Trans Fluid Change Strategy

[hatt]

I've finally decided to change the factory fill in my F150 at 65K. Ordered a MC filter and a case(12qts) of Mercon LV. System capacity is 13 qts. It appears dropping the pan and changing the filter will require about 7.5 qts to refill. How would you go about using the 12 qts?

Exchange 4 qts(or whatever I can suck out of the fill hole) and run it a few weeks then drop the pan.
Drop the pan, then exchange 4 qts in a few weeks.
Drop the pan and be done.

 

[Jimzz]

Just do the pan drop now and save the 4qts. At 90-100k do another drop/drain and then buy a jug of Maxlife or other LV speced fluid to add to your other 4qts.

 

[supton]

Drop the pan, change the filter. Fill back up. Find the line that goes out to the cooler, pull that, angle into a large container, preferably with quart graduations. Start engine. Dump in oil at same rate it is coming out. Sine it holds 13 quarts, and you used 7.5 quarts to refill after a pan drop, it would stand to reason that after 6 or so quarts it should be fully flushed; in your case, since you have only 12, I'd quit after 4.5 quarts came out.

Then again, if the oil is nice and pink, I might quit after the pan drop and call it a day. The two I've done weren't so rosy looking so I went full out.

Personally (and with no evidence behind it) I'm not a fan of partial exchange / a pan drop every weekend as it's hoping for the best from dilution. If the oil is suspect I'd change it all. Only if the oil is "mostly good" and thus the pan drop is just replenishing add packs etc would I think about just doing a pan drop (applies to coolant also).

 

[CT8]

I did my 2015 Ford P/U at 11,000 miles because I had some free time and why not! I did a pan drop and filter change. The oil looked pretty good and I was surprised there was less metal on the magnets than I expected. Probably at 30,000 miles I will do it again. Either way you choose will put some clean oil in the trans and reduce the ppms of gunk.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: supton
Drop the pan, change the filter. Fill back up. Find the line that goes out to the cooler, pull that, angle into a large container, preferably with quart graduations. Start engine. Dump in oil at same rate it is coming out. Sine it holds 13 quarts, and you used 7.5 quarts to refill after a pan drop, it would stand to reason that after 6 or so quarts it should be fully flushed; in your case, since you have only 12, I'd quit after 4.5 quarts came out.

Then again, if the oil is nice and pink, I might quit after the pan drop and call it a day. The two I've done weren't so rosy looking so I went full out.

Personally (and with no evidence behind it) I'm not a fan of partial exchange / a pan drop every weekend as it's hoping for the best from dilution. If the oil is suspect I'd change it all. Only if the oil is "mostly good" and thus the pan drop is just replenishing add packs etc would I think about just doing a pan drop (applies to coolant also).
I've done that on other vehicles and thought about it here. I'll have to check out the hose connections to the cooler to see how robust they look. Some stuff looks pretty fragile these days. I don't want to create any problems.

 

[supton]

If the oil looks pretty clean I wouldn't worry about it. Does it have a dipstick? What does the oil look like?

 

[gabriel9766]

I plan on doing a drain and fill on my 15 malibu in the spring. I don't have a dipstick all i have is a drain plug and a check plug. Im at 23k now. By spring I'll be at 25k. I think drain and fills are 4-6Q on these cars on a 12Q trans. I'll prob do drain and fills every 25k on this car.

Now on my taurus I'm going to buy a fluid extractor to suck as much fluid out of the pan i can before i drop the pan and change the filter. It's got a lil over 147k but the fluid still has a nice color and smell to it. Its like 7.5Q on a pan drop on the AX4N on a 12Q trans.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: supton
If the oil looks pretty clean I wouldn't worry about it. Does it have a dipstick? What does the oil look like?
Yeah, it's like 4 inch long and under a plug a few inch away from a cat.

No idea what the fluid looks like. I did take the plug out of the rear end a while back. The gear oil looked and smelled new. I think I'm going to change that too. Looking at the price of new trucks I'm gonna want to drive this until only driverless cars are legal.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: CT8
I did my 2015 Ford P/U at 11,000 miles because I had some free time and why not! I did a pan drop and filter change. The oil looked pretty good and I was surprised there was less metal on the magnets than I expected. Probably at 30,000 miles I will do it again. Either way you choose will put some clean oil in the trans and reduce the ppms of gunk.
How big of a pain was it to do? Watching the video it doesn't look too bad to drop the pan. I'm going to have to make a bigger drain pan.

 

[EricG]

That doesn't work on the newer F150's. They have a thermostatic valve that stops flow to the cooler below operating tempatures.

 

[EricG]

That doesn't work on the newer F150's. They have a thermostatic valve that stops flow to the cooler below operating tempatures.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: EricG
That doesn't work on the newer F150's. They have a thermostatic valve that stops flow to the cooler below operating tempatures.
I read something about that too. But then someone would post that they did it. A lot of conflicting info.

Right now I'm thinking about just dropping the pan. If the fluid doesn't look too bad just leaving it at that. Repeat every couple years.

 

[RF Overlord]

While you have the pan off, install one of these. Available from Amazon and at NAPA. Next scheduled engine oil change, just do a quick drain & fill. No need to replace the filter a second time. Your transmission will thank you.

 

[The_German]

It's great you guys really discuss even changing ATF. It is sadly the most neglected engine fluid of all time IMO.

On my Fit I do a drain and fill every 20,000 km since new and will continue to do so this little Honda is wearing like a diamond. Hope to proudly drive it around for another 6 years if possible, no signs of rust yet.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
While you have the pan off, install one of these. Available from Amazon and at NAPA. Next scheduled engine oil change, just do a quick drain & fill. No need to replace the filter a second time. Your transmission will thank you.
Looks good in theory but a lot of people report leaks. It's still going to leave a lot of fluid in the pan. Have you had any problems with leaks? If aftermarket larger capacity drain plug pans were not $200+ I wouldn't mind one.

 

[RF Overlord]

If the trans is a 4R75W or 4R75E, there's a little "well" in the middle of the pan. The factory installed position for the drain plug on the Ford-supplied "U-Haul" pan is on the back slope of that well.

If the trans is something else, then my advice may be moot.

As far as leaking, I've had no issues with any I've installed. The key is to follow the tightening directions exactly. They specify no more than 25 ft/lbs for the nut that goes inside the pan.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
If the trans is a 4R75W or 4R75E, there's a little "well" in the middle of the pan. The factory installed position for the drain plug on the Ford-supplied "U-Haul" pan is on the back slope of that well.

If the trans is something else, then my advice may be moot.

As far as leaking, I've had no issues with any I've installed. The key is to follow the tightening directions exactly. They specify no more than 25 ft/lbs for the nut that goes inside the pan.
It's a 6R80. There is a well. I'm not sure it's flat enough, from memory, to install the plug. I'll have to get under and look closer.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Does Dorman make a pan for this transmission? Dorman's transmission pans include a drain plug for easier fluid changes in the future

 

[wtd]

I have a 2014 Mustang GT with the same 6R80 that I plan on changing the fluid and filter in when it hits 30,000 miles. I'm at 24,200 miles now. Here is what I've done to prepare for this.

I bought a replacement factory tranny pan which was about $42 shipped and then bought this weld in drain plug kit off of Ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transmission-pan...=item237c63da97

I then used a step drill bit and drilled a hole in the pan and then took the pan and the drain plug to a local muffler shop and had them weld in the plug.

Here are some pictures of the pan with the plug in it.





Dorman still does not have a pan with drain plug for this application and I didn't want to spend the 200+ for the aftermarket high capacity pans that are out there for this trans. I also worried because my car sits pretty low that I would have issues with a deeper pan.

I'm still not sure about how I'm going to change the fluid without a lift as well as get the fluid level correct because of the internal thermostat. I have seen the Youtube videos on how to change and check the fluid on this trans but getting my car up high enough and level to do this is going to be the problem.

Wayne