Hey all!!
i have a 2000 Expedition E/B edition, with a 5.4 and tow package!!
it just turned 110K and i want to change the transmission fluid! i have been wanting to since it turned 100K but some people are making me very nervous saying i am going to kill the tranny, i have owned it since it had 91K and about 1 and 1/2 years.. i have never did the service before and am not sure if it ever was.. the color is pritty dark but not insanely bad, and there is a burning smell to it however again, not VERY bad.. you can still smell the fluid smell. i have ABSOLUTELY NO ISSUE WITH THE TRANNY!! it shifts correctly and absolutely so smooth you can barely feel it!! i drive it gentlr, and i drive it rough and it has never missed a beat! never stuck in a gear, never sliped, never even hesitates to shift on time. it is PERFECT!! but i do want to keep it that way, so to the point.. Do i change it or not?? am i ASKING FOR IT?? or am i hurting the truck if i change it?? PLEASE HELP ME AS I AM PLANNING ON DOING IT THIS WEEK!!

 

Are you doing the work or hiring someone to do it?

With 110K I would drop the pan, clean the pan and magnet and change the filter. The pan gasket should be reuseable. Also drain the torque converter. Remove the rubber plug in the bell housing, rotate the engine until a 1/8 inch pipe plug is visable through the hole. Remove the plug to drain the T/C. Loosely reinstall the pan and disconnect the supply line to the cooler, using compressed air blow the old oil into the pan. Put it all back together with a new filter, now ou are ready to refill. Put about a gallon or so in the pan and start the engine, let it run a couple minutes and check the dipstick, add as necessary, running the trans through the gears. Check the level with the engine running and trans in park.

 

well me and a friend is going to do it..he segjested since i dont know if it was ever done before to gradually change eveything.. he segjested to loosen the pan just enough to where we break the seal and fluid starts to leak out and run the truck and as the old fluid is leaking out fill it with new fluid and continue doing so until it is all new fluid, almost like a flush machine.. then re-seal the pan and top off with a bottle of lucas and tranny fluid as needed.. drive the truck for 4 or 5k miles and if all is well then fully redo the job with a new filter and fluid.. does this sound like a wise plan?? and do you feel that changind the fluid will be ok as long as my tranny is working great??

 

Just locate the return line from the cooler, disconnect it and lead it into a bucket, run the engine at idle until the flow is weakened, dump in a couple of gallons of fluid, repeat until the pan is empty again, drop the empty pan, change the filter, reinstall the pan, and refill the system.

Driveway tranny flush.

Steve

 

does this mean everyone agrees that my tranny will survive??? it is running perfect but there is a burn smell and it is dark, but it is running 100% anyone???

 

Flip a coin! 1/2 will say flush and refill and 1/2 will say don't do anything because more harm than good will result. Heck, I even change my opinion on the matter on occassion. So, do what you feel is best, but I seriously doubt a "drain" and refill will hurt anything. Being a 5.4L 4x4, you should have the 4r100 tranny which will have a plug making the drain much easier.

 

Whoever started the "transmission flush will kill your tranny" myth needs to be shot. If you do not flush your transmission and replace the filter, you WILL have transmission problems

 

Dark and burnt oil is not good for the transmission.
I would flush it if its mine.

This is coming from somebody who lost a tranny of a used 94 Mitsubishi Galant in less than a year after having it flushed/serviced in the dealership. It would have gone sooner or later if I didn't do anything, but I feel better that I tried.

Good thing to have a friend to help you out in running the engine during flushing. Did it by myself (no fun).
Ford now states to use Mercon V for most of our tranny (you have to check), I still used just Mercon while they are still available. I intend to replace ATF regularly so I just use dino-ATF.

These are the steps I did based on tips from this forum:
1) Drain & drop the pan (about 5 qts will come out - GET SOME SAMPLE),
2) replace the filter; clean the pan
3) reinstall pan re-using the reusable rubber gasket (criss-crossing torquing technique),
4) disconnect the return line and connect to appropriate clear hose
5) add 5 qts of new ATF thru dipstick tube,
6) mark 2 qts at several empty jugs of 1-gallon milk and use them as used ATF destination,
7) do the flush 2 quarts at a time by starting the engine and slowly shifting the shifter thru all gears,
NOTE: I didn't bother to drain the torque converter, I believe fluid will be pushed out thru it.
8) After using 20 to 21 qts, the ATF color coming out should be 'clear', re-connect the return line and you're all set.
Assuming your current level is good, and if you remove the same amount of ATF as what you put in, you level should be good, but it wouldn't hurt to check the level after doing some driving (20-30 mins) by checking the dipstick with the engine running - should be in hot level.

Take time to compare the used ATF from your SAMPLE to some small sample of new ATF, and you would say you should have done this long ago. Do this every 30k and you're good.

Bug might bite you and you will end up doing the entire drive-line. At the very least, drain the transfer case, the ATF there would be so dark, you will think what you have in the tranny is brand new ATF. This one uses only 2 qts, so I used Mobil 1 synth ATF (they are now Mercon V, but compatible with Mercon, and Dexron III - go figure). Remember to try to remove the FILL plug first, before draining the transfer case, some folks here had difficulty doing the FILL plug, and it would not be good to have a dry xfer case, your vehicle would be unusable until you find a way to remove it. I change the 2-qts ATF in the transfer case every 15k because it gets dark really fast.

To prep, do or get the following
- get under the vehicle to check if you have tranny drain plug, also determine return line size
- a friend willing to spend two hours to help you out which you already have
- tranny filter (NAPA sells them - identify your tranny to get the right filter)
- 20 to 21 qts ATF of your choice
- long funnel that would fit the tranny dip stick tube
- 4 to 5 feet of clear hose that fits the return line
- 6 empty milk 1-gallon jugs, marked at 2-qt level
If you will do the xfer case,
- 2 qts ATF of your choice
- 3/8 rachet, may be a short 3/8 extension, and a cheater bar
- oil pump to re-fill the xfer case

Have fun!