Hi Everybody,
I have 95k on my '97 F150 - 2WD Automatic. I'd like to change the Trans. fluid. Everone is pushing Trans. Flushes. The dealer says at high mileage, a Flush may cause shifting problems down the road. My question is...do I go ahead and get it flushed? If I just get a fluid/gasket change---that's replacing only a few quarts...will that be sufficient? Which one should I do? Thanks in advance,,, DAVE

 

Dave,

At 95K I would do a drain and fill, if it has never been serviced. Do a search on this forum on "Transmission Fluid" there are a lot of good suggestions. I am going to help my brother do his this weekend at about the same mileage. If you drain the Torque Converter as well,you should get most of the fluid out. The filter is my main concern and the only way to change it is to drop the pan, so no flush this time.

I've had the flush done on my 97 at 55K and 75K. At 90, I'm going to drain and change the filter following the instructions I ound on this forum, which were excellent by the way.

It's real easy if you want to do it yourself.

John

 

Thanks for the advice, I've been toying with the idea of doing it myself...done most everything else, but never an ATF change. It'd certainly save me some $$$ ! -Dave

 

I'm changing my fluid and filter every 15,000 mi. The gasket is re-usable, so you won't need to change it...on the other hand, it's often good to have an extra one in the event of an emergency. It doesn't cost that much. As for flushing... if you change the fluid regularly (15,000-30,000) like Ford's rec. you shouldn't need to flush it. Just make sure that you change the torque converter's fluid, too. All together it should add up to around 10-12 qrts. Mercon V is great, or you can use Redline D-4, or Amsoil. You can also install a drainplug while the pan is off...AJ Ragno is a versed person on the subject. he helped me when it was time for my change.

Good luck.

 

Thanks, mf150.

With a '97 F-150 there are a few considerations beyond just the mileage. If you have 5.4L engine, your truck may be equipped with the 4R100 transmission. This is an important consideration because although Mercon V is now recommended for all 4R70W automatics, regular Mercon is generally recommended for the 4R100.


The transmission codes are:

M - Manual, 5 speed, overdrive M5OD.
U - Automatic, 4 speed, 4R70W.
E - Automatic, 4 speed, E40D

F150 Transmission Oil & Filter Change by Peter Ferlow. It's a very good how-to and includes draining the torque converter.

There are a few other considerations, if you want the transmission to last as long as the engine. 95k is a long time to go on the original fluid. But, as long as it hasn't been burnt, you may be alright. The only thing that you really need to worry about in regards to protecting an automatic transmisison is controlling the heat, which breaks down the fluid.

Things you can do to protect the transmission: Even if you don't tow, an auxiliary cooler is important. The fluid is normally cooled by the radiator, meaning that it will never be cooler than the engine. Placing an additional cooler after the radiator drops the transmission fluid temps considerably.

A major factor in producing heat in an auto transmission is the amount of time it takes to change gears. A shift kit or computer chip will shorten the time it takes to shift from gear to gear; reducing wear on moving parts as well as heat generated.

As for changing the fluid for the first time at 95k I would really not recommend a machine flush. A machine will change out all of the fluid. But, what it will also do is push all of the gunk that has built up over these 95k miles into every little internal opening, including the shift valves. There are quite a few high-mileage transmissions that fail soon after a flush. Logic indicates to me that this is caused by the flushing machine forcing this gunk into the valves and causing them to stick.

The most important thing here is just to get that old fluid out and replaced with fresh ATF. As long as the pan is out, you may want to add a drain plug to the pan. You can buy the drian plug at just about any auto parts store and once it's in there, you're much more likely to change the fluid at regular intervals.

I hope you'll do this one yourself. But, if you pay someone else, have them drop the pan and change the filter but I wouldn't flush under the circumstances.

I've also seen it recommended that the 13 valve body cover plate bolts be re-torqued to about 8 lb-ft at every fluid change. There have been some reports that they can loosen a bit over time.

I know this is a lot info. But, basically just get the fluid changed.