Transmission fluid capacity

Have had a search around and all different answers are listed.

How many litres of Mercon V will i need to replace whats comes out when the tranmission pan is dropped on a 5R55E, 1997 Explorer SOHC. I am only asking as it is quite expensive over here, and i only really want to purchase as much as is necessary with a bit spare in case.

If you do just the pan and filter, I'd say buy six quarts, surely you can take one back if you need to. Most of the fluid is trapped up inside the trans and torque converter.

The total fill amount is more like 12 quarts, it won't come out unless you can drain the valve body and TC. Let it drain for a good while, more is better. Fuel mileage can go up by using full synthetic like Amsoil sells, many have done it for all fluids. Good luck,

Thank you. I make it 6 quarts looks like i should buy 6 litres. The transmission pan holds that much? I suppose it is better to have more than less.

Ian5700 said:

Thank you. I make it 6 quarts looks like i should buy 6 litres. The transmission pan holds that much? I suppose it is better to have more than less.

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Its surprising how much the pan can hold

I've heard 4.5 a few times, and you always need to have some extra.

FYI, check the fluid carefully, check both sides of the dipstick, follow the side which reads lower. When the fluid begins to show on the dipstick, then add no more than 1/2 quart at a time, before checking the level. Regards,

Do you need to remove the cat. converter to drop the pan? No?

How important is the torque for the filter bolt, can it just be put tight, but not too tight, or do you have to apply a specific torque value or the earth will stop moving. I read in one of the write-ups that the sump pan bolts don't need to be torqued, just put tight in a criss-cross fashion. Obviously i don't have a torque wrench, just a cheap one for the lug nuts, with no inch pounds.

The fluid won't show up unless running i assume, or should it touch the bottom of the dipstick when cold, the x on the bottom of the dipstick?

Tighten the filter and pan bolts with a 1/4" ratchet, and use your wrist, don't put your arm into it. That amounts to like 5-10lbs.ft. or so, the filter bolts are tiny, just beyond snug is good.

The fluid will need to be circulated while running to show accurately. It will show very high if you pour it all in at once, dry. Add four quarts to start with(pan/filter only), then have a fifth ready to go in when it's running.

Do not drive the vehicle until the fluid is well checked and full. Start it with the dipstick out, check the fluid after a few seconds, add a quart if nothing shows on the dipstick, 1/2 if it shows low. Wipe the dipstick well each time, wait for a few seconds after adding fluid each time. Stop adding fluid when it is in the hatched area, then sit and with foot on brake, slowly shift through each gear, pausing a couple of seconds for each gear.

When all that is done, and the fluid checks out in the hatched area, then drive it gently down the road and back. Come back and check the fluid again, top off as needed. Check the fluid a couple more times over the following days. Regards,

Thanks, don. I have a smallish 3/4 inch rallet (fits into the transfer case drain plug) and i have all the sockets for it so i should find the 1/4 socket for it. I understand what you mean, not using you arm to tighten the rachet with huge force.

Bingo, it can be done with feel. I have a 1/4" torque wrench, and doing the pan can take a really long time that way. Use the TW for valve body bolts, critical stuff.

1 US liquid quart = 0.946352946 liters.

No worries, i did some more searching, must drop cat. or shalf. I think i will try the cat.

Just an FYI, the driveshaft is a lot easier to drop than the SOHC's cats cauz the cat's upper bolts (that go to the manifold) are a pain.

The driveshaft will allow the pan to drop? In the 5R55E of my 99 I dropped the cat. I agree though, the cat bolts(collector bolts) often are hell to remove. Spray them a day ahead of time with a penetrant. Regards,

CDW6212R said:

The driveshaft will allow the pan to drop?

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I believe it does (I haven't done it in a while though) .. but the idea is that removing the driveshaft allows the pan to be slid sideways a little and wiggled out (as opposed to just dropping down).

That'd be good. I am hoping to later remake the cat pipe and install a good deep trans pan for cooling.

I did the filter change today. I tryed the cat. route first, but i could only get access to remove one bolt, so instead i dropped the front driveshaft from the front diff. That is somemuch easier to do, and as a bonus the markings were already there from when the propshalf axle seal was replaced.

Don, Dropping the driveshalf from the front diff and pushing if to one side allows enough room to remove the pan towards the drivers side (UK) and put it back in, it is still very tight, but it will come out and go back in.

I bought 6 litres, but i didn't need the last one, and i still got some left in the 5th container. It takes 4.5 plus a bit.

Cool, I figured just shy of five quarts/liters. How was the bath, trans fluid is messy, but when done you are clean, except for the slight smell. Regards,

It does seem to be quite a messy job, i just had the washing up bucket i use for my oil, which of course was not wide enough to catch it all, so the bucket was moved around to the area which had the most falling, lol. The filter seemed clean (looking through the feed port wiyh the naked eye), obviously there was some rubbish on the magnet and a fine coat of grey on the pan and filter.

OK so why do you need to drop the drive shaft to drop the pan. when I did my 2001 55e I only had to remove the heat shield on the side of the tranny. No need to remove the cat or the drive shaft, what changed in the later years?

just curious?

I only had to remove the heat shield on the side of the tranny. No need to remove the cat or the drive shaft, what changed in the later years?

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I'm not sure anything did change but there is typically more than one way to solve a problem so your method is probably just one of the many in the pile.