I'm getting ready to flush my tranny here in the next few weeks, and was wondering what's every bodys opinon on dropping the pan and changing the filter.

I have 90k on my 2000 truck, and I'm pretty shure it's never been changed. I have heard it's a lifetime filter. If I need to change it so be it I'll go the dropping the pan route & drain the TC if not I'll use the flush in FAQ.

Thanks
Rich

 

I always drop my pan when changing just to clean the magnet off.

 

When I bought my 2000 with 127,000 on it, one of the very first things I did was to drop the tranny pan.

First, of course, I wanted to see if there were any "particles" sitting on the bottom.

Second, I really wanted to take a look at the "ring magnet" that's around the drain plug. As it turned out, someone had previously over-torqued that plug and made it impossible to remove, so I was going to be pulling the pan anyway, just to change the fluid. I ended up cutting out the old plug and brazing in a "bushing" so that I could use a standard 1/4" NPT plug. It's not metric, but it sure worked well on a Sunday afternoon to enable me to be back on the road on Monday morning. The ring magnet went back around it perfectly, too.

Third, I wanted to change the "flat" tranny filter. Yes, it's a Baldwin 18265. ;-))

Fourth, I wanted to install a Sonnax kit and springs. It was my initial "mod", and I still like the way it acts. Though there are higher-recommended trans shift modifiers around, and I may install one of them if I ever have to go through this trans, you can't beat the "bang for the buck"!

Since I was under there, I pulled the converter drain plug and got that stuff out, too.

So since I had a chance to drain ALL the fluid and start all-fresh, I installed an in-line spin-on filter in the cooler lines. There's a couple of small neodymium magnets stuck inside on the filter flange to provide further catching of any matallic "powder". I clean and re-use these when changing the spin-on, and it may be another 100,000 before I have my pan off again. That's assuming, of course, that a 4R100 can actually go that many miles even if well-maintained, kept cool, and not towing heavy!

I just feel that I got a more complete drain and refill, with less mixing of old and new fluid, by doing it the old-fashioned way. I got to clean out the pan and magnet, too, and it gave me a chance to paint the bottom side of the pan "Ford Blue".

Pop

 

Well I was leaning to pulling the pan and taking a look inside. Once indise will the drain plug on the TC be right there? or will it need to be turned so I can get to the plug if I need to turn the TC whats the best way.

I'm also going to change out my tranny cooler, once I darin the pan, TC and pull & install the cooler will I have removed most if not all the fluid?

 

To access the TC you need to remove the inspection plate just in front of the tranny pan.

 

...and yes, you'll need to turn it unless you're really really lucky. If the plug is right there when you open the cover, go buy a lottery ticket.

 

How hard is the TC to turn, and what is the best way to turn it.

 

finding that plug on the TC and be fun... i just bumped the starter until it showed up. i havent tried to turn the engine by hand. can we do that with a very long breaker bar on the balancer on the front of the engine?

-mike