Having a Ford F150 I expect to be changing my
AOD trans fluid MANY time to fix the dreaded SHUTTER.
Since paying FORAUD $129 to change 6 quarts of
fluid ($30) does not seem smart, I would like to do it
myself.

I have an electric vacuum pump. I also have an empty
5 gallon drum. What if I installed a 3/8 in. tubing through
the cap of the drum and inserted the tubing down the
trans dipstick? Then drilled a hole on the top of the drum
and installed a shrader valve attached to my vacuum
pump.

Would I now have a fluid evacuator?

Could probably drain 6 quarts in about 5 minutes
without a mess.

 

What makes you think there is only 6 quarts of tranny fluid in your truck? It's more like 14. There is fluid in the converter also. The $129 price is to flush the tranny out.... ALL of the fluid. Now, add up the price of 14 quarts of tranny fluid and see if it's such a bad deal! I had them change out the filter and flush the tranny... $150 at the Ford dealer. It was $$$ well spent. I didn't have to deal with it and it was completed in under an hour. Oh, one more thing, the Trans is controlled by a thermistor. It will only allow the fluid to flush at a certain Temp..... The tech that did mine had a problem with the trans getting warm enough to dump the fluid.

 

Believe me
The FORAUD Transmission Service $129 Included
ONLY 6 quarts Valvoline Maxlife
and a filter screen

That is a pan Flush.

I got the invoice.

 

I did that with a 5Gal car wash container the problem is the hose would get stuck on the bottom of the trans pan and the container would just crush fast as heck so don't walk away took like 30 min, pulled the pan and filter not one drop on ground
-
-
except where the container crushed and it sucked trans fluid though the pump and on the ground so like i said don't walk away not even to get a beer

 

Then you got screwed! I watched the tech do mine. He recovered 14 QTS and put 14 back in. He took out 6 and then dropped the pan, changed out the screen and put the pan back up. He then pumped out the rest. Mine was actually $149.95. I found 2 other dealers that wanted to charge me $180. I went with my normal service dealer, whom I feel very comfortable with. The system hooks up to the trans lines.

 

I went to Wayne County Foraud in PA
and discussed with the service rep the SHUTTER
problem I was seeing. Rep said that the Trans
Service would put Mercon V in the trans, and
maybe stop the problem.
After I saw the invoice I saw the job they did is
only partial (what a waist).
I mentioned it to them and they said they
DONT FLUSH TRANS AND CONVERTER. I guess
people are stupid like me and never look at the
invoice.

A good point is that even with a half flush my problem
in my 97 4.6 is gone.

I feel I need to do it again, though, to really get
more maxlife in it.

I am hoping my 5 gallon farm grade hydraulic
can will withstand the vacuum. I know I can stand
on it without crushing. When I get my beer I will
just have to sit on the can and watch the fluid
travel through the Tygon tubing.

Merry Christmas

 

Here's how you can change all of the fluid yourself.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/i...nsmission.html

 

I went to Wayne County Foraud in PA
and discussed with the service rep the SHUTTER
problem I was seeing. Rep said that the Trans
Service would put Mercon V in the trans, and
maybe stop the problem.
After I saw the invoice I saw the job they did is
only partial (what a waist).
I mentioned it to them and they said they
DONT FLUSH TRANS AND CONVERTER. I guess
people are stupid like me and never look at the
invoice.

A good point is that even with a half flush my problem
in my 97 4.6 is gone.

I feel I need to do it again, though, to really get
more maxlife in it.

I am hoping my 5 gallon farm grade hydraulic
can will withstand the vacuum. I know I can stand
on it without crushing. When I get my beer I will
just have to sit on the can and watch the fluid
travel through the Tygon tubing.

Merry Christmas

 

Go to another shop, any shop, and ask them how they do a flush.
It's not rocket science but a machine is a must.
6 qts is less than half what the whole system uses so is not going to be very effective on a shutter condition.
There are very good well known additives to be tried for the problem if fresh fluid does not help..
I know of the dealer, being from down the road a bit, L.A., originally.

 

I had my local dealership perform the service. They flushed the transmission with something called a MOC Machine. My owners' manual said that my transmission took 13.9 quarts. I ordered 14 quarts. However, the machine needs 16 quarts to operate. So, I had to order 2 more quarts. I supplied all fluids and the dealership supplied the labor. I was charged for 1 hour of shop time.

Ford Dealership Labor $80.

americanmuscle.com Royal Purple ATF $9.99 per quart x 16 = $159.84