Servicing auto trans
Thread Starter
|
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,177
Likes: 40
From: Newport, WA
Servicing auto trans
I just bought a 95 F250 with the auto trans/electronic overdrive. I want to keep this truck in tip-top shape, and I was wondering if there is a way to tell if the tranny needs to be serviced now and any tips you might have for servicing it myself. How much does the service kit cost? Any tips/suggestions would be appreciated.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 15
OK, OK already!
I expect your trans is the E4OD. Change trans fluid and filter every 30k miles, sooner if you are towing mountains around.
When changing, drain the torque converter too. The torque converter has a drain plug, you have to turn the engine crankshaft nut with a breaker bar and socket, till you can see the little pipe plug. The rubber pan gasket may or may not be reusable depending on age and condition. If doubtful, get a new RUBBER gasket.
Fluid is Dexron III/Mercon, expect to use about 14 quarts. I collect everything I drain out, and pour it into milk jugs to measure. That way, I have a real good idea how much to put back in before fine-tuning the fill.
When refilling, put in about 7 quarts or so, then start it in PARK, let it run for 30 seconds or so, then shut off. Do not shift it into gear. This will refill the torque converter, and prevent the fluid from overfilling the case due to air in the torque converter. Then add the rest of the ATF.
I expect your trans is the E4OD. Change trans fluid and filter every 30k miles, sooner if you are towing mountains around.
When changing, drain the torque converter too. The torque converter has a drain plug, you have to turn the engine crankshaft nut with a breaker bar and socket, till you can see the little pipe plug. The rubber pan gasket may or may not be reusable depending on age and condition. If doubtful, get a new RUBBER gasket.
Fluid is Dexron III/Mercon, expect to use about 14 quarts. I collect everything I drain out, and pour it into milk jugs to measure. That way, I have a real good idea how much to put back in before fine-tuning the fill.
When refilling, put in about 7 quarts or so, then start it in PARK, let it run for 30 seconds or so, then shut off. Do not shift it into gear. This will refill the torque converter, and prevent the fluid from overfilling the case due to air in the torque converter. Then add the rest of the ATF.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 3
From: So Cal
If you just got this truck and don't have any service records I would just do a fluid and filter change like the guy said. Better safe than sorry. On the riskier side you could just pull the stick and check for color, red good, brown or black bad, smell, chemically good, burnt bad.
Filter kits seems to be all over the price range. I think my current Purolator filter costs about $20. I have seen kits as low as $12 and as high as $30. There isn't much to these kits, don't know why they cost so much.
Assuming you do drop the pan, look for solids at the bottom of the pan. You probably will see pepper flakes, normal, maybe even on or two rice sized pieces of metal, OK. You don't want to see lots of metal chunks bigger than rice or lots of sludge. The fluid should be red(ideal) but probably will be darkish red, normal for old fluid. Black is not good. The magnet should have a light to meduim coat of silvery grey fuzz, normal.
Check your leve according to the manual several times the first week and then on a regular basis thereafter.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
Filter kits seems to be all over the price range. I think my current Purolator filter costs about $20. I have seen kits as low as $12 and as high as $30. There isn't much to these kits, don't know why they cost so much.
Assuming you do drop the pan, look for solids at the bottom of the pan. You probably will see pepper flakes, normal, maybe even on or two rice sized pieces of metal, OK. You don't want to see lots of metal chunks bigger than rice or lots of sludge. The fluid should be red(ideal) but probably will be darkish red, normal for old fluid. Black is not good. The magnet should have a light to meduim coat of silvery grey fuzz, normal.
Check your leve according to the manual several times the first week and then on a regular basis thereafter.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
Thread Starter
|
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,177
Likes: 40
From: Newport, WA
Finally, thanks guys! How can I tell if I have the E40D or the 4R70W? Also, for getting to the torque converter drain- could I just bump the engine with the starter until I can see the plug? Again, thanks for the replies!
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 268
Likes: 3
From: Florida
superduty4x4 -
This is an excerpt that should help you identify your tranny:
How to tell which transmission you have:
If you look at the sticker on the driver's side of the door it will have a single letter under the letters "TR". It will either be "U" for AODE/4R70W or "E" for E40D/4R100A.
The 4R100 goes in Lightning's, California Emission F-150s, and SuperDutys.
The names of transmissions are coded, the first number is how many gears, next is a letter that shows drive orientation R for Rear Wheel, X for front wheel. The next numbers are primary the torque rating minus one zero, so a 4R70W has 700 ft/lbs, a 4R100 is 1000 ft/lbs. The last letter, is usually a designator of something, W is for Wide Ratio.
The fluid change procedure above is very good, but leaves some oil in the cooling lines. Here is the best way to change the tranny fluid that I have seen:
Disconnect the return cooling line from the transmission.
Put a length on clear hose over the line (hose clamp it on).
Start the truck and let the tranny pump empty the fluid into a bucket through the clear hose.
Run the shifter through the gears several times and let the truck idle until air appears in the clear line.
Pour one or two quarts of clean fluid into the tranny until the line runs clear again.
Remove pan and replace filter.
Refill with clean fluid.
You can also open the drain on the torque converter, but fluid should have been drained from steps above.
Using this procedure you should be able to get all of the old fluid out. There may be a concern about running the fluid out, but there is plenty of residual fluid already on the gears to keep everything lubed for the short time this takes.
I hope this helps.
Good luck.
This is an excerpt that should help you identify your tranny:
How to tell which transmission you have:
If you look at the sticker on the driver's side of the door it will have a single letter under the letters "TR". It will either be "U" for AODE/4R70W or "E" for E40D/4R100A.
The 4R100 goes in Lightning's, California Emission F-150s, and SuperDutys.
The names of transmissions are coded, the first number is how many gears, next is a letter that shows drive orientation R for Rear Wheel, X for front wheel. The next numbers are primary the torque rating minus one zero, so a 4R70W has 700 ft/lbs, a 4R100 is 1000 ft/lbs. The last letter, is usually a designator of something, W is for Wide Ratio.
The fluid change procedure above is very good, but leaves some oil in the cooling lines. Here is the best way to change the tranny fluid that I have seen:
Disconnect the return cooling line from the transmission.
Put a length on clear hose over the line (hose clamp it on).
Start the truck and let the tranny pump empty the fluid into a bucket through the clear hose.
Run the shifter through the gears several times and let the truck idle until air appears in the clear line.
Pour one or two quarts of clean fluid into the tranny until the line runs clear again.
Remove pan and replace filter.
Refill with clean fluid.
You can also open the drain on the torque converter, but fluid should have been drained from steps above.
Using this procedure you should be able to get all of the old fluid out. There may be a concern about running the fluid out, but there is plenty of residual fluid already on the gears to keep everything lubed for the short time this takes.
I hope this helps.
Good luck.
