Questions:
(1) Is this the only proper way for the owner to do a flush himself?
(2) Is this procedure specific only for Aeros or should it be done for other vehicles the same way?
Ray Mac

 

Ray - I dunno, just learned this myself. I used to work at a Kmart automotive service center (spare me the jokes please! ) back in the mid-80's and we changed tranny oil and filters all the time. But all we did was remove the pan and drain what oil would come out and change the filter. Then put it all back together and fill it back up. We didn't tap into the return line and pump out the remaining fluid in the rest of the transmission. Apparently that's the way it's done today, and really it makes a lot more sense to do it that way because of the sheer volume of old trapped oil that remains inside even after dropping the pan.

As far as whether this "homebrew" method is ok to use for most all cars, I think it is as long as you do it correctly (unlike me initially). Most cars with automatic transmissions that I've ever seen (especially domestic models) have the same basic transmission design with cooling lines leading to the radiator and/or an auxiliary cooler (as with my vehicle). So I would think usually the procedure would be more or less the same. The main thing is get everything hooked up right and to absolutely NOT allow the tranny to go dry on you by inadvertantly pumping all the oil out. If it goes dry and starts sucking air, it can cavitate and get an air bubble in it that could make the trans pump run dry even if oil is added back in. Apparently if the trans pump is run dry even for a fairly short period of time it can be destroyed. So it's very important while using the homebrew method to (1) keep track of how much oil is in the trans at all times. Know how much you drained out, know how much you've put back in. And (2) only run the motor for brief periods of time while constantly monitoring how much oil is being pumped out, all the while keeping in mind how much is left inside and being watchful of any tell tale signs of going dry (i.e. foam and bubbles visible in the drain line).

Anyway, in my opinion if you take your time and pay attention to all that stuff it's no big deal. I feel really comfortable doing it again and I wouldn't hesitate to do it on a car/truck of another make too. I also saw on youtube several videos where other people were doing it this way, including lectures from a automotive expert praising the benefits of doing it this way.

 

good job fan,
can be done on most any rig with an auto tranny and accessible cooler lines.

how did your old ATF look and smell?

running with no atf coming out and pan dry can cause scoring of the pump, bearings and seals

no problem by overfilling as long as not ran out out the road at speed and rpm under load, causing foaming of the ATF with problems similar to above.

adding an inline filter does much to protecting the tranny

the aux. bumper cooler is a factory option not used on all rigs

many of us have completely bypassed the tank cooler and it's problems

 

I always just drop the pan change filter put back on and good to go. Never did it any other way. Never had a tranny issue. If I did get a vehicle with brown fluid I would flush it out for sure. Worked at dealers in 80's and we never flushed em.. Now they have all that niffty equipment that flushes for you..



Dick

 

Thanks '96, it was a fun job once I figured out what to do with your guys help. And you ask about the color of the fluid: the old fluid looked fine, nice and red. I could barely tell the difference between it and the new stuff. But I suppose it's eleven years old so I figured it was time for a change either way. One question though - I was looking through my owners manual and it does not specify a trans fluid change interval (that I saw anyway). It talks about motor oil, lubricating various parts, changing diff oil at 100,000 miles etc, but nothing on the transmission. Do you know what the correct Ford MoCo oil change/flush interval is for the 4R44E in the aero? Thanks again, really appreciate all the help.

 

Ford currently recomends tranny flushes ever 30k miles (GM also does too.) They have become more complex with electronics and are very temprimental when it comes to fluid. Even though the fluid might 'look' fine, the perservatives, cleaners, and friction modifiers that wear out over time, so I would recomend the 30K mi change on your Aero to keep the Auto going for as long as possible and is cheap insurance.


The other reason for that dealers flush instead of just dropping the pan is because most tranny filters are not servicable unless doing a re-build. (Yea, I know it is stupid, I found this out on my Mystique I had, crappy CD4E tranny.)


Aero-Fan you should PM Copper and have him pin your diagrams and description on how to do a tranny flush.

 

Ford's MerconV spec is so demanding on viscosity breakdown, heat damage protection and oxidation, that to meet it by ATF manufs. requires at least partial GroupIII synthetic base stock oils.
most of the cheaper lines of M-V run 10>30% GrpIII with the rest just plain old out of the ground mineral oil basestock, such as Coastal, Warren, Walmart and the house branded stuff.

that stuff needs to be changed every 30k miles because it is a minimum spec oil

if you use premium base stock ATF with Group 4 or 5 base stocks such as Mobil 1 ATF, Amsoil, Redline' then every 60k is fine. can go longer safely with oil analysis testing

 

So Ford recommends a tranny flush every 30K just for its current vehicles? Or do they "retroactively" recommend that for their older vehicles (like the aerostar) as well? Strange thing is that I've looked all through the factory owner's guide and maintenance schedule and it never mentions changing the automatic transmission oil at any interval, even in the severe duty schedule! It repeatedly mentions changing 4x4 transfer case oil and only replacing differential oil at 100,000 miles, and mentions how to check the trans level in park with the engine running - but that's it. Weird, especially considering that these trannies are the weakest links on these vans from what I've been reading. Come to think of it maybe that's why they are, owners have just ignored them assuming no maintenance is required because their owner's manual does not dictate any servicing throughout the first 120,000 miles.

 

Well, you have to remember, Ford is building these vehicle to last the original warranty, and beyond that, you are one your own. I don't know why they didn't include transmission maintenance in the manuals. The 30,000 mile service interval is actually based upon the saturation levels of the fluid. The fluid has a certain amount of detergents that will hold gunk is solution and protect the transmission from acids and other corrosive materials. Beyond 30,000 miles, these additives in the fluid begin to break down, and no longer protect the transmission. It is better to replace the fluid before it reaches saturation than to let damage occur. If you use the newer better Mercon V, you could probably safely extend the interval to 50,000, though I would rather be overprotective. You be the judge, based upon your driving habits, and how much heavy duty use the transmission sees. If you do a lot of stop and go and low speeds below 45, it should be changed more often, and if you do a lot of towing and hauling heavy loads, it should also be changed more often.