After my first experience I decided there had to be an easier way. I fumbled around in the garage for 5 mins and had assembled all that I needed to do a quick, easy, efficient and CLEAN fluid change.
This is so simple I'll probably sound like a goober for even acting like it was a great discovery, but here it is anyways.
I took about 3 inches of flexible copper tubing and inserted it into one end of a piece of 1/2 ID heater hose that is about 3 feet long. I left about 2 inches of the copper tubing exposed.
I secured the copper "nipple" with a few ty-wraps. I stuffed a funnel into the other end and secured it with a ty-wrap.
Then I removed upper fill plug and lower drain plug to drain the fluid into a suitable container.
While draining the fluid, I put the nipple into the fill port with hose/funnel run up in front of the fire wall and hung the funnel near the brake fluid resivoir.
When the fluid had completed draining, I put the bottom plug in and began to pour new fluid down the funnel.
When I got close to full (counted quarts) I'd add a little and check until the fluid ran out the fill port (and drained into the conveniently left catch pan). I then went under the truck, pulled the nipple, let it hang over the drain pan and replaced the fill cap.
Wiped off the excess fluid and BINGO! I'm done!
The copper worked very well because the threads in the fill port offered enough "bite" that it never acted like it wanted to fall out.
I was done in about 5 - 10 minutes and didn't spill any fluid.
Wow great idea. I've been going throught all kinds of contortions getting fluid into this thing including crushing the bottle to get it high enough for the last few drops to go in. Messy messy. I going to the hardware for some plastic tubing and a funnel.
ive thought about putting together some pipe to make a fill tube accesable from the engine compartment (like a automatiic trans fill tube) but for now i jusy use a hand pump.
We made something similar at our shop for when the lifts were full of other cars. The only difference is we used an extended elbowto go in the tranny, and hung the funnel from the driver's door handle ( for easy fast removal).
I really like the idea of putting it by the brake reservoir though. If you anchor it right it is could be a permanent fixture to the truck. Good thinking
the dipstik is nice since this trans leaks alittle i check it about once a month and add alittle it over fills the trans just a hair but id rather have to much than to little i did this after i lost a trans from lack of fluid and said never again i also have done this to my other f150 with the zf it just takes different fitting for the trans just about everyone that gets in my truck askes what it is and when they find out are quite amazed and think its a great idea
i used to just fill through the shifter before i did this but my boot isnt secured so its much easier just 3 bolts
in my friends mustang we just made a slit in the carpet and drilled a hole and stuck a hose that scews on to the bottle through the hole then when we were done we used a rubber plug to plug the hole and you couldnt tell we slit the carpet
Nice anyways.
