2008 F350 6.4l 4x4, 51k miles. Having the transmission fluid changed in the next couple days. This is a job 1 truck and should have an external filter. Do you recommend a traditional drop pan fluid change, or a flush?

 

Well honestly I wouldn't change the fluid at all unless you've REALLY overheated the trans. and the fluid looks black and smells burnt. I changed the trans fluid on my '02 F250 at 120k and it still looked good....as far as the flush....no way but it's your truck.

 

I WOULD change all of the fluid, except with this transmission the only way you can do that is with a heated flush machine. A regular flush machine WILL NOT work on this transmission. And heated flush machines are extremely rare.

 

Dealer told me they do a flush. Not sure if it's a hot flush. But when I asked a different dealer, they recommended just dropping the pan, with no flush. Confused?

 

What are your thoughts?

 

It seems the consensus on changing trans fluid is dropping the pan and changing out the amount that drained, drive for a hundred or so miles and drop again to complete the fluid change. This seems the best way to replaced the fluid without having access to the rare heated flush machine.

 

Most likely neither has a heated flush machine, so replacing the fluid in the pan is the only option.

 

I will definitely be sure to ask when I drop it off tonight. If it is not a hot flush, I should decline a flush service?

 

I'd go ahead and do a "drain and fill", which is just dropping the pan and refilling. It won't get all of your tranny fluid out, like a proper flush would, but unless your fluid had actually gone bad (black, burnt, etc), just a drain and fill would change enough fluid to keep you going strong. Tranny fluid lasts a long time unless it's burnt.

 

Yes you should.

 

So the dealer service dept does not have a hot flush machine. He said they just get the transmission up to temp and flush it while it's running. I told them to just drain and drop the pan, change the external filter, and refill. Then I'll come back after a few hundred miles. Was that the right thing to do?

 

Yes it was.

 

Do it yourself. Pretty straight forward

Matt

 

Due to time, schedule and not having the filter tool, I will let them do it this time. But after I drive it for a few hundred miles, I will just drain it and refill it at home. And I will look into getting the tool.

 

I also called another (3rd) dealer, and they told me they wouldn't do a flush on a truck that old. That's the 2nd service dept that told me that.