Help- Tranny problem '96 V8

[Big Poppa]

Hey guys I just got a '96 V8 limited and the tranny is shuddering when shifting into OD while accelerating onto the interstate. If I pull into traffic at a medium pace w/ the OD off, then put it into OD it seems fine.

Fluid is pink- not really bright red, but not brown/dark at all.
The truck has 131k miles seems to have been cared for very well. Looks and runs great (except this), but I have no records, should I get the tranny flushed? Any recommendations on additives? How much should a flush w/ new filter run?

Why do people say that if the tranny hasn't been flushed for a long time to not do it?

Thanks for any help

 

[Lemondrop]

My 96 5.0 did the same thing . I changed the fluid and filter assembly and it stopped . The parts were like 60 bucks total and I got everything other than the fluid at Ford . I also bought a new pan gasket but the factory one is reuseable . I did not want to take a chance on it leaking after I was done so I bought a new one .
Also when you change the fulid (if you do it yourself) you will find a yellowish/white colored plug that has a long stem on it and a oring . I fgound out by asking here it's a plug for the dipstick tube that Ford uses when they build the truck . Toss it in the trash when you drop the pan .
Also , I WOULD NOT get the tranny "flushed" as that will only remove the old fluid and the filter NEEDS to be changed . IF you do it yourself , it is not hard to do . There is a small rubber plug in the bottom of the tranny bellhousing that pops out . Roll the engine over by hand till (have someone help if possible) you see the drain plug in the torque converter . Remove it to drain the TC since thats where most of the fluid in this tranny stays . Drop the pan and pull the old filter off . Plug the new one in and then install the pan . Put the torque converter plug back in and the small rubber inspection plug , then fill the tranny up with a few quarts of fluid then start the engine . Keep adding fluid till it's at the lower level then let the entire engine/ tranny warm up . Recheck tranny fluid level and top off (DONT OVERFILL IT) , thats why I said wait till it's warmed up .
Take her out and drive , the shutter should be gone .
Fixed mine atleast

 

[Big Poppa]

Lemondrop
Thanks a lot. By the way, how many miles did/ do you have on your V8?

So, you can probably get enough fluid out by draining the converter and the pan? (just a little in the lines and cooler?)

Thanks again

 

[Lemondrop]

Truck had about 119,000 when I changed the tranny fluid/filter . It now has 132,000 and has not missed a shift or shuttered yet

After you drain the TC and the pan / filter off , there isnt much fluid left in there . Id bet a quart at the most . The dirty stuff is in the pan anyway . Power flushes don't clean the filter , which I believe is the root of the shutter problem (too much suction from dirty filter = lower main tranny pressure) .

It's really a easy job to do , just be careful and dont get in a hurry with the torque converter drain plug . Id hate to see someone strip that thing or cross-thread it during a drain . It's a simple pipe-plug so damage would be hard but not impossible

 

[Big Poppa]

Thanks for the help-
I guess I'll be doing that this weekend

 

[FrankRizzo]

FYI -

My trans took 10 (ten) quarts of Type 5 fluid and I did not drain the converter.


(buy enough fluid, I kept making trips to the parts store...)

 

[Big Poppa]

Thanks for the heads up
Type 5? Not the good old Dexron/ Mercron?

Thanks