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My FYI $.02 worth. Bought my X in '05. Changed the fluid and filters at 30K miles with SP. At 60K miles I changed the fluid and filters again but replaced SP with Royal Purple Synthetic ATF. I also added a PML 4.5 quart larger aluminum pan. To date I have 135K on the X with the RP fluid and will change fluid at 100K. I also removed the little toilet paper filter. I run an X-4 tuner with the tranny set to "firm" shifts and an Atlas 80 FICM tune. The tranny shifts great with no hesitations. I also tow a 10K lbs. dump trailer and a 7K lbs. boat and have never experienced a bad shift. Again, just passing on my experience.
I have always drained and refilled with Mercon SP. Last time i tried to get it Ford dealer told me it was discontinued and i could only buy Mercon LV. I did not want to mix SP & LV so i was able to find it on amazon. Anyone mix the two?
ALso a side note, my transmission in my truck (2005 6.0 diesel) seems to have a rough shift into 2nd gear only sometimes, like a clunk. Any ideas? should i be getting it looked at? Has done it for a few years.
Why did you remove the filter? That doesn't sound like a good idea.
From what I have seen in the fluid pan (the black stuff) from previous changes the filter is not very efficient and as it gets dirty it presents an increased restriction to the fluid flow through the tranny cooler. I would rather have cooler fluid.
It is like an engine oil filter, it is not very efficient or the oil would remain clear until the next oil change and, as it gets dirty, it restricts oil flow. During high demands, the oil filter bypass valve opens and there is no filtration. I use a K&N reuseable oil filter to increase flow through the engine. Plus I run my RP engine oil 10K to 12K miles. I remove the K&N every 5K miles, check the magnets for particles or big chunks, clean it with gas and reinstall. It has worked great so far.
Doing those two things with filters has produced no tranny issues and I have never replaced a turbo or injector. I have an '03 motor in an '04 X.
It's a bypass filter. Only 10% of the flow to the coolers goes through the filter.
It may not have produced any problems yet, but I expect you'll have failed solenoids because the bypass filter isn't removing the very fine particles in the fluid. These particles have been proven to make solenoids stick. Been there, done that.
It's a bypass filter. Only 10% of the flow to the coolers goes through the filter.
It may not have produced any problems yet, but I expect you'll have failed solenoids because the bypass filter isn't removing the very fine particles in the fluid. These particles have been proven to make solenoids stick. Been there, done that.
Mark, thanks for the info. I may reconsider. However, I would think using synthetic tranny fluid, tranny solenoid "stiction" would be significantly reduced or eliminated like injector "stiction" is with synthetic motor oil. Also, about a year ago, I added 22 oz. of AR9100 friction modifier to the tranny.
Mark, thanks for the info. I may reconsider. However, I would think using synthetic tranny fluid, tranny solenoid "stiction" would be significantly reduced or eliminated like injector "stiction" is with synthetic motor oil. Also, about a year ago, I added 22 oz. of AR9100 friction modifier to the tranny.
Ed
You're still going to get X amount of clutch material going through the system. Good luck, I think you will need it sooner than later. Manufacturers don't put in filters because they have too much money laying around. It's for a reason and that's to protect them during warranty and you later.
The problem isn't "stiction", it's debris catching between the spools and body. Archoil is a product to remove varnish and reduce friction. Having a 30 year career in designing and testing friction material, we design the friction material for the lubricant or fluid designated by the manufacturer. Anything else don't talk to me.
DSMMH: You may want to contact the maker of your pan and see if you could also use the 6.4 trans filter -- it is a whole different animal than the one that came in our trans. Watch Jack's video on the 6.0 vs. 6.4 trans filter and I think you will get both that, and what others here are telling you about filtering the trans oil...
I would think using synthetic tranny fluid, tranny solenoid "stiction" would be significantly reduced or eliminated like injector "stiction" is with synthetic motor oil.
I don't see how synthetic helps the situation of fine particles in the fluid causing the solenoids to stick. In my experience (and I have A LOT of automatic transmission experience) synthetics are exactly as prone to particulate contamination as any other fluid. That's why it needs to be filtered.
Originally Posted by DSMMH
Also, about a year ago, I added 22 oz. of AR9100 friction modifier to the tranny.
Yet another thing I would never do to my transmission. What does that do to the clutch slip times? Have you measured that?
If it makes the fluid "slipperier" then the slip times get longer and the clutch life goes down. Plus you'll have more contamination in the fluid to help stick the solenoids.
If it makes it less "slipperier" (and I don't know what this friction modifier is supposed to do) then you'll get harsh shifts. Some of those could get harsh enough to break parts.
09-27-2016, 07:27 AM
