|
tranny flush
Just past the 30K mark on the truck and the manual stated that I need to have a tranny flush done, what do you guys think? Can this wait till 50K or should I get it done?
|
At only 30K there's no reason you can't do this yourself. Simply change the fluid and filter without a true "flush". While you're at it, add a drain plug to the tranny pan so that it will be much easier, and cleaner, the next time.
CMOS |
Do you tow?
If you have any towing miles logged, I would do a flush. The system holds approx 14qts. By performing a pan & filter only, you'll be lucky to change 8qts. And...absolutely add a drain plug. |
Just curious, where in your owners manual does it say to have a trans flush done? Mine only talks about changing fluid and filter. Those are two different services. And depending on your type of driving you normally shouldn't need a flush with only 30k miles.
|
It says in the schedule maintanance to change fluid every 30K. Dealerships always try to sell you this, although some call it a flush when all they do is change the fluid in the pan and not converter. Do we actually have a filter? I thought it was just a metal screen?
|
There is a filter on the 4R75E and 4R70W. Easier to change than tieing your shoe.
CMOS |
Please correct me if I am wrong, but the Ford Factory Service Manual states that the tranny has synthetic oil in it and does not need to be changes or "flushed" until 250,000km under normal driving conditions. Of course if you tow, this will reduce the Km. It also reports that the filter should not be changed during a normal oil change, which I find wierd, but only if there is service work done to the tranny.
I should go back and read that section of the manual again... Doug |
"Please correct me if I am wrong, but the Ford Factory Service Manual states that the tranny has synthetic oil in it and does not need to be changes or "flushed" until 250,000km under normal driving conditions."
Unless they changed from when I had my 2004, there was a more aggressive change schedule than 250KM. Even *IF* it said that high number - no way would I wait that long. It's too easy to do and too expensive to replace a tranny to not do the more frequent changes. CMOS |
Well I went back to the maintenance section of the manual and it says to change the fluid basically every 30K and the only time it talks of changing a tranny filter isnt until you reach the 150K mark, any how, how hard is it to change just the fluid, not the filter? I think the dealership was trying to suck some more money out of me. I'll just do it myself it if aint too hard to just change the fluid.
|
Originally Posted by gabe823
Well I went back to the maintenance section of the manual and it says to change the fluid basically every 30K and the only time it talks of changing a tranny filter isnt until you reach the 150K mark, any how, how hard is it to change just the fluid, not the filter? I think the dealership was trying to suck some more money out of me. I'll just do it myself it if aint too hard to just change the fluid.
Same labor do to just the fluid. Kinda silly to NOT change the filter as it's glaring right at you when you pull the pan - and it's cheap. CMOS |
A full trans flush is only about $100.00 at pep boys and I am sure compareable prices with other shops. If you drop the pan you are only get 50% of the fluids, I beleive that you would be better to get a full trans flush and change all of the fluid. I know that the general recommandations are 25 to 50 thousand miles depending on the conditions in your area and if you do a lot of towing
|
One way is to drop the pan and change the fluid and filter. Then add a drain hole and change the fluid again in 10k or so miles. This will keep you with pretty fresh fluid and you shouldn't have to worry. Of course if you tow or haul heavy loads you might jsut do a true flush.
|
Originally Posted by Twinsdad98
It says in the schedule maintanance to change fluid every 30K. Dealerships always try to sell you this, although some call it a flush when all they do is change the fluid in the pan and not converter. Do we actually have a filter? I thought it was just a metal screen?
If you drop the pan and change the filter you might get 25% to 30% of the fluid since most is in the converter. Everyone has their own opinion of this type of service as it is easy money for the tech and service center, but in my opinion all fluids and filters should be kept clean. Preventative maintenance cost a lot less than a new engine, tranny or HCU/ECU assembly. |
There is a procdure to "flush" the tranny fluid in the Ranger Tech section. Although it was written for the Ranger tranny (4R55E and 5R55E) it will work the same on the 4R7XE series trannys.
Same principle as mentioned above - pull a tranny coolant line, run engine, until X amount comes out, refill and go! CMOS |
Okay guys...I just turned 30K on my '05 FX4 5.4L. I went to the stealer to find out about the tranny..they say they don't drop the pan, but merely flush it out and leave the current filter in-place. So in essence they run the fluid backwards thru the filter. To me this seems weird..reverse flow on the filter...I wonder how much pressure and does it really clean, does it do something to the integrity of the filter? What do you guys recommend?
|
My dealer does the flush ( about 14 qts, no filter) for about $150 and they do the service (remove pan change filter and about 7 qts) for about $100. My service manager actually recommended the service over the flush as long as I do it about every 30,000. I don't want to be moving stuff around in there if there is any trash. I built enough C-4s for Mustangs to know that there is gunk in there.
|
Originally Posted by 1-bigmac
Okay guys...I just turned 30K on my '05 FX4 5.4L. I went to the stealer to find out about the tranny..they say they don't drop the pan, but merely flush it out and leave the current filter in-place. So in essence they run the fluid backwards thru the filter. To me this seems weird..reverse flow on the filter...I wonder how much pressure and does it really clean, does it do something to the integrity of the filter? What do you guys recommend?
IMO: I'd want the tranny pan pulled. IIRC there is a magnetic strip on the inside of the pan to collect any shavings that may have been produced. It's nice to verify there are NO shavings on that magnet. Also, why the heck not change the filter? I'd want the pan pulled. They're doing it with their fancy flush machine and NOT pulling the pan because it easier FOR THEM = more $. CMOS |
A flush is the best way to go, if you drop the pan and replace the filter and refill you are getting maybe half of the transfluid, if you do a flush you get 99% of it replaced with new. If you want a new filter they will replace it at an additionial cost of course.
The reverse flush does pull out any sediment or gunk that is in the filter. You could probley get it done cheaper at a transmission place or Pep Boys is around $100 |
Originally Posted by wwilson43
A flush is the best way to go, if you drop the pan and replace the filter and refill you are getting maybe half of the transfluid, if you do a flush you get 99% of it replaced with new. If you want a new filter they will replace it at an additionial cost of course.
The reverse flush does pull out any sediment or gunk that is in the filter. You could probley get it done cheaper at a transmission place or Pep Boys is around $100 |
Pep boys replace the filter before they do the flush
|
Do NOT allow the dealer (or whoever is doing your service) to do a chemical flush of the trans.
A few months ago, while on vacation, the trans on my '04 SuperCrew basically tore itself to bits with no warning (and in a matter of seconds) while cruising down the freeway. It had to be replaced at a cost of over $4,000. There was no repair or rebuilding of the internals possible. The insides looked like the floor of a machine shop - metal shavings everywhere. The planetary gears had ground themselves to bits. The dealership that did the removal and replacement of the trans diagnosed the cause of the failure as a clogged filter and the resulting starvation of fluid. The filter on the trans is not the more typical metal screen type. It is more like a fabric/fibrous type material contained within a flat metal canister that has a inlet pipe on one side and an outlet on the other. Looking inside the filter of my failed trans you could see a brown, sticky looking "gunk" that looked a bit like caramel or molasses. The clog, according to the service manager, was caused by my regular dealer having used a chemical flush package during a trans flush. He advised that when I got home to check my service records and look for an additional charge of about $25 on my 30K service records. That, he said, would be for the chemical solvent package which he described as unnecessary and incompatible with the type of filter used in the trans. He said all it did was just provide more markup for the dealer. Sure enough, I checked my service records and there was the charge he described in addition to the charge for the flush itself. As per common practice, the pan was never dropped and the filter was not changed - just the chemical flush was performed. According the service manager at the dealership that did the repair I would have been better off never having the trans serviced at all. He's seen transmission that go 100,000 miles or more without ever changing the trans fluid. The fluid looks like heck but the trans survives. It can't, however, survive a blocked filter. I would insist on having the pan dropped and the fluid and the filter replaced. |
Originally Posted by Nick O'Teen
(snip) Damn Nick, that stinks. That is precisely why I NEVER have anything done to my vehicles (out of the ordinary) by any shop until after I run it through FTE. I don't trust them as far as I can throw them. They are in the business to MAKE MONEY, which is not alwasy synonomous to "doing the best job for the customer." Beware. CMOS |
Originally Posted by Nick O'Teen
Do NOT allow the dealer (or whoever is doing your service) to do a chemical flush of the trans.
A few months ago, while on vacation, the trans on my '04 SuperCrew basically tore itself to bits with no warning (and in a matter of seconds) while cruising down the freeway. It had to be replaced at a cost of over $4,000. There was no repair or rebuilding of the internals possible. The insides looked like the floor of a machine shop - metal shavings everywhere. The planetary gears had ground themselves to bits. The dealership that did the removal and replacement of the trans diagnosed the cause of the failure as a clogged filter and the resulting starvation of fluid. The filter on the trans is not the more typical metal screen type. It is more like a fabric/fibrous type material contained within a flat metal canister that has a inlet pipe on one side and an outlet on the other. Looking inside the filter of my failed trans you could see a brown, sticky looking "gunk" that looked a bit like caramel or molasses. The clog, according to the service manager, was caused by my regular dealer having used a chemical flush package during a trans flush. He advised that when I got home to check my service records and look for an additional charge of about $25 on my 30K service records. That, he said, would be for the chemical solvent package which he described as unnecessary and incompatible with the type of filter used in the trans. He said all it did was just provide more markup for the dealer. Sure enough, I checked my service records and there was the charge he described in addition to the charge for the flush itself. As per common practice, the pan was never dropped and the filter was not changed - just the chemical flush was performed. According the service manager at the dealership that did the repair I would have been better off never having the trans serviced at all. He's seen transmission that go 100,000 miles or more without ever changing the trans fluid. The fluid looks like heck but the trans survives. It can't, however, survive a blocked filter. I would insist on having the pan dropped and the fluid and the filter replaced. |
My dealer also wants me to flush my trans. I used to work in development and on our durability cars, we would run 150K without changing the trans fluid. Just oil and filter! But, I'm definitely going to change my filter when it warms up!!
|
Originally Posted by Twinsdad98
My dealer also wants me to flush my trans. I used to work in development and on our durability cars, we would run 150K without changing the trans fluid. Just oil and filter! But, I'm definitely going to change my filter when it warms up!!
|
My $.02
2005 w/ 4R70 transmission. I drop the pan in the driveway. Replace the filter. Reinstall the pan. Fill it up with Merc V. Every 30K-40K miles. The gasket/filter kit is cheap at Advance Auto and it only takes about an hour to do it all. Currently at 124,000 miles and all seems to be working fine. edit to add: as CMOS mentioned, dropping the pan allows you to have a look-see and check the magnet strip for how much ferrous material has been shed. It's nice to have a chance to have a visual inspection of what things look like. Plus, you get to smell it too. If things look bad and smell burned, then you know you have a problem before it fails at night, on the freeway, while out of town. |
Originally Posted by 1-bigmac
Wow...what a sad story. I'm now thinking like most of you, that 'flushing' probably isn't critical, if you drop the pan every 30K or so and replace the filter each time. Also since the filter isn't just a 'metal screen' but rather a more delicate firbrous structure, the whole idea of backflushing could really compromise the ability of this filter to function once all that new fluid is in. I just placed an order for a MagHytech pan that holds 8 quarts more than stock and will drop my OEM pan when it arrives, replace the filter, top off and be done with it. Things are never easy!
Have a drain plug in that pan? CMOS |
my '02 had a 1/4" plug in the torque converter to remove fluid , accesed through the rubber plug on bellhousing , bump motor to see plug . is this plug still on a '06 , also found a plastic ball in pan
|
The plastic ball is from the factory when the trans was built. On mine, the ball was yellow with an O-ring around it. It is a plug that seals the dipstick tube while the trans is being assembled. The last thing the tech does is to stick the dipstick in which knocks the plastic ball/seal down into the pan where it rolls around harmlessly. It's a good way to know if the pan has never been dropped during a service. If the ball is still in there when you drop the pan, the pan has never been off prior to that.
|
[QUOTE=CMOS]Have a drain plug in that pan?
The Mag-Hytech aftermarket pan that I just ordered (mag-hytec 4r70w-dd) has a magnetic drain plug. It also has a port that is threaded for a temperature sender if you want to hook up an aftermarket gauge. This pan is grooved at the interface between the pan an the bottom of the tranny and comes with an O-ring for sealing...no gasket sealer etc. I think its a great mod. |
[QUOTE=1-bigmac]
Originally Posted by CMOS
Have a drain plug in that pan?
The Mag-Hytech aftermarket pan that I just ordered (mag-hytec 4r70w-dd) has a magnetic drain plug. It also has a port that is threaded for a temperature sender if you want to hook up an aftermarket gauge. This pan is grooved at the interface between the pan an the bottom of the tranny and comes with an O-ring for sealing...no gasket sealer etc. I think its a great mod. CMOS |
Does anybody have an easy way to drop the pan, if you do it yourself. I would think it would be hard to loosen the bolts and hold the pan at the same time to keep oil from getting all over you. I thought about a board or something to support the pan until all the nuts/bolts and taken loose. Is there an easier way to do it????
|
Originally Posted by tomclem
Does anybody have an easy way to drop the pan, if you do it yourself. I would think it would be hard to loosen the bolts and hold the pan at the same time to keep oil from getting all over you. I thought about a board or something to support the pan until all the nuts/bolts and taken loose. Is there an easier way to do it????
LOL! It is. That's exactly what needs to happen unless you have the drain plug. The only thing you can do, IMO, is to loosen one end of the pan more than the other to let it tilt a bit to drain some fluid out. Other than that, it's bath time. Oh, I saw a guy once who got a cardboard box about 4' x 4' x 12" deep, line it with a cheap plastic paint dropcloth, and drain the darn tranny into that. Once he did this, he of course added the drain plug but it worked as a poor man's drain pan. CMOS |
my '02 had a 1/4" plug in the torque converter to remove fluid , accesed through the rubber plug on bellhousing , bump motor to see plug . is this plug still on a '06 ,
|
Originally Posted by jsoko
my '02 had a 1/4" plug in the torque converter to remove fluid , accesed through the rubber plug on bellhousing , bump motor to see plug . is this plug still on a '06 ,
|
do it more often
I once had a transbuiltt a local shop, the manager (old guy that had been rebuilding trans for 40 yrs), told me that if everyone changed their fluid once a yr, he would be out of business. Anyways, the few I have had rebuilt (used cars that I had bought) I always had them install another 1/4" drain plug in the converter 180 degrees from the original. I could then pull both plugs and drain the converter. Small cost to drill and tap and screw new plug in. So I have never had a trans fail me, and for the past 29 yrs, I have driven in 115 degree temps (160 road temp) sometimes pulling a boat up a lot of hills. At the very least, I install a pan drain, and change it once in awhile.
|
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:16 AM. |
© 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands