Tranny Fluid and Filter

[MorpheusGPR]

I will be dropping the pan to do pan filter and fluid change soon.

I know guys said the dealer is not the way to go but I want to make sure its the correct equipment. I am not a fan of FRAM.

How many quarts of fluid will I need?

What filter will I need?

Is there an easy way to put a drain plug in, or pick up a different pan that has one in it already to make it easer and cleaner in the future.


What fluid is the best to use for this particular tranny? I did a new valve body on my lightning and when I did that it took 11 quarts or so but I added a high capacity moroso pan w/ drain plug and also I just used the good ole ford tranny fluid to replace it...it is also synthetic fluid (the ford fluid).

How much of a PITA is it to install a tranny cooler at this time? Where do you mount it and does it run in conjunction with the stocker or does it phase the stocker out?

Thanks.

p.s. if adding a tranny temp gauge in the future does that change anything?

 

[SHO#7]

If you go to the dealer, you will get the correct pan gasket and filter.

Your car already has an external cooler, it is not hard to add another or replace the factory one.

You will need around 6 quarts. Give or take.

I use Valvoline Max Life. But you can use regluar Dextron III.

Mike

 

[MorpheusGPR]

I have the Ford stuff on my shelf, forgot all about it...8 quarts I think. Might as well use it.

I am sure fresh fluid of any type will be a big help.

I think the dealer wanted 24 bucks or there abouts for a filter. I guess its only a few bucks more once you factor in shipping.

 

[MorpheusGPR]

Dealership took me for restocking fee even though i have bought a ton of stuff there....no more They just lost a major customer.

So where can I buy the correct tranny filter and gasket (and which one is it?), stealership wanted 38.xx for the filter and another 14.xx for the gasket.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

Not ragging the advice you've gotten so far, but my opinion is different on the information you've received.

1: You should be able to get the filter and gasket at your local parts store for less than the stealership.

2: You have an atx sho whose tranny is inherently weak and very susceptable to damage when it gets hot and the fluid breaks down. Go with a synthetic fluid. I put in Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF. 4.99 a quart.

3: YOu dont need 6 quarts, you need 13 quarts. True you drop the pan and 6 or so will come out, but you have another 6 or so in the torque converter. Yes you can leave it in there, but for all that trouble to do the job would you want half good fluid and half crap mixed together?

Here is what to do:

A: Drop the pan (slowly removing the bolts and allow the fluid to seep out. Loosening in stages until no more seepage. Then remove the pan (careful its still got stuff in it).

B: clean the pan out, the magnet, check for big crap in the pan like busted pieces of tranny. None? thank the lord there wasnt then move on to the filter.

C: The filter is about the size of a small pancake. Twist it off and put the new one on. The neck sleeve sometimes gets left behind in the hole, so be careful taking it out. If it gets stuck, gently remove it without scuffing the tranny aluminum.

D: Put the new filter on replace the pan with the gasket. I didnt use any addtional adhesive. It is till leak free after 30k mile.

E: Measure how much fluid came out of the tranny. Should be 6 quarts like I said. Put that many quarts of fluid back into the tranny plus 1 more quart.


F: Go to the front of the car and disconnect the tranny cooler line on the drivers side.. (the tranny cooler is the long thin looking radiator in the front of your coolant radiator. Its about 3 inchs high and 16 inches long. Put some hose extenders on the cooler and the hose you just connected. Enough so both hoses will reach into a bucket. Put both hoses into a collection bucket. Have someone start the car for a second so you know what line will be draining into that bucket. Shut car off when you see which line it is. Leave that line in the bucket.

Now take the other line (which is the incoming line or sucking line) and put that into another very clean bucket that has 6 quarts of fluid in it.

Now start the car and watch how dirty fluid comes out into the drain bucket as clean fluid goes out of the fill bucket. shut the car off when you see that the clean bucket is empty or that clean fluid comes out of the drain line whichever comes first.

That is how to get all the dirty fluid out and all the clean fluid in. Check fluid levels and thank you for taking good care of your atx.

ONe addendum step some folks do is run a tranny cleaner type fluid before they even get into the tranny. Some use the auto-Rx for trannies, some use the kits from the store. I have not done either, that is up to you.

 

[MorpheusGPR]

THanks for the tip. That sounds like a decent way to get the fluid out of the convertor.

This is gonna be messy, just wish it did not ruin clothes...too cold to be in just a throw out t-shirt now

I havea feeling ford will once again charge me if I return the tranny fluid, is the ford stuff not synthetic? It was for my lightning.

 

[gurucomputers]

Not ragging the advice you've gotten so far, but my opinion is different on the information you've received.

1: You should be able to get the filter and gasket at your local parts store for less than the stealership.

2: You have an atx sho whose tranny is inherently weak and very susceptable to damage when it gets hot and the fluid breaks down. Go with a synthetic fluid. I put in Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF. 4.99 a quart.

3: YOu dont need 6 quarts, you need 13 quarts. True you drop the pan and 6 or so will come out, but you have another 6 or so in the torque converter. Yes you can leave it in there, but for all that trouble to do the job would you want half good fluid and half crap mixed together?

Here is what to do:

A: Drop the pan (slowly removing the bolts and allow the fluid to seep out. Loosening in stages until no more seepage. Then remove the pan (careful its still got stuff in it).

B: clean the pan out, the magnet, check for big crap in the pan like busted pieces of tranny. None? thank the lord there wasnt then move on to the filter.

C: The filter is about the size of a small pancake. Twist it off and put the new one on. The neck sleeve sometimes gets left behind in the hole, so be careful taking it out. If it gets stuck, gently remove it without scuffing the tranny aluminum.

D: Put the new filter on replace the pan with the gasket. I didnt use any addtional adhesive. It is till leak free after 30k mile.

E: Measure how much fluid came out of the tranny. Should be 6 quarts like I said. Put that many quarts of fluid back into the tranny plus 1 more quart.


F: Go to the front of the car and disconnect the tranny cooler line on the drivers side.. (the tranny cooler is the long thin looking radiator in the front of your coolant radiator. Its about 3 inchs high and 16 inches long. Put some hose extenders on the cooler and the hose you just connected. Enough so both hoses will reach into a bucket. Put both hoses into a collection bucket. Have someone start the car for a second so you know what line will be draining into that bucket. Shut car off when you see which line it is. Leave that line in the bucket.

Now take the other line (which is the incoming line or sucking line) and put that into another very clean bucket that has 6 quarts of fluid in it.

Now start the car and watch how dirty fluid comes out into the drain bucket as clean fluid goes out of the fill bucket. shut the car off when you see that the clean bucket is empty or that clean fluid comes out of the drain line whichever comes first.

That is how to get all the dirty fluid out and all the clean fluid in. Check fluid levels and thank you for taking good care of your atx.

ONe addendum step some folks do is run a tranny cleaner type fluid before they even get into the tranny. Some use the auto-Rx for trannies, some use the kits from the store. I have not done either, that is up to you.

The theory sounds great but kinda confused. When you put fresh fluid in the tranny then go to flush the T/C wouldn't the fresh fluid you just put in the pan be sucked out as well???? Wouldn't you want to drain the T/C before filling the trans pan???

 

[JTSHO]

Great tips, but I'm in the same boat sounds like you would be wasting brand new fluid...please enlighten..

 

[etc1006]

The torque converter is mounted on the pump, hence the line with dirty fluid pumping out . The other line is the return to the trans. The cooler is inline in the return line back to the trans if you want to think of it that way. That was a very good DIY BTW!

-Eric

 

[SHOtimer]

The suction point for the pump in the transmission is the filter in the bottom of the pan. It then pumps the fluid all throughout the transmission, through the TC then out to the cooler and after it goes through the cooler it is pumped back into the pan. So, if you fill the pan with clean fluid the tranny will be pumping the clean fluid through the tranny and the old fluid will be being pumped out of the cooler, and you stop pumping it out once the fluid turns clean because then all the old fluid is out.

Doug

 

[MorpheusGPR]

Since the stealership is trying to rip me off does rockauto sell a good kit to use on our cars? The just gave me a 5% off coupon too.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

sorry I missed the request for enlightenment on the procedure. etc did a fine job of it though. pathway for the tranny fluid starts at the pan and goes thru the T/C. I put the extra quart in the pan to ensure I have enough clean fluid to push the old out. Once its coming clean, you are golden.

Kit for the tranny gasket and filter can be found at a local place. The filter is at rockauto, but I didnt see the gasket (unless it just isnt pictured)...it was 14.12