#1 - Thanks to Mark K for this expert advice and incredible attention to this forum.

I executed his procedure last eve. I got started around 7:30pm, and got done shortly after dark, say 9:30 pm or so. It's quite simple. Most of the time was over analyzing what to do, measuring fluid, and recounting my measurements!

I cleaned off the area around the line coming into the back of the tranny. I live a couple miles off the highway, so a lot of grit collects. I rubbed most of it off and then hit the threads with a wire brush. I spayed a dab of PB plaster, waited a minute or so, and with a 5/8" wrench the nut backed out easily. It's a flare connection, and luckily I had a piece of orange hose from some old transfer pump that fit over the flare. I only used a short hose, maybe 18". There's some metal right below the line, with a hole in it that the hose fit snugly through, but did not pinch. It was my 2nd man, and worked perfectly. I could either slide under my oil catch pan, or even a 5qt, 4qt, or 1qt container. I used the containers to hold the drips while I emptied the catch pan, and on the last round, I used the containers to visibly see how much was draining so I could stop after 2 qts.

My son started the engine and we let it run until the continuous stream stopped. That measured right at 6 quarts. So we added 6qts of new fluid. The next round we worked our way through each of the stops on the shifter and paused for about 5s at each. This time around we measured about 5.5 qts, so added 6. The third time through we did the same as the 2nd time and again got about 5.5 quarts. This time we added 5 qts to match the 17 total taken out. The last time, I slipped under the drain tube a 5qt jug with a good visible contents line and ran the engine long enough to get out about 2.5 qts. We filled with 2 quarts to arrive at 19 quarts added. After getting to full temp, it was measuring low, so I added another qt. It's still low -- at full temp it read right above the "bulb" on the dipstick, almost to the "dot" for the low end of the "ambient" range. So it looks like I need to add another 0.5 to 1.0 quarts. I should have checked the old fluid level. It must have been similarly low.

I have to take Mark's word that it pumped out most of the old. My old fluid looked pretty clean. I had drained the pan and TC 40K miles ago. It's a quite easy procedure. I opted to not change the filter (drop pan) based on comments that some have seen filters with over 200K miles that are in good shape. The procedure without replacing the filter could be done in under an hour with a bit of planning or experience of having done it once before!

The line to remove on mine is on the passenger side, rear of the transmission, pretty close to the exhaust line. The line going to the cooler is just ahead of this one near the front of the transmission and up another 3 inches or so. But the one you remove is easily accessible. Mine used the 5/8" open end wrench and you have to nibble your way around, as there is not much clearance for the wrench -- which is fine, little torque is needed, and once loose there is plenty of room to work a rubber line over the flare. I suppose my rubber hose had about a 5/16" to maybe 3/8" inner diameter. Flexible hose is better, since you have to work it over the flare. In my case, it was simpler to just route my drain hose through that metal piece and let it drain straight into my catch pan/container, although I did then need to crawl under the vehicle each time (I used a big cardboard box as my cushion -- it's slippery and cushions the gravel driveway).

A big thanks again to Mark and others who have done this. Aside from the gas to heat up before checking, the total cost was $110 -- for 20 qts of Motorcraft Mercon V. I guess it will be 115 when I add the final qt.

 

Thanks Kevin for posting up your experience.

For those that don't know what you are talking about here is Mark's writeup: Changing ATF Fluid in a E4OD and 4R100 transmission .: Articles

 

You know your 2000 Excursion is equipped with a drain plug on both the pan and the torque converter. All you had to do was drain and refill.

 

You can just drain and refill, but my procedure changes more of the fluid. A drain and refill won't get the fluid out of the coolers, the clutches, the accumulators, or the valve body.

 

Point taken! Thanks Mark.

 

Yep, I did the drain/refill last time. It worked well enough, but probably replaces 75% of fluid. The pump method was maybe a bit simpler, takes about the same amount of time, and would seem to replace 95%.

 

I did a 2003 V10 this week with a 20 bolt pan, the torque converter had a rubber plug covering the access hole but then I removed it, and blipped the starter around there wasn't a drain plug to be found. This vehicle also had two factory tranny coolers, one in the radiator and one in front of the radiator. The return line was on the driver's side bottom rear of the radiator. I removed the 5/8"flare nut, the adapter in the radiator required a 27mm wrench. Pepboyz had a 3/8" IF barbed adapter (this is not an MPT fitting), to screw into the flare adapter going into the radiator(3/4" x 20tpi male threads, so finding something that size off the shelf would be difficult), anyway the 3/8"IF barbed fitting was perfect. I used a couple of extra quarts to flush since the fluid looked really bad. 250K on the vehicle, the owner claimed she never had it changed and it looked it!

 

That is the way the truck left the factory in 2003.

 

I do the drain and fill. Done regularly it is all that is needed. I have 70k miles on my X and it has had 2 fluid changes in that time. Every 25k or so. The next service it will get a filter change too. Interestingly i don't have a drain plug in my converter!? Believe me i have looked.

 

Only the very first 2002 trucks had torque converter drain plugs. After that no more drain plugs.

 

Why? Is it considered an improvement?

On a related note, I have a 2004 Explorer, have no idea how to check, change or add fluid.

 

Is the motorcraft mercon v a good fluid to use, Mark? I know it is motorcraft afterall, but i normally use mobil 1 synthetic atf. I am thinking about doing this soon Mobil 1 synthetic ATF at $10 a quart x 20

 

There is a plug in the bottom of the pan. you are supposed to fill it while it is running and then when it dribbles out of the plug it is full. the best way to do this is with a flush machine.
Why manuf. think none of us want to do preventative maint. is beyond me? especially when I can`t even put an eyeball on the quality of fluid in the trans.

 

I believe the Mercon V is a semi synthetic.

 

Yes it is.