I've been reading a ton on this site lately, especially re: preventative maintenance. I have an '05 F350 with 122k miles, but with a new dealer installed 6.0 motor that now has 25k on it. Everything motor and turbo wise should be good on it because they're fairly new (and still under warranty!), but I've only had the truck for the past 25k and don't know what kind of maintenance was done it before I purchased it.

Anyways, I want to perform the transmission service on it (fluid and filter) and read a lot of posts on here. I've read all about the thermostat in the tranny and how it needs to be over 170º to fully flush everything out. I called the local dealer and they perform the service for $180 (and yes, Mercon SP), but they don't have the warming machine. However they said it's not needed because the transmission is running (and thus warm) while they perform the flush.

Can anyone w/ experience chime in and let me know if this is acceptable and will in fact allow for all the old fluid to be flushed?

If not I will probably save my money and get what I can out by dropping my pan, and doing it again at the next oil change.

Thanks in advance, and thanks for all the great info on this site!

 

It's acceptable if the trans is over 170°F at the start and all the way through the flush. If the fluid going in is not heated I can almost guarantee that the flush is not going to do what you want because the thermostat will be closed.

 

Thanks for your input Mark. I don't have gauges yet, (hope to get a Scangauge soon) what is the normal operating temp for the trans w/o a load? I take it from your post that it's not likely that it will stay at or over 170º.

In your opinion would I be better off just dropping the pan, refilling and driving a bit, and repeating a time or two? I'll go through more fluid that way but I assume it will still be a bit less $$ than what the dealer wants to charge for their sub-par flush.

 

The local Chevrolet dealership offers a BG clean/flush service for $150 and will service with the Ford spec fluid. It supposedly will remove any sludge/contamination and the machine will purge all fluid (including the torque converter); been thinking about it but found that my new-to-me '08 was regularly serviced when owned by a petroleum company, with maintenance contract, every 3k miles.

I'd be more nervous if the fluid had not been changed/trans had not been serviced in those 90k miles before having the BG service done.

 

Mark K.,

Did you ever get a hot flush machine?

I haven't been able to find one in the Panhandle
& will be going to Orlando a couple of times before
the end of the year.

JimB
Pensacola, Florida

 

No, I don't have a hot flush machine. Maybe someday....