Nobody said that you didn't know what you are talking about. What I was saying is that it is unnecessary to replace the pan filter, and after reading that link I still feel the same way. I think it is overkill maintenance, but at the same time will certainly not do any harm.

 

The '03 6.0L has the TorqShift 5 speed auto, and has an external filter. It is near the bottom of the radiator, on the passenger's side.

 

Yea i was just kidding. I just reread the owners manual parts people at ford are idiots, and just took a look underneth.

 

The local dealership here DOES NOT flush nor do they change the inline filter. The drain what the pan holds and thats it. I guess the tranny only has to make it another 6,000 miles before the customer eats the cost of a failure out of warranty. Needless to say I will be doing this myself per Bear Hunters method.

 

Ryan,

Make sure you get your tranny nice and hot. Get everything prepared and laid out for the procedure..then go for a drive. This will ensure that you overcome the internal thermostat. When you get ready to disconnect the return line for the flush make sure you have a partner on the ignition so you can tell them to start it and shut it off. When the fluid first starts to come out it will sputter a little bit (don't worry its fine and normal) then it will pour out evenly and fast (if your tranny is nice and hot). Keep adding new fluid at the same rate it is coming out. Once it starts to sputter again...shut it off.

 

Hi, So what is the best advice for the tranny I have 39000 on the 04 and need to have it done. But do i have the pan dropped or just the flush. I realize there is all kinds of ways of doing everything but which is the best way. Thanks in advance

 

Of all the options available, I would say the way Kevin (Bear Hunter) seems the best to me. You do not push fluid backwards like the flush machine does, and you get way more out than by just draining the pan. The local dealership wants $139 to just drain and replace what comes out of the pan drain plug, and that is not changing the inline filter. I was able to order the inline filter, the pan filter (for the 60K change) and 20 qts of Mercon SP for $133 shipped to my door from one of sponsors, Diesel Filters Online.

FT-144 is the internal filter
FT-145 is the inline filter
XT-6-QSP is the extermely overpriced Mercon SP

 

It's impossible to push fluid backwards through a transmission. The pump acts like a check valve. Fluid will only go one way through it, unless the engine is running backwards.

 

There are some transmission flush machines that use an internal pump and flush the transmission without the engine running.

 

You still can't force fluid backwards through the pump unless the engine is running backwards. It doesn't matter if the flush machine has a pump or not, it won't work.

 

Casey, explain how it would help in this situation where a non servicable filter is involved, it would have to pump backwards.

 

I don't see why it would need to pump backwards, and besides, it's impossible.

If you are thinking that they pump the fluid backwards to push any junk out of the filter, you're wrong. That can't be done.

In the case of the non-servicable filter, that filter is in there for life. It's only changed on a rebuild. I've seen filters with over 300,000 miles cut open, and they were nowhere near needing to be changed.

 

Ohh, boy...

Think of the filter in the pan as a strainer rather than a filter in the traditional sense. The filter that really does the dirty work is the toilet paper filter over in that beautiful cast aluminum bowl.

I can't see how flushing it "backwards" would do anything good, either. If if even lets you push it through backwards, all you'll really be doing is letting off some internal safety valve somewhere. The chances of having Ford set it up so the safety blowoff just happens to blast down backwards through the strainer are pretty slim.

The pump is certainly not going to let fluid go backwards through it. It is a positive displacement hydraulic pump like any other. The only way to make it reverse flow directions would be to spin it backwards. Positive displacement pumps move a given amount of fluid for a given pump speed. The pressure you get in the line will go as high as necessary to shove that volume of fluid through your flow circuit.

Even if you could somehow pump fluid backwards and wash the junk out of the strainer, what would be the point of that? The junk would go back into the pan, only to be sucked back up into the strainer! That means you'd have to drop the pan and get rid of that junk. Well, heck, you could just drop the pan and change the strainer out if you are that worried. It would save you the excess fluid.

Having done transmission services both the old way and with the flusher, I'm with Casey. Rare are the times that I have ever seen clogged internal filters, and certainly not on a modern automatic transmission. The flush and toilet paper filter is really sufficient to handle getting rid of bad stuff in your transmission fluid. Your primary enemy with an automatic today is oxidized (burnt) fluid, not chunks of metal, and that is where the flushers really excel.

 

I got all my stuff in and thought everyone would like to know that the internal pan filter is a pretty fine mesh, looking like it would clog up pretty easily with just sludge. I will take a picture of it and post here.

 

When my dealer did my flushes (twice since I have had it...

The machine flushed it out and sucked it in at the same rate for a 100% fluid flush & fill.

25,000 - I did just a flush & external filter.

50,000 - I did flush, drop pan and change internal filter, change external filter and top off with more fluid. 100% flusid flush, two new filters... and I am a happy camper. The pan was 100% clean and minimal metal on the magnet

75,000 - I did the flush only and external filter
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The Mercon SP is a great fluid that is synthetic and has a lot of friction modifier. I changed out my pan and filter at 50,000 miles just to see the internals of my tranny and was very impressed how Mercon SP is working. For the extra cost of dropping the pan, new filter and more fluid... it was worth it for me for the piece of mind.

Do not allow your dealership to use any chemicals to "flush" or to help lubricate the clutches and such. My dealer wanted to use and I stopped them as I feel that Mercon SP is such a good fluid that it needs no additves and there is no reason to "mix" an inferior additive into or with the Mercon SP. Upon stating this my tech agreed and only offered it since they do for everyone else... but he was glad I knew enough not to use it or mix it into my new fluid.