Hey guys, I want to do a cooler line flush on the 09', but want to make sure that I can. The truck doesn't have a seperate ATF cooler, but has the lines.

Has anyone done this?

Here's a link that shows the cooler line routing towards the bottom of the page.

http://rockledge.home.comcast.net/~r...ange_5R55E.pdf

 

You might find some useful info in the "tranny fluid pumpout" link, at the bottom of the "Tech Info" thread atop this forum.

The tranny lines at the radiator may be easier to get at & disconnect.
The bottom radiator line is the tranny return line, but if it's not easy to get at, you could disconnect the top line & still get most of the old fluid out.

Which ever line you choose to disconnect, be sure to plug the radiator fitting, or attach a piece of scrap hose to it & route it into your catch container, along with the piece of hose attached to the disconnected tranny line, or it'll back spit from the radiator fitting & make a mess.

As noted in the pumpout thread, if you'll begin with the vehcle level & at idle speed, the tranny pump will just about empty the tranny pan.
Then raise the vehicle for the pan drop & it'll be much less messy & easier to handle.

Let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks for the info PawPaw, great thread! Have some questions though: I have the same setup as Bob K. and he did his through the top line it seems, he mentioned the bottom did nothing. Will it be the same for me or should I try the bottom line first? Also, do I need to make sure the truck is warm, does it matter? Lastly, what can I plug up the radiator fitting with?

Sorry, I've never done something like this. Just did a diff. service over the weekend and was proud of myself

 

Well I have the OEM aux tranny cooler, so thats where I make my rubber hose disconnect, on my Ranger & Taurus, so I've never done a radiator disconnect flush.

All that said, disconnecting the lower radiator line will let you get a little more of the old fluid thats standing in the radiator cooling tank tubing & the return line back to the tranny, out, as it's the low point in the system, so you'd be able to remove a little more of the old fluid.

Disconnecting the top radiator line to do the pump out, is the high point in the system & leaves some old fluid standing in the radiator cooler tank tubing & the return line back to the tranny & if you don't plug it, back pressure when your continuing the pumpout with the line disconnected at the radiator, will cause that standing fluid to spit out & cause a mess, Unless we plug the radiator fitting, or as Bob K did & attach a piece of hose to, or over the top radiator fitting & route it into the catch bucket along with the tubing from the disconnected line.

Mine still back spit in the bucket & was making a mess, so I plugged the reurn line tubing with a round shaft screwdriver & drained the standing fluid in the line after finishing the flush.

As I remember Bob K couldn't easily get to his lower radiator tranny return line fitting to disconnect it, so he disconnected the top radiator line & put his scrap piece of hose on the to radiator fitting & routed it into his catch container, but his hose popped off the top radiator fitting, back spit & made a mess.

You could use a piece of rubber hose over the radiator line fitting & I use a round shaft screw driver to plug my scrap return line hose with, as it's easy to insert & remove & won't mess with my coolers rubber hose ID.

Anything that will plug the radiator fitting, or return line hose that'll fit snug over it & not damage anything would work.
There isn't a large amount of back pressure, so it doesn't have to be a super tight fit, just good & snug.

If the tranny fluid is really brown looking & dirty/oxidized, I'd do the flush warm.
If the fluid is still clear, red & clean, it won't likely make much difference, but I do all mine with warm fluid.

After reinstalling the pan & refilling it with the same amount of fluid pumped & drained out of the pan, continue the pumpout of the valve body, torque converter, radiator tank cooler, lines & aux cooler if you have one, a qt or two at a time, stop & refill the pan, until at least the total system capacity has been pumped out.

I usually pump out an extra qt or two of fluid, to allow for mixing that goes on in the torque converter, so I'm sure to get a good flush & most of the old fluid out of those parts of the system.

Just replacing the fluid in the pan, only removes about 30-40% of the ststems old fluid.

If we just refill the pan & our old fluid is really oxidized bad & brown looking, imo it would be worth the extra fluid & effort to do a complete system pump out, as the remaining old oxidized fluid in the valve body, torque converter cooler & lines, will quickly begin to deplete the new fluids anti-oxident ad pack & cause the new fluid to degrade & break down sooner & faster.

With a full pump out, you'll likely notice a positive difference in how the tranny shifts after the service, so it'll appreciate your efforts.

So you've earned an extra attaboy for doing the differential & tranny!!!!

Maybe while your at it & all crazy for changing fluids, do the power steering system & brake fluids too, there are how too's in the Tech Info thread for them also.

Keep us posted.

 

I will surely keep you updated, hopefully I can tackle the job this weekend.

Thanks for your help!

 

Finally did it this past Sunday

Wasn't hard at all. For the radiator fitting, I used a piece of 3/8" hose and a large allen wrench plugging it. 24,400 miles at the time of the flush.

As soon as I started the engine it came out after a few seconds. Thanks for the tip on pumping some out first, I made no mess when dropping the pan After I cleaned the pan etc, I would do a few quarts, refill and repeat. I used 10qts total. Truck was warm when I did this as well.

I used the Schaeffer's ATF. I decided not to go with the Motorcraft Mercon V for two reasons; 1. The trans seemed to shift "firm" on the 2-3 shift and 2. I just believe the Schaeffer's is a better ATF.


I'm impressed so far, the trans has "smoother" shifts. Also, 2-3 shift is much improved, none of the slight harshness anymore. I was a little apprehensive to use non-OE fluid, but I've really liked the Schaeffer's before.

Very happy with the flush and the fluid. Can't believe I haven't used the cooler line method before, just do it once and your done!

It was in fact so easy, that I plan on doing this every 30K. I heard someone mentioning torquing the valve body when you drop the pan, anyone know anything about this?