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5R55W Fluid Fill

FordSploderXLT

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City, State
West Des Moines, Iowa
Year, Model & Trim Level
95 XLT and 97 XLT V8
Im working on my friends 02 Mountaineer...changing tranny fluid and filter.....Ran into a problem.....How do I put fluid back into the tranny? Need help with this one pretty soon. Thanks.
 



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they eliminated the dipstick, and added a plug to the fill line.... Ford makes a "tool" that screws into that spot and through which you add fluid....
 






Here is the "tool"

15286DSCN5240.jpg


Here is the "tool" in use...


I'll find the workshop manual pages on how to do this and post them here...as I recall it is basically a fill until overflowing arrangement.... we'll see... stay tuned...

(yeah I think this is stupid too)
15286DSCN5241.jpg
 






Ok... there is a "plug within a plug" on the bottom... using a 3/16 allen you remove the inner plug... so:

15286DSCN5242.JPG


screw in the "tool"

15286DSCN5244.JPG


then using a "suck gun" [what I always called em] get a pint of ATF...

15286DSCN5245.JPG


and then hook it up to the "tool" and inject it...... (isn't this silly? I mean I just want to fill the trannie not get it pregnant!)

15286DSCN5247.JPG


do this until you have reached an "overfull condition... than as 9 says, allow it to drain... until...it just drips...

15286DSCN5248.JPG


remove the "tool" and put the inner plug back in and you are done.

Now. mind you I have NEVER had to do this exercise... just using the manual and stuff to walk you thru it. I DO have the tool however.... I can ship it to you to use and return.
 






I think there are two other things to note. The vehicle must be level and run the engine (shift through gears) till the transmission fluid is warm (about 110-115 I think) before letting the excess drain out.

Forgot to include the engine MUST be running when the excess is allowed to drain out. Otherwise the fluid level will be low.
 












Okay, here's my way... You can put about 2 litres into the pan before you reinstall it. Remove the center of the plug aka stand pipe and pump fluid in with one of those fluid pumps like in the picture above, with the hose removed, the end fits perfectly into the stand pipe. You are supposed to monitor the TFT pid to watch for the fluid temp to be between 80-120 deg.F (I use a pyrometer on the pan to check the temp) and add fluid untill there is a thin, steady stream of fluid coming out. All that for Ford to save $1.63 per car by eliminating the dipstick. Thanks!! Oh, I have never used the special tools... They're too hard to find around here.
 






Sorry... I just notice that the original thread is 4 months old... but maybe good enough info to leave behind.
 






Just want to refresh this thread. Glacier did a great job of describing the service procedure. This topic has come up a bit recently. You can find this in the future by searching "5R55W".

Perhaps the moderators can move this thread to a reference area or to the Third Gen. stock list.
 






Motormite's Help parts series sells a sensor for low water in a radiator. I wonder if a "T" could be installed in that thread with this sensor, and flexible copper tubing could be connected on top of the tee fitting going into the engine compartment to be used with a funnel to refill it. The top of the tee could have a rubber cap to keep dirt out. They sell all of this stuff in any hardware store, except for the sensor. I'm sure that it would be easy to make. Maybe somebody could sell it as a kit.
 






You can improvise this tool. Get a 1/8 NPT threaded hose fitting and a suction gun as shown in the illustrations above...
 


















Ok, I'll sticky it a while and see what kind of traffic it gets.
 






Is there a way to adapt that deeper pan to an 5R55E?
 






The 5R55W case was different, so there is a chance the pan holes are placed differently...but I cannot definitively speak for the hole arrangement for pan bolts. Also, from the diagrams it looks like you would have to remove the riser from the drain and install a plug, but your question is an excellent one. Anyone with a W and E around that might be able to check ?
 












Is there clearance under the pan on the 5R55 - exhaust etc ?
 









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5R55W Pan Bolt Hole Pattern and clearance

GLacier and JE5,

Not sure if this was what you all were asking for, :confused: but here are some underbody pics of the clearance, and a spare pan gasket I have that shows the bolt hole pattern.
Not real good pics, but best I can do on my back. ;)

Dave
 

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