Thanks!! BIG Thanks!!

[19704X4F250]

I can't thank you guys enough!! One thing, for all your tech articles and accurate info. I needed to change my tranny fluid on my 2000 Ranger and I was wondering how to get the majority of fluid out. It was BADLY needed as it had almost 100K on it! Duh!! Look up the tech articles! I had never heard of the pump out method until I saw it here. My truck has a separate cooler so I removed the line and started it up. When it quit pumping I shut it off and dropped the pan. Pan was clean with a little crud around the magnet. No shavings, brass or junk. Changed the filter, put the pan back on and added fluid. I needed to get this done as I took this truck on vacation and it did fine. A service center quoted me a price of $169 to do it!! 6 quarts @ $4.99 + filter & gasket @ $9.95 + tax = roughly $43. The money I saved helped to offset the price of gas. Again, thanks FTE and to the hardworking people that make this forum great!!

[Rockledge]

It's always good when you can save yourself money!

[pawpaw]

Hold on, I'm not sure just what you've described that you did here!!!!

I hope after the pan drop you continued on with a FULL tranny fluid pump out, as a good bit of the old fluid remained in the valve body, torque converter, radiator, cooler & lines to contaminate the new fluid!!!!

So to do a Complete pump out/fluid exchange like you were quoted, you needed more than 6 qts. to refill the pan & continue the pump out one-two quarts at a time, until the total system capacity (10-10.3 qts) was removed/pumped out, at the loosensed cooler line!!!!

If you just pumped out 6 qts, the remaining 4-4.3 qts of old oxidized fluid will hasten the demise of the 6 qts of new fluid.
If thats what you did, it was better than not changing the fluid at all though.

If you just did a pan drop & poured 6 qts back in, the tranny is likely ovefilled by about 1- 2 qts (not good), so you need to check the tranny fluid level with the vehicle on level ground & the fluid fully warmed up after a 20 mile drive & if it's over filled, remove enough fluid to get the level right.

If it's over filled, you can pump it out the dipstick tube with a transfer pump, or remove the cooler line & have the tranny pump remove it at 1qt/15 seconds at warm idle.

[19704X4F250]

Yep, pawpaw I did run it after I refilled the tranny to continue the pump out. I may be off on the actual refill amount as I had the local dealer change the engine oil the next day for my trip. I had them top off the tranny. I didn't see the bill as my wife had it done. I am confident that it's done correctly as the tranny shifts smoother now than when I first got it.

[pawpaw]

OK, well it sounds like maybe you got close to a full fluid pump out, maybe 2-4 qts shy, so I'd check the fluid level & keep an eye on it's condition over the next year or two.

I buy a 12 qt case of Motorcraft fluid from my local Distributor & pump out at least 11 qts, to allow for some mixing in the torque converter, then use the other one to top up with & mine too always shifts better after the full fluid pump out!!!!

Anyway good to hear the Tech Info thread was useful, I know I've made good use of it over the years & I too have learned a lot about my Ranger on this forum, especially how the computer controls the engine, which I was woefully under informed on!!!!

[19704X4F250]

Yep, the old truck has 163K on it and I don't know if the insurance co. will give me $$$ for the damage or get it fixed. So the fluid should be OK for now. The tranny worked fine to southern KY and back with no problems going up and down those hills. That was what I was hoping for ...NO breakdowns along the side of the road.