I changed my fluid yesterday and noticed a lot of gray (mud like) substance on the pan magnet also the same gray film on the inside of the pan and valve body. I can just imagine the inside of the filter. If you saw the gray gunk inside of this tranny, you would only drain clean and replace the filter. I removed the pan and converter plug and let sit for 24 hrs. I removed the oil cooling line going to the top of the radiator and the rubber line that is on the outlet of the oil cooler and blew the dirty oil out of the coolers (from the radiator side) I also blew out the return line to the tranny from the oil cooler, which goes into the pan. This truck only has 20,000 miles and has never been run hard. It needed 13 qt. to refill.

Looks to me like flushing without changing the filter is like (Putting on clean clothes without taking a shower)

 

Exactly!

 

I saw some places that flushed without dropping the pan; bad idea. The machine flush with a pan drop and filter change is done by the smarter shops. I still like to do my own work (much less frustrating and it's done right), so a manual TC drain, pan drop, and filter is fine.

 

Max
Help me get over this UNcomfortable feeling I have about draining/filling my TC. The TC does not have to be primed or anything? I've got this ugly picture in my head of my TC just spinning wildly waiting on fluid that may or may not be getting pumped up to it. My Chilton's manual doesn't address a TC change at all, so any thing to put me at ease would be appreciated. I'm like you, I prefer to do these things myself. It's done right with the parts that I want, not some cheap crap they use.

 

2Fords - TC = Torque Converter? Sorry, I'm real bad at acronyms and abbreviations!
Don't want to sound like a traitor to F150Online, but F150World has a good "How-To" article on "How-To Drain Your Torque Converter " I have not personally done this yet but I plan on it when (and if) I install a shift kit.

 

OK, here's your help. Don't worry about it at all, it's been done a millions of times without problems. No priming, no spinning wildly, and no damage. Fill it up just like you would with a pan drop only. Have all your fluid open, close, and ready to go in. Don't rush, just fill it properly (not too much). Get some good warm readings before you level it up the last time. A good tip for anybody is to get a drain plug for the pan the first time that you drop it. Good Luck !!

-Waturner...Oh ya, "traitor" good one !!

 

Thanks Max
That makes me feel better, I guess I'll just do it and see what happens.

Waturner,
I've seen the the procedures you've mentioned. Damn good instructions for draining a TC, but there wasn't enough info about filling the TC (Torque Converter) to make me feel comfortable.

Just fishing for more opionions

 

You're Welcome !!

 

I jusy did mine about a month ago. Pulled the plug, and drained both the pan and the TC. Refilled and I'm still going strong!

 

Dropped the pan, drained the TCj, flushed the cooler, and refilled.

Works great!

 

A day late,if I would of seen this I would of done it your way.I have a friend who work's at tire kingdom and they have this machine that sucks the tranny oil out and pumps the new in,they charge $49.99 with oil.Of course we wait till the manager goes to lunch and change it.I guess now I am going to drop the pan myself and change the filter,I feel the same way you do about that shower thing.I was getting a shudder noise from 3 to 4th gear when it shifted that is the main reason I changed mine.But from now on every 30,000 mile's I am going to change the transmission oil and filter.
Does anyone no why fords are having this problem with there trannys.I will not buy another Ford until they install some new transmissioms in there trucks.