That's the nice thing with the Pentastar Ram 1500's with the 8HP45, no cross-over pipe blocking the pan.

I probably wouldn't even worry about the drain plug. It's really only there so you make less of a mess dropping the pan. Main thing is clear access to the fill / level check plug.

As far as I recall, ZF always recommended a pan and fluid change at 60K miles. Per the videos and pics I've seen people post, the drained fluid never looks horrible on them. If only they were all like this.
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Transmission fluid is different than motor oil, as there are no combustion products and less heat to turn the color of the fluid. It comes out often looking clear and fresh. Is it though? That’s another question.
 
4WD said:
Only doing pan volumes under warranty …
Not going to mix them …
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I have valvoline mixed in mine right now and it's smooth as butter. No issues using it moving forward unless there's something that's just noticeably better. There was a mixup in what all I wanted done when I went in to have my diffs serviced.
 
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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