1997 Explorer 5R55E Trans fluid question
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From: ENGLAND
1997 Explorer 5R55E Trans fluid question
Please help,could someone let me know what damage, if any would be caused by putting transmission fluid recommended for my transfer box in to my automatic transmission!!.By the way i havn't done this myself but it looks like my local ford dealer has !!!.Would this cause the o/d light to flash,which it has since I had a new engine installed and the automatic transmission fluid used was the type for my transfer box.This has come to light today and they are taking no responsibilty for it !!! so i need some techinal advice before i bring in the lawyers 
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Your 97 Explorer uses the same fluid in the transfer box as the transmission. The F type fluid (which i9s different) goes in the power steering.
Ford recommend Ford Mercon V in all their transmissions from 1997 onwards. Unfortunately Ford do not supply it in England. I have managed to find a source though at 76 & R Racing so I now do my own transmission fluid changes. You can use Mercon V in the transfer box as well.
Get yourself a 20 litre plastic jerrycan from a camping shop and "calibrate" it into litres or US quarts as 76 Mercon V is supplied in US quarts using a permanent felt tip marker. Get two lengths of 3/8" diameter clear plastic hose (about 3 metres each) and two jubilee clips from Halfords.
Crawl under the front bumper and remove the plastic duct which covers the bottom of the radiator (two screws and two plastic clips) to expose the transmission fluid cooler lines where they conect to the two hoses to the secondary cooler in front of the radiator. Undo the two clips on the ends of the hoses and remove them from the steel lines to the transmission, be prepared to catch any run off from the secondary cooler (not much). Make sure you know which hose came off which cooler line.
Connect your 3/8" hoses to the steel cooler lines and secore with the jubilee clips. Put the othe end of the hoses in your plastic jerry can (you may need to tie them to the neck of the can to stop them comming out when you start the engine). Place the jerry can against you right front wheel so you can see it when you stand next to the open window in your drivers door (RHD assumed).
With the transmission in park, start the engine and you will see old transmission fluid flowing down both hoses into your jerry can. When you have collected 1 litre (1 US quart) stop the engine and top up the transmisson with new ATF through the dipstick tube. Reeat this procedure untill you have collecte 16 litres (16 US quarts) in your jerrycan and replaced them with a similar amount of new fluid 1 litre at a time.
Reconnect you cooler lines and replace the radiator duct. You will probably need to top up the transmission when it has warmed up sufficiently.
I do this procedure every two years, in the interim years I do a "conventiona ATF change by dropping the pan and changing the filter. This seems to be the best of both worlds.
There is an additive available from VMTP Ltd that is supposed to make ordinary Mercon III perform like Mercon V but I have not tried this.
Good luck
Ukexplorer
Ford recommend Ford Mercon V in all their transmissions from 1997 onwards. Unfortunately Ford do not supply it in England. I have managed to find a source though at 76 & R Racing so I now do my own transmission fluid changes. You can use Mercon V in the transfer box as well.
Get yourself a 20 litre plastic jerrycan from a camping shop and "calibrate" it into litres or US quarts as 76 Mercon V is supplied in US quarts using a permanent felt tip marker. Get two lengths of 3/8" diameter clear plastic hose (about 3 metres each) and two jubilee clips from Halfords.
Crawl under the front bumper and remove the plastic duct which covers the bottom of the radiator (two screws and two plastic clips) to expose the transmission fluid cooler lines where they conect to the two hoses to the secondary cooler in front of the radiator. Undo the two clips on the ends of the hoses and remove them from the steel lines to the transmission, be prepared to catch any run off from the secondary cooler (not much). Make sure you know which hose came off which cooler line.
Connect your 3/8" hoses to the steel cooler lines and secore with the jubilee clips. Put the othe end of the hoses in your plastic jerry can (you may need to tie them to the neck of the can to stop them comming out when you start the engine). Place the jerry can against you right front wheel so you can see it when you stand next to the open window in your drivers door (RHD assumed).
With the transmission in park, start the engine and you will see old transmission fluid flowing down both hoses into your jerry can. When you have collected 1 litre (1 US quart) stop the engine and top up the transmisson with new ATF through the dipstick tube. Reeat this procedure untill you have collecte 16 litres (16 US quarts) in your jerrycan and replaced them with a similar amount of new fluid 1 litre at a time.
Reconnect you cooler lines and replace the radiator duct. You will probably need to top up the transmission when it has warmed up sufficiently.
I do this procedure every two years, in the interim years I do a "conventiona ATF change by dropping the pan and changing the filter. This seems to be the best of both worlds.
There is an additive available from VMTP Ltd that is supposed to make ordinary Mercon III perform like Mercon V but I have not tried this.
Good luck
Ukexplorer
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