I am wondering if there would be any problems caused by me changing the transmission fluid?

In the owners manual the owner wrote down that the transmission fluid was changed at roughly 80,000 miles back in 1989. I am almost at 80,000 miles on the odometer again and I am contemplating using my mityvac to remove as much of the old transmission fluid as possible and put new in. If it makes a difference this is a FMX transmission.

 

If you mean that the odometer has rolled around to 80,000 miles again since its last ATF change, it's way overdue.

The following is a posting by someone on the Aerostar list for a thorough ATF change on the A4LD transmission, but it can be applied to any automatic. You need to use the ATF that's appropriate to your transmission.

 

Yep the one and only fluid change that I know of on this transmission was done at 80,000 miles, I am currently at 172,000 right now (72,000 or so registering)

The fluid isnt burnt or anything, I just was throwing around the idea in my head of just using the mityvac with the dipstick tube and get as much out as possible and refill it with type F.

Problem that has me not sure is alot of the old timers I've talked with said that if you change it your transmission wont shift right and it will quickly wear itself out.


I just got done with doing an oil change (4,000ish miles on the old one) and flushed the cooling system and put new antifreeze in. So I might go back outside and do the transmission after I eat lunch.

 

There will still be 1/2 the fluid left in the torque convertor.

Remove a drain plug.

With the vac system you aren't looking at the filter.

 

Man, you are way past due. It’s a miracle that tranny hasn’t lunched yet. You need to get the pan off and clean it out. It could have a ½ inch of gunk in it with that many miles on it. As stuart1 says drain the converter as well. Go to your local parts store and get a new filter and pan gasket and do it right. Type F is correct. The tranny might not shift right if you put Mercon in it.

 

Folks:

I have a 99 F150 5.4. It has 85k miles, I have owned it since 68k miles.

I am going to change the trans fluid in the next several weeks.

Do I need to flush the system? Or, is a basic drain and replace strategy OK?

TIA,

Rog Smith

 

I am personally not a fan of flushing. In normal conditions it is not necessary. Some times it does more damage than good. I have had friends that went to the quick lube shops and let the shop talk them into flushing out their system and the tranny failed not long after. It is possible that the tranny was about to fail anyway, but it is suspicious. We never flushed transmissions until these lube shops came along and started touting it. I think it is just another was to get extra money out of you. If the transmission is working fine then just change the fluid and leave it alone.

 

Dont have a drain plug, thats why I was looking at using the mityvac I have. I could get all the oil out of the pan. I thought about doing the filter but the car is running and I hate to drop the pan put a new gasket and a new filter in and then the transmission goes out.

I know it needs to be rebuilt cause it has the typical issue that all old ford transmissions have, the seals are dried out and in cold weather the trq converter drains out and makes a sound like its low on fluid, but once warmed up or in warm weather (above 70*F) theres no problems. I planned on having it overhauled when the engine is due. Just want to make it last. I guess I should look into getting a pan gasket and a transmission filter if I can even get one locally.

Aside from that the only problem the transmission does have is it seems like some times you have to give it an excessive amount of throttle to get it to down shift back into first when your doing about 25, after slowing down for someone to make a turn. That might just be normal or it could be the fluid.

 

FMX transmissions have a drain plug in the convertor,

 

Ah, I thought you were meaning the plug in the pan. Just about every converter Ive seen has a drain plug, but most transmission pans Ive seen dont have a plug. I can drain the converter as well, just hard to deside if it should be done or not since I get conflicting information between here and people I check with in person.

I desided to go ahead and do the drain and fill with new fluid, having a hell of a time finding a pan gasket for the transmission. Local shops dont even carry it for the common C series of transmission. But by god they carry the torque converter gaskets.



Oreilly`s has the filter and the pan gasket as a kit for $7.00, but do I go with AC Delco or PowerTorque which I never heard of. Wish there was a motorcraft one I could pick up instead.

 

Does anyone have a labor and parts estimate to change the fluid in this trans? (No flush)

Tia,

Rog

 

"But by god they carry the torque converter gaskets."

What is a torque convertor gasket?

 

Where can I buy oilpan gasket and filter for a FMX tranny it's on a 1960 F100?

 

If it's the original transmission it won't be an FMX. Rather a CruisOmatic.

You will have to try various parts sources or transmission shops in your area.

 

How do you identify the transmission and what engine there is in the truck? I'm a newbie to all this with old trucks