Changed Tranny Fluid/Added Drain Plug

[V8Exploder]

Has anyone ever added a drain plug to their automatic ? I know the filter needs to be changed far less often the the fluid, so now I can drain that baby down and fill it up with fresh fluid. $5.00 from Napa. I also added a bottle of Trans Lube, I have heard alot of good stuff about it, so lets hope it works good. It already shifts smoother, although I still have my "THUD" shifting out of O/D at the bottom of the off ramp....

 

[Glacier991]

now that you have a plug, I'd leave the translube in a few weeks and then maybe do 2 couple successive changes, back to plain old ATF without an additive. I always worry about seal softening with additives. I'd doing this very thing on a Mercedes 300D...

 

[V8Exploder]

I used to work at a transmission shop when I was a kid and everyone used translube after a rebuild and even on transmissions that were already suffering from some problems and it would cure alot of them, especially shifting problems and excessive sound.

 

[Glacier991]

Are you using Lube Gard ? That's the only one I feel comfortable leaving in. It is also, to my knowledge the only one with mfgr approval. I intend to put it in the A4LD I rebuilt. A lot of other ones contain things that soften seals. That was the source of my caution. Using Trans-X in the Mercedes seems to have significantly improved (if not eliminated) a shift flare problem.

 

[Ford_Racing_Guy]

I've heard good things about Trans-X....is it really that great of an additive?

 

[Glacier991]

It seems to have worked with a flare problem in the Mercedes - I attributed the flare to sticky valve body, and Trans-X apparently has acted as a solvent (if my diagnosis was correct), and the transmission is much improved. As I stated above, any additive that talks about improving leaky seals likely has in it something that softens rubber (which probably would improve the seal of something that had heat/age hardened). While I may want the benefits of that, I don't think it is necessarily a good idea to constantly bathe your trannie in it - which is why I think it is a good idea to flush it out and return to clean ATF after some short period.

Is that clear as mud? I reread it and I think I got my point stated, if inartfully.

 

[Ford_Racing_Guy]

yup i get what your saying

 

[V8Exploder]

yeah, its Lube Guard, not trans lube, sorry about that. It has helped in a flairing problem I have as well. I was not sure whether to leave it in there or not. I think I'm going to for a while, see if my hard downshift from O/D at the end of the onramp goes away, its pretty bad.... At least I have the security of knowing I can keep clean fluid in there at all times.

 

[00XLS]

I use the lucas additive myself, works well. How exactly did you install the drain plug on your pan, I'm looking for projects over break.

 

[Glacier991]

It's pretty easy. pull the p[an, drill a half inch hole in the sump, use a little silicone seal and install the plug - available most places for around 5 bucks. It's a "push thru the hole, add a nut and tighten" job.

 

[V8Exploder]

yeah, its a large bolt with a nut with a small drain plug in the middle, on the inside, you use a nylon seal, the outside part has a compression fitting looking deal, it doesnt leak. It was $6 at Napa and took me about 4 min to put in. Dropping the pan was the hardest part......

 

[Bill Kemp]

Link to pic of drain plug. http://www.explorerforum.com/data/showphoto.php?photo=10838&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

 

[85Dave]

There's another way to do it. Get a drain plug from NAPA, and a castle nut with the same size threads. Drill a hole in the pan. Castle nut goes inside the pan upside down so the fluid will drain between the "grooves". You can tack weld the nut to the pan, or use epoxy. Since the grooves are flush with the bottom of the pan, you'll get more of the fluid out.