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Transfer Case Fluid Change

2010Eddie

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February 16, 2013
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City, State
Monroe, NJ
Year, Model & Trim Level
2010 Explorer
Taking my 2010 to the dealer next week. Truck is a V8 and I tow a 5,000lb trailer about 2K miles per year. It's at 60K and front driver's wheel has been getting loud the last couple weeks - suspect it's the wheel bearing. (I still have a few months of extended warranty left thankfully). Do the bearings/hubs have to be changed in pairs like brake calipers or rotors or OK if they just do 1? Does the front end need to be aligned after changing the hub/bearing?

While its there I figure I'll have some of the fluids changed. Transfer case is supposed to be done at 60K - they want $120 to do it. Looks easy to get to - might do it myself and save a few bucks. My question is, how do you drain it? I was under there and only saw the one plug (looks like a 3/8 ratchet goes in it). Do you have to siphon pump the fluid out? Or is there a 2nd plug on it that I didn't see? Do you fill it until it's just about up to the hole, or keep putting the fluid in until it starts coming out? Is truck supposed to be perfectly level when you fill it, or just "close enough"?

Trans fluid - I know this is an age old debate - Was going to have the fluid exchanged (dealer said they do the reverse flush and don't change the filter). Should I insist they drop the pan and change the filter this time? Or wait until maybe 90K for the filter change? Never did the fluid on this truck yet. Has anyone personally had bad results with the reverse flush on this 6 speed trans? If so, did it show up right away or months down the road? I keep reading that it can potentially dislodge some debris, but I figure if anything catastrophic happens, my warranty is still good until the end of the summer!

Coolant - Book says 100K I think. Any need to do this sooner due to age (6.5years old now)?

Last question - This is the first 4WD I've owned. I've done lots of front brake jobs before on 2wd cars. Is there anything different in regards to removing the front rotors? (You don't have to take off the big hub nut in the center or anything to get the rotor off, right?) Figure I'll be doing brakes soon - 60K on the originals.
 



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Wheel bearings I don't think they have to be changed in pairs (I was going to do both when my drivers went bad but ran into some trouble on the first one and still have not done the passenger side.) you should not need an alignment after doing bearings.

The drive shaft nut does not have to come off for a brake job. For the transmission fluid from my reading back flushing becomes a problem when the fluid has not been changed in transmissions with high miles (100k or more). I don't have the v8 and six speed transmission so someone else may have better advice for the transmission fluid and filter. the transfer case has a plug at the bottom to drain it and a fill plug up higher to fill and the vehicle should be as level as you can get it and fill till it runs out the top hole.

Also probably a good time to have the differential fluid checked or replaced and check for bad axle seals a very common problem or at least for me had two go bad and the second one caused some damage because I never noticed it. The coolant I would ask the dealer on that one it can get out of its 50/50 spec over time.
 






Let me chime in since I did all these items on my v8 with now 222k miles. And I tow regularly with it.

Wheel bearings can be done one at a time. Done it probably 10 or more times on my truck.

Brake job on these trucks is super simple, couple of bolts, clean the sliders and regrease if you want, but to just change the pads it's a 45 minute job per axle.

You need 2 quarts of "Transfer Case Fluid" from Ford. Cost $ 20, about 20 minute job. Top plug is fill, bottom is drain.

Coolant - just open the radiator drain at the bottom and remove the cap, and refill. You will get most for the fluid out - good enough for me. To do a complete flush, see the dealer :)
 






On the transfer case, be sure you loosen the fill plug before taking out the drain plug. Nothing worse than draining the case, then finding out you can't loosen the fill plug.

On the transmission, I just had a pan drop done and had them change the filter. Do it twice within a few months and you'll have mostly fresh fluid. I wouldn't do a power flush, after reading what other's have experienced.
 






the transmissions have a thermal check valve and in the best case this valve will close when you power flush just wasting fluid... worst case is a $3000 nightmare after about 2k miles..... a pan drop and filter is more than sufficient and better if you have a drain plug on the torque converter but I dont know if you do.... my 99 5.4l 4r70 had one and most of the fluid is in the converter and trans the pan is a very small amount of the 15-20 quarts
 






The TC does not have a plug to drain. You are lucky if you get 6r60 replaced for 3000. Try 4-5 k
 






Just got the truck back from the dealer. They replaced the front hub assembly on both sides :D so I should be good for another 60K. Decided to hold off on the trans fluid for now.
 






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