Tranny Fluid Change
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 84
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Tranny Fluid Change
So here's the deal.
I have 36,000 on my F-250 Diesel 4x4. I don't realy tow but i am going on a long road trip Friday and want to change my tranny fluid. I am wondering two things. Do i have to flush the converter or can i just drop the pan? I have a box of Valvoline Durablend Synthetic with Dexron lll, Mercon, and Mercon V. Will this work? I am running 35"s so i want to avoid any premature tranny problems. Thank you in advance.
Ryan
I have 36,000 on my F-250 Diesel 4x4. I don't realy tow but i am going on a long road trip Friday and want to change my tranny fluid. I am wondering two things. Do i have to flush the converter or can i just drop the pan? I have a box of Valvoline Durablend Synthetic with Dexron lll, Mercon, and Mercon V. Will this work? I am running 35"s so i want to avoid any premature tranny problems. Thank you in advance.
Ryan
5th Gear
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Gloucester
Tranny Fluid Change
Or do like I did and pay your mechanic $100 and keep your hands/clothes/driveway/seats/hair, etc. clean.
There are a lot of places that can do a complete flush-and-fill cheaper than $100, but the first time you change the fluid, there will be a plastic plug (left-over from assembly) laying in the bottom of the pan, and I don't think I'd want it getting blasted into some other part of the tranny. Also, the magnet in the bottom of the pan will probably have a lot of shavings on it the first time around, and I don't know if the commercial flush-and-fill would blow them into the tranny, flush them completely, or just leave them there.
There are a lot of places that can do a complete flush-and-fill cheaper than $100, but the first time you change the fluid, there will be a plastic plug (left-over from assembly) laying in the bottom of the pan, and I don't think I'd want it getting blasted into some other part of the tranny. Also, the magnet in the bottom of the pan will probably have a lot of shavings on it the first time around, and I don't know if the commercial flush-and-fill would blow them into the tranny, flush them completely, or just leave them there.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 42
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From: North Pole, AK 99705
Tranny Fluid Change
Having just recently done this myself, I can add a few pieces of info.
1. Don't take it to the cheapest "flush" place. All they do is stir everything up inside there. They don't even drop the pan unless you REQUEST your filter changed. And the magnet is up inside the pan, not on the end of the drain plug.
2. check your Owner's manual. Mercon/MerconV fluid will damage your tranny. get Mercon fluid.
1. Don't take it to the cheapest "flush" place. All they do is stir everything up inside there. They don't even drop the pan unless you REQUEST your filter changed. And the magnet is up inside the pan, not on the end of the drain plug.
2. check your Owner's manual. Mercon/MerconV fluid will damage your tranny. get Mercon fluid.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 1
From: Middleburg, FL
Tranny Fluid Change
Just did this myself a couple weeks ago. First, do not use fluid rated for both Mercon and Mercon V or you'll be replacing your transmission in the not too distant future. Only use fluid with a Mercon equivalent rating. If it even mentions Mercon V, stay away from it. I put Mobil 1 Synthetice ATF in my tranny. If your tranny has a port to access the torque converter, drain the fluid from your converter (over half you fluid capacity resides in the converter). I didn't flush out the coolers and lines but still removed just over 16 qts from the 17.7 qt system with just the converter and pan drain. If you can't drain the converter or just don't feel like messing with it, I'd take it to a reputable tranny shop that can do a fluid exchange. My local shop wanted $120 to do the fluid exchange and replace the filter. Fluid was extra. So, I saved $120 by doing it myself. I was doing another mod and some other routine maintenance at the same time, so it wasn't that much of an effort to do the tranny fluid change at the same time.
