projectSHO89 .. thanks for the info .. I have always wondered that . I actually dont know much about automatic trannys. The truck that I have now is the first automatic I ever owned in my life.

 

It's all about the clutch and band material being compatible with the additives in the oil. I could be wrong but I doubt if a tranny could be "ruined" in the short term but might suffer a slightly shorter long term life with incorrect oil. Other than the friction material there is nothing in there that would be adversly affected by a different type of oil. I would be willing to bet you could run any tranny fluid in any tranny and never notice a difference. Don't forget the oil people want to sell their oil and don't want their profits diluted by other brands and types. When it comes to making money and destroying the competition people will put just about anything on a label they can get away with. I was reading some info on a protein/power bar today and they went on and on about how healthy and pure thier bar was but when I read the (required) ingredients it had 25% cholesterol and was about half sugar.

 

The oil companies didn't come up with the different specs for oil. The auto companies did that because there are different requirements. I know that running the wrong ATF will be noticed by the owner since in many cases he will be buying a new transmission. It's that critical.

Different fluids have different frictional characteristics. If you run the wrong fluid friction materials either become very grabby, resulting in harsh shifts, or they slip, which quickly results in a dead transmission. Some fluids are too thin for older transmissions. Try running MERCON SP in a 4R100. See if you can drive it 500 miles before it welds itself together due to lack of lubrication. I'll bet you can't do it.

 

Well, you're the engineer and I was a trans mechanic but that was in the 60's when oil was just oil. Every transmission shop I worked in had a 55 gallon drum of atf with a hand pump on top and that's what everyone got. Then they started using different friction material with required different oil which just complicated everything. I never could figure out why everybody has to deviate from the norm. I guess that's why they don't speak english in France, etc. I still don't think you can ruin a tranny by using the wrong fluid in the short term though.

 

I am in the process of changing out my tranny fluid/filter on my 2001 F250 and in my Chilton's Manual it says not to use Mercon V. I didn't see this before I bought the fluid and my local Auto Zone had Coastal Multi-Vehicle Synthetic Blend Mercon V so I bought it. Can I use this fluid?

Also it says to drain the torque converter when draining the pan but the converter does not appear to be accessable like it says it is in the manual. Is there access to the torque converter drain plug on my truck or should I just stick with dropping the pan and replacing the filter?

Sorry for my ignorance but this is my first Ford vehicle so I'm learning as I go.

 

I am in the process of changing out my tranny fluid/filter on my 2001 F250 and in my Chilton's Manual it says not to use Mercon V. I didn't see this before I bought the fluid and my local Auto Zone had Coastal Multi-Vehicle Synthetic Blend Mercon V so I bought it. Can I use this fluid?

Also it says to drain the torque converter when draining the pan but the converter does not appear to be accessable like it says it is in the manual. Is there access to the torque converter drain plug on my truck or should I just stick with dropping the pan and replacing the filter?

Sorry for my ignorance but this is my first Ford vehicle so I'm learning as I go.

 

I think there is a rubber plug at the bottom of the bell housing and that year should have the drain plug in the converter.

 

Your manual is out of date. In 2006 Ford changed MERCON V to be compatible with older transmissions. MERCON V is now the right fluid.

There is access. There should be a rubber plug on the bottom of the bellhousing.

 

Thanks for the info, I'll look for the plug on the bellhousing.

 

So why does that manual say not to use Mercon V ? And I wonder when the manual came out. (I do believe V is the right fluid for all years)

 

Because at the time that manual was printed, that was the correct instruction for the then-current formulation of Merc V.

Things changed but the manual did not. It is now out of date with the CURRENT recommendations.

 

The manual I bought is the Chilton manual for Super Duty Trucks/Excursions from '99-'10 models. I just bought it the other day so its brand new but that doesn't mean that the info inside is completely up to date.

It says not to use Mercon V unless the Owners Manual says otherwise, but I don't have the owners manual so I didn't know if Mercon V was applicable to my year model. I put the Coastal Mercon V in it and everything seems fine so far.

 

Your owner's manual would have said not to use MERCON V. It was printed before the change.

The correct fluid for your trans right now is MERCON V.

 

Follow Mark's writeup here and you won't have to pull the plug, you can simply flush the old fluid out of the system. Changing ATF Fluid in a E4OD and 4R100 transmission .: Articles

 

Charts at this site may help with lubricant selections for your Ford.

FCSD Chemicals and Lubricants