Hello,

Im new to the forum, but I have a 2004 Lariat with the 5.4. Its time to change the trann fluid, and I want to know how to do it w/o takin it to Ford. Can yall help me out with this?

Thanks,
John

 

Change:

drop pan evenly, don't let one side hang from bolts as you loosen them, you may bend flange on pan. save gasket, it's reusable. dump spent fluid. wipe out pan and magnet. change tranny filter (I buy Wix brand at $17). install pan. takes ~ 5-6 quarts to refill.

Flush: (controversial)

Take it to dealer and request it. But I do not like the thought of flushing without getting a new tranny filter in there.

I did a change, then took it to dealer and had them flush the whole thing. Yes, I dumped 5 quarts of new (cheap) fluid. But, you have to, to change tranny filter.

I do not like partial tranny changes. I always do both.

 

Thank you!

-John

 

You are welcome.

 

Another option (that I recently did) is to buy a hand pump from your local auto parts store. Most of them come with tubing that's small enough to fit in the tranny fillter tube. I sucked out several quarts that way, and added Mobil1 synthetic tranny fluid to replace it. Granted, it doesn't satisfy changing the filter, but it's an easy way to get fresh fluid into the tranny.

 

the hand pump thing works but... you really want to chnge that filter also.pick up a haynes manual. it has step by step directions.

 

I agree with the doctor. The only way to get ALL the fluid changed out is to flush it with a machine that's designed to do just that. At the quick lube where I used to work, it was called a T-Tech. It's basically a glass tube with a piston in it. We'd fill the tube with whatever the recommended fluid was, then connect it to the transmission lines. The trans pump would push old fluid into the bottom of the tube, pushing the piston up. The upwards motion of the piston would push new trans fluid into the system at the same rate the old fluid was coming out, therefore capturing all the old fluid and replacing it with new.

Of course you'll still have to drop the pan and change the filter. I'm not sure if it's better to do it before you have the fluid exchange done or after. I'm guessing before, and that way you'll only have a limited ammount of dirty fluid passing through the filter.

For future reference, there's a third option. Install a trans pan with a drain plug in it. Drain the pan every oil change or two, measure the ammount of fluid drained, and replace with new fluid through the dipstick tube. That way you're constantly replenishing 30% of the fluid. Having a drain plug on the pan also makes filter changes MUCH easier.

 

Great idea, but you do not have to replace the pan. I just ordered 3 drain plug kits from Napa at $7.99 each....(3 F150s).

I've heard good things about them (being reliable).

 

Sucking a few quarts out the dipstick tube before you drop the pan makes the job a lot cleaner. Also, more comes out when you drop the filter. Have fun!

 

If/when you install the drain plug, it might be a good idea to use Ultra-Blue RTV on things to help them seal. The plastic washers in my kit didn't do real well. Unbeknownst to me, one cracked as I tried to get it tightened up. I've also heard of sealing it up on the inside with JB Weld. This would help seal, as well as secure the plug so it can't loosen.

I just dropped my pan the other day to re-seal mine and gooped a whole lot of Ultra-Blue on the inside. That was before I thought of/remembered about the JB Weld. Oh well.

And yes, it makes dropping the pan a whole lot easier and a whole lot less messy! Still use a pan and spread several layers of newspaper under the truck, however. When you pull the filter, it'll release more red stuff, and will continue to drip off the valve body for hours.

Andy

 

If I go to a quick lube place and get the tranny flush done, is it the same as what the dealer will do? If I request and pay extra or provide the filter will they change it before they flush? Is it better to change the filter before or after the flush?

 

Here's a fourth option...

I'm not a big fan of changing the pan filter because it's more of a pick-up than a filter. I read somewhere that the pan filter doesn't even have a micron rating because it's basically a screen. If it were to be micron rated it would be somewhere in the hundreds.... Not a very effective filter.... The best filtration option is to install an auxiliary filter. These filters will catch a hell-of-a-lot smaller debris than the pan filter will. In actuality there is a lot of clutch dust and other particles that pass right through the pan filter. It's only there to catch large stuff. But me personally, I don't want any debris in my fluid and the auxiliary filter will reduce it the most.

Installing an auxiliary filter is very easy if you don't mind cutting the hard lines of your transmission. It's very worth it though. If anyone wants more information on this I'll make a more detailed post. Let me know.

As for the fluid change procedure... There is a way to get a good flush accomplished at home. All you have to do is follow these simple procedures...

1. Remove pan, drain fluid and re-install pan (if you don't have a pan with a drain plug). You can change the pan filter if you want but you don't need to.
2. Re-install pan and re-fill with 6-7 quarts of fresh trans fluid. Note: If you have a pan with a drain plug, skip step 1 and just drain and refill.
3. Disconnect the return line where it plugs into the trans itself and place the end in a large container. A milk jug or a bucket will do. You want to be able to see how much fluid is coming out.
4. Start the engine and allow the trans fluid to pump out into the container. Shut the engine off once about 3-4 quarts has been pumped out.
5. Refill the trans with the amount of fluid that you just pumped out.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until you've gone through about a case and a half (about 15-17 quarts) of fluid.
7. Re-connect the return line.

That's it. Your trans has just been purged of all the old fluid and replaced with new. By disconnecting the return line you never allowed any of the old fluid to re-enter the trans and it was all flushed out by the new stuff.

 

I am considering installing an auxiliary filter in my trans line just so I can change the filter with the same frequency as my oil filter. I like the looks of the big super cooler that some folks have mounted in place of the original unit but I think for my application that may be an overkill. I already have the towing package that has the bigger factory cooler anyway and I never tow anything (not to say that I never will). Go ahead and give us a more detailed post on the installation of just the remote filter. I will decide later if I want the super cooler or not. Thanks.

 

I was going to try and explain how to install the filter but Tim Skelton has already done so. Just ignore all the stuff that has to do with the cooler...

http://www.timskelton.com/lightning/...er_install.htm

It's basically the same for all vehicles. Just cut the feed line and run a hose to the inlet of the filter mount and then run another hose from the outlet back to the line you cut. It's basically an in-line filter. Just make sure you use either compression fittings or flare the hard lines.

 

If you get a flush make sure they use the real fluid, not some friction modifier to make inferior or universal fluid act like yours. The right fluid lasts the longest and works correctly. BG Quick Clean for 10 minutes before the flush will remove caked on sludge in the ATF system when you flush, yeilding a cleaner result.