Hey guys need your opinion. I want to flush my tranny torque converter and cooler. I have no idea the last time the trans was flushed . My fluid is brown in color , though I can not smell a burnt smell doesn't smell very strong .

It had just started shifting hard from first to second then clunking when shifting in reverse. And then I drove it to work for a week , and it shifted smooth as can be. Drove it again to work a few days later and shifting hard again. 2nd to 3rd much smoother than 1 to 2.

Checked my fluid this morning and it looked like it has leaked and added I would guess 1/4 to 1/2 litre. Haven't driven it since the fluid added.

My question is I was reading in the forums that if you have no idea when the fluid was changed last and it looks dirty you would be better off leaving it. As it could cause tranny to go out shortly after fluid change.

What do you guys think ?

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There is a difference between changing the fluid, and doing a "flush" At least to me. I've never had a fluid replacement cause issues on a used transmission. The "Power Flush" that lots of shop try to sell you, that seems to be the one that causes the problems, dislodging stuff, and getting it caught in the valve body and other small passages.

If you're just doing a drain and refill, and changing the filter, I personally say go for it. (That being said, I don't actually know if the E4OD has a drainplug on the torque converter, like a C6 or AOD does.)

 

Ok thanks for your input! 👍 I was planning on flushing the lines to the cooler. And just draining torque converter and trans. Doing it myself not taking it to a shop

 

Here is how I recommend doing it: https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles...-transmission/

This will change more of the fluid than if you drain the converter and pan.

If you didn't know the last time the engine oil was changed, would you change it, or leave the old oil in there? If you would change it, why would you, but not change the trans fluid? It makes no sense to me.

If the trans is broken, new fluid will not fix it and it will fail. It would have failed if you didn't change the fluid, too. If the trans is in good shape, new fluid can only help it. All that BS about dislodging stuff is just that, BS. I don't buy it at all.

 

Awesome thanks guys while I'm down there I plan to hook up a trans temp gauge as well. That how to will work great !

 

Just did my first change e40d ,211k on it I was a little worried but it shifts fine

 

I think the bs had a kernel of truth but for a different reason, to me the transmission probably is near end life and the flush takes the suspended material barely limping along the shifting. Basically a good launch with a trailer or traction control in a newer vehicle shakes the delicate balance and does the same thing. Which means there wasn’t any time at all. which is functionally the same thing to you or I but to a lube shop looking for a quick answer or a simpleton that’s just the new fluid, sir, see ya next time

 

Electronic 4 speed OverDrive (E4OD) not e forty d.

 

when spelling it I personally have a tendency to smack a 0 instead of O because 4 came before it and it’s hard to tell in a quick typing barrage. But in person I got real food at E-4-OD by specifically forcing myself to slowly annunciate the parts like that so I say OD quicker than E4 and it helps your brain for psychological reason I don’t need to explain, just helps!

is AOD automatic over drive(3 letters for 3 non OD speeds?) c6 being old enough it doesn’t need to have a smart *** reason for being 2?

joking lol I’m being dumb in that last part I’m pretty sure it would just be automatic, od?

 

Can you explain to me how the suspended material helps the trans function? And how does it not stick all of the valves in the valve body? And doesn't the filter remove the suspended material? Isn't that what a filter does?

 

I wasn’t disagreeing with you mark… you’re literally the expert on the matters. I’m saying how people say it’s harmful to change high mileage fluid because of an easy answer to a problem and no desire to check it against anything.

the fluid has a spec of friction modifiers, yes? And over time fluid breaks down, parts wear? Yes? Okay. So, a filter doesn’t filter 100% of everything and it also doesn’t do all the fluid at the same time, yes?
wht I’m saying is this spent fluid has an ecosystem very fragile and specific to its environment where the clutches don’t slip (noticeably to the degree someone would then notice a difference after a change) because the new fluid is slippery, clean, wants to lubricate more naturally, wants to clean with additives that are long gone in the original. And maybe that friction material was the only thing standing between end of life and daily drive for the owner.

I replaced some nasty fluid on a pan drop before and I never experienced anything bad. But it was a dexron ii fluid going to a dex 3 in 2017 and city miles when I primarily drove it highway and the trans is known for the 3 and 4 west not the 1 and 2 it was used to wear wise. So maybe if I drove more city maybe I would notice but it didn’t change anything about how it ran and drove. But it certainly made it cooler

 

Hey Mark, in regards to step 5a, when I am doing the initial drain from the trans return line in preparation for dropping the pan do I refill with how much I pumped out before air bubbles?

Or do I only do that after I've drained pan and I'm refilling with new fluid? I was thinking the second option but want to make sure

 

If you are going to drop the pan, why would you refill it first? Isn't it easier to drop the pan when it isn't full of fluid?

After you replaced the pan refill the trans and continue.

 

Gotcha thank you

 

Hey everybody got the trans all flushed. Made a fatal rookie mistake and would really appreciate your advice on a hopefully easy fix . I unscrewed the incorrect nut when taking off the trans return line, and broke the line. It is about an inch and a half shorter now and looks like I could pull it over and it would still work, but without the belled end in the threaded in peice the trans line would pop right out I think.

Is there an easy fix for this ? Like a repair coupling etc. I don't know much about what you can do with metal lines. Or do I need new trans return line?