Question!
Question!
BIG QUESTION -many opinions but I want advice from people who own and run these trucks themselves long term.
2005 f150 5.4 3v hasn’t seen a tranny fluid change . Maintenance history is all but a guess thrown to the wind.So now she’s sitting at 230,000 km Canadian. I am literally 70,000 km over what Ford calls for a fluid and filter change.
NOW:
do I do a change to a truck with no transmission issues that’s never been touched or do I leave it the hell alone? I have avoided it up until this point because she’s been fine( fluids a nice red, overdrive works) . But after all the cooling system work I’ve had to do, the tears I cried when I thought I blew the head gasket. I just wanna be safe. Thoughts opinions? All appreciated thank you!
2005 f150 5.4 3v hasn’t seen a tranny fluid change . Maintenance history is all but a guess thrown to the wind.So now she’s sitting at 230,000 km Canadian. I am literally 70,000 km over what Ford calls for a fluid and filter change.
NOW:
do I do a change to a truck with no transmission issues that’s never been touched or do I leave it the hell alone? I have avoided it up until this point because she’s been fine( fluids a nice red, overdrive works) . But after all the cooling system work I’ve had to do, the tears I cried when I thought I blew the head gasket. I just wanna be safe. Thoughts opinions? All appreciated thank you!
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,994
Likes: 221
From: Wilmington,NC
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, I recommend dropping the pan, changing the filter, and refilling which will take about 4 or more quarts. Filters have a fine mesh fabric inside them behind the screen and they can clog up. I drop the pan and change the filter about every 20k miles on my 02 4R70W since I bought it at 69k miles 11yrs ago. I added a drain plug to make this easier. #shadetree mechanic
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 43,530
Likes: 817
From: Joplin MO
Dropping the pan only removes about 1/3 of the fluid. Courtesy of Mark Kovalsky, a former Ford transmission engineer, this does also apply to your 4R75E, note that you do not have a torque converter drain plug:
By Mark Kovalsky
I've done this alone. It's easier with a second person, and sometimes helps prevent spills.
Things you need to get started:
The E4OD and 4R100 transmission system holds almost 18 quarts of ATF, and you must waste a couple of quarts to be sure you get it all purged and replaced, so buy 20 quarts of MERCON ATF [For the 4R100, use MERCON V]. You may use either conventional or synthetic, as long as it meets the above requirements.
The 4R70W transmission system holds about 14 quarts of ATF. The 4R70W uses MERCON V, and the MERCON V can be used on older 4R70W transmissions that were factory filled with MERCON.
I replace the transmission filter every other fluid change. Note that Ford does not recommend ever changing the filter. I've opened filters with over 300,000 miles that were not even close to being clogged.
Don't buy a new pan gasket. The original is reusable.
A 10 foot length of clear tubing and one hose clamp, sized to fit over your cooler hose. There have been different size cooler lines over the years, so check before buying!
If you don't already have a special funnel that fits into the transmission dipstick tube, then you will need one of those, too.
If you are changing the filter, drain the pan if your pan has a drain plug. If you are not changing the filter, jump to step 4.
If you don't have a drain plug, go to step 4 to pump out the pan, preventing an ATF shower! Return here after step 4 and one pass through step 5a.
Remove the pan and clean the pan and gasket, including the magnet on the bottom of the pan. Fuzz on the magnet is normal, that's why it is there!
Change the filter. It just pulls out, there are no bolts that hold it. It is held in place by the pan. Make sure that the O-ring is removed, too. Sometimes it does not come out with the filter.
Replace the pan, using the reusable gasket.
At this point you can drain the torque converter. Some people think it is necessary, but I don't. Running the engine in the next steps will pump the fluid out of the torque converter. If your transmission was built after August 2001, you don't have a drain plug in the torque converter.
To drain the torque converter remove the shield (or the rubber plug in some models) and turn the flywheel until you see the drain plug. If you also drain the torque converter, then the old ATF will not come out the return line until after the torque converter has filled.
If you drained the pan, pour new ATF into the filler [dipstick] tube until you have added about as much as you earlier drained from the pan. At this point overfilling by no more than one quart won't hurt anything.
Disconnect the transmission-fluid return line at the transmission - from where the ATF returns to the transmission from the cooler. This is the line towards the rear of the transmission. Clamp the clear tubing over the line that you removed from the transmission. This is where the fluid comes out.
This is where the second person comes in handy. One person starts the engine, while the other holds the line over the drain bucket. A clothes pin can replace the person holding the line in the bucket.
Run the engine until you see some air in the clear tubing. As soon as you see air shut off the engine. Refill through the dipstick tube with the same amount as you just pumped out.
NOTE: If you drained the pan and the torque converter, fluid will not run out until you fill the pan a second time. Run the engine for 30 seconds, then stop and add six more quarts.
Repeat step 5 until you have added 19 quarts with of new ATF to the system with an E4OD or 4R100. Repeat until you have added 13 quarts with the 4R70W.
At least one time while the engine is running move the shifter through each position from P to 1, pausing about 5 seconds at each position. This will change some fluid that would otherwise be trapped in the valve body, accumulators, and clutches.
Remove the clear line and reconnect the cooler line to the transmission.
Check the fluid level and use the last quart to top off.
Properly dispose of the used transmission fluid.
Congratulate yourself! And your engine starter/killer person.
By Mark Kovalsky
I've done this alone. It's easier with a second person, and sometimes helps prevent spills.
Things you need to get started:
The E4OD and 4R100 transmission system holds almost 18 quarts of ATF, and you must waste a couple of quarts to be sure you get it all purged and replaced, so buy 20 quarts of MERCON ATF [For the 4R100, use MERCON V]. You may use either conventional or synthetic, as long as it meets the above requirements.
The 4R70W transmission system holds about 14 quarts of ATF. The 4R70W uses MERCON V, and the MERCON V can be used on older 4R70W transmissions that were factory filled with MERCON.
I replace the transmission filter every other fluid change. Note that Ford does not recommend ever changing the filter. I've opened filters with over 300,000 miles that were not even close to being clogged.
Don't buy a new pan gasket. The original is reusable.
A 10 foot length of clear tubing and one hose clamp, sized to fit over your cooler hose. There have been different size cooler lines over the years, so check before buying!
If you don't already have a special funnel that fits into the transmission dipstick tube, then you will need one of those, too.
If you are changing the filter, drain the pan if your pan has a drain plug. If you are not changing the filter, jump to step 4.
If you don't have a drain plug, go to step 4 to pump out the pan, preventing an ATF shower! Return here after step 4 and one pass through step 5a.
Remove the pan and clean the pan and gasket, including the magnet on the bottom of the pan. Fuzz on the magnet is normal, that's why it is there!
Change the filter. It just pulls out, there are no bolts that hold it. It is held in place by the pan. Make sure that the O-ring is removed, too. Sometimes it does not come out with the filter.
Replace the pan, using the reusable gasket.
At this point you can drain the torque converter. Some people think it is necessary, but I don't. Running the engine in the next steps will pump the fluid out of the torque converter. If your transmission was built after August 2001, you don't have a drain plug in the torque converter.
To drain the torque converter remove the shield (or the rubber plug in some models) and turn the flywheel until you see the drain plug. If you also drain the torque converter, then the old ATF will not come out the return line until after the torque converter has filled.
If you drained the pan, pour new ATF into the filler [dipstick] tube until you have added about as much as you earlier drained from the pan. At this point overfilling by no more than one quart won't hurt anything.
Disconnect the transmission-fluid return line at the transmission - from where the ATF returns to the transmission from the cooler. This is the line towards the rear of the transmission. Clamp the clear tubing over the line that you removed from the transmission. This is where the fluid comes out.
This is where the second person comes in handy. One person starts the engine, while the other holds the line over the drain bucket. A clothes pin can replace the person holding the line in the bucket.
Run the engine until you see some air in the clear tubing. As soon as you see air shut off the engine. Refill through the dipstick tube with the same amount as you just pumped out.
NOTE: If you drained the pan and the torque converter, fluid will not run out until you fill the pan a second time. Run the engine for 30 seconds, then stop and add six more quarts.
Repeat step 5 until you have added 19 quarts with of new ATF to the system with an E4OD or 4R100. Repeat until you have added 13 quarts with the 4R70W.
At least one time while the engine is running move the shifter through each position from P to 1, pausing about 5 seconds at each position. This will change some fluid that would otherwise be trapped in the valve body, accumulators, and clutches.
Remove the clear line and reconnect the cooler line to the transmission.
Check the fluid level and use the last quart to top off.
Properly dispose of the used transmission fluid.
Congratulate yourself! And your engine starter/killer person.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 22
From: SE Florida, USA
If your engine were overdue on an oil change would you ignore it or change it? If your transmission is in good shape new fluid can only help it. If your transmission is trashed new fluid isn't going to fix it.
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.... shamefully she’s due for an oil change too 🤦🏼♀️ Poor truck . Thanks guys! I’ve had so much conflicting do and don’t that I wanted to ask actual ford owners and fellow shade tree mechanics. Lol speaking of which I’ve got the right manifold doing it’s leaking thing, called a local muffler shop and he asked my make and model, when I told him he said he doesn’t replace or repair those lol UGH. Guess I’m doing that myself too.
