How Do I Change Transmission Fluid?

[tcestes]

My wife has a '97 F150 2WD that has 100k+ miles on it. I need to change the tranny fluid but I have never done this. How hard is this to do? Can someone give me the steps needed to do, what all I need to buy, what tools needed, tips & tricks, do's and don'ts? Thanks in advance for all help.

Register today or sign-in to remove these ads!

[temp1]

You will at least need a transmission filter.

The rubber transmission gasket is re-usable but you might plan on running to the parts store to get one if your dog chews it up while your changing the fluid.

Your 1997 should have a bolt that can be removed from the torque converter so the following procedure should get the job done. You can turn the torque converter with a screw driver instead of using a remote starter.

Buy or borrow a torque wrench if you can so that you don't over-torque the transmission pan bolts. My Haynes manuals shows the Automatic transmission pan bolts should be torqued at 108 to 132 INCH-pounds or 9 to 11 FOOT-pounds.

I use the torque wrench when I remove bolts and record the torque required to "break" the bolts loose. Im not sure what the torque converter bolt/plug should be torqued at but maybe some will read the thread and post it here.

http://members.shaw.ca/pferlow/transmission_oil.htm

[temp1]

Here is a picture of the torque converter bolt/plug...

Click to enlarge...





And draining the torque converter...

Click to enlarge...

[Benjamin]

The gasket on you transmission pan is reusable. Even if your dog
chews it up, most parts stores won't have it in stock. It's a dealer item, and even they don't keep that many in stock. I flush mine every 20,000 miles, which may seem excesive, but the gasket has worked fine every time. My 97 now has 100,000 miles on it so that gaskets been reused 5 times.
Good luck.

[Quintin]

For what it's worth, with the reusable gasket, unless you're standing on the bolts with a 3/8 drive impact gun, there's no real over torquing the pan bolts.

[cliffizme2]

Just testing this out.

[wildchild]

just out of curiosity, the haynes manual says nothing about draining the torque converter. can you just drain all the fluid through the pan?

[casey_1]

Draining the pan will get a bit less than half of the fluid out.

THIS shows how to change all of the fluid. Don't be mislead by the title, it describes both the E4OD/4R100 and the 4R70W.

[Jimb]

I just changed the fluid in my '99 4R70W on Sunday. 34000 miles.

Because there is no drain plug in this pan, I bought the B&M plug kit.

To make draining the pan easy, I drilled a 3/16 pilot hole in the pan before I removed it and let it drain through there. I used a piece of 3/16" ID tubing over the drill bit with only 1/8" of the bit end exposed. This prevented the bit from plunging into the pan too far when it broke through. Dropping the empty pan was a breeze.

Cleaned the pan, enlarged the 3/16 hole to 1/2", installed the drain plug.

I got real lucky with the TC plug. I removed the rubber cap and there was the plug. I didn't have to turn the engine over to find it. I used pipe sealant tape on the plug and re-installed it fairly snug.

I did not replace the filter.

I used just under 12 quarts of CASTROL MERCON V

Added four quarts, ran engine for 15 seconds, checked level. Added four more quarts, ran engine for another 15 seconds, checked level. Added the last four quarts, ran engine, checked level and it was slightly over full. I had to drain off a cup or two.

Before the change, the trans would intermittently moan slightly when shifting into and out of OD. So far, that's gone.

It was a fairly easy job and I wish I wouldn't have waited so long to do it.