kisk
New Member
- Joined
- March 28, 2012
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2004 Ford Explorer Std
EDIT: Can a mod please move this to the transmission board. Thanks! /End Edit
2004 Stock Explorer - Purchased around 80k miles from the Ford Dealership.
No clue if the ATF had ever been changed. Like a noob, I didn't change the ATF or filter when I got it. I just drove that sucker -- a lot. I have a delivery business so I've put some major miles on it for sure.
Around 150k I started noticing harder shifts than usual and sometimes flipping to reverse would "clunk" and sometimes slip. At that point I dropped the pan, changed the filter, and filled it back up as I was supposed to with Mercon V from the bottom with a nipple fitting (btw, thx a lot for no dipstick, Ford.). With engine off, I filled it till it started draining back out. Cranked her up and topped it off again till it didn't drain anymore with the engine running. Took roughly 5-6 quarts. I don't remember exactly. Done.
Unfortunately this didn't fix much. I continued to drive it but was more careful and would let off the gas a bit when I knew it was about to switch gears to keep the hard shifting down. It still did it, but not as bad.
After about 10k more miles (160k total) I started noticing there was a TINY leak coming from the drain plug. Didn't worry about it much since it was a small small leak -- maybe a drop or two per day I would notice in the driveway. Should have just threw some RTV on it but whatever, I didn't.
SO, 10k more miles go by (170k total now) and I'm sure its probably time to refill this sucker again.
Here's where the nightmare begins lol:
As most of you know, the drain plug has another built in plug (torx) that you replace with a fitting to fill the pan since there is no dipstick. Somehow the end of my torx broke off in the slot when I was trying to get it out. I finally get it out and attempt to take the torx plug out again with a "higher quality" torx socket. The torx breaks AGAIN. I was using a breaker bar and putting some major torque to try to get that thing out too, being careful not to have the torx inserted at an angle. Apparently this thing is seized up in there. No big deal -- I'll just pull the whole plug and replace the whole thing right?
WRONG! Tried to remove the drain plug and of course, my luck, it just spins -- apparently the "nut" (if you want to call it that) that is welded to the inside of the pan has come loose so the "nut" and drain plug are just spinning together. Great!
At this point I have to drop the pan and try to get the old "nut" and plug apart from each other. Tried everything including including tools and even went as far as to scuff up the inside of the pan near the nut and using the strongest JB Weld I could find. It was kinda funny cause I actually put two coats of JB Weld on the inside and I was SURE I could get that drain plug out. Wrong again lol ... first turn of the plug and the JB Weld just fell apart. It was no match for this nut and plug love connection. I ended up taking a cobalt drill bit (with a dash of anger) and finally destroyed it enough to get it out. Got a new plug and cleaned off the JB Weld. Had to use some washers + nut + high temp RTV with the new drain plug and FINALLY I have the ability to refill the pan.
The pan was off for a few days (kept a garbage bag over the internals to keep debris out) so I guess more fluid kept draining from where ever because it took damn near 8-9 quarts to get the pan filled back up. Drain plug nightmare over, but I'm still at square one when it comes to the slipping in reverse and hard shifts. BTW, the magnet didn't have anything major on it. A small amount of gunk + metal shavings but what I would expect.
So I drain 24oz out and add a full bottle of Lucas Transmission additive. The bottle says "Works almost instantly." Well I let it warm up, shifted gears a dozen times, took it out for a drive and switched gears (1-3) regularly as I drove. Nothing crazy, made sure my rpms wouldn't shoot out the roof when manually switch to lower gears. At stop signs I'd put it in reverse and switched all gears a few times. I only drove it about 5 miles, but I didn't expect the product to work "instantly".
It "seemed" better but here's the thing with the hard shifts:
When the engine is cold, it shifts (up and down) in drive like a dream. Reverse still has a slip sometimes, but in drive the gears shift great. After about 5-10 miles after the engine is warmed up is when the hard shifting starts and it gets even worse after about 20 miles. So here's my questions:
1) The Lucas says "Works almost instantly." For those of you that have used it and it work, wtf does "instantly" mean? 50 miles, 100 miles? How long should I drive this sucker before possibly adding more Lucas.
2) Since I bought this thing from the dealership, it is standard procedure for them to change the fluids before reselling it (do I dare ask?), or could I have been driving on the original ATF/filter for 150k miles?
3) Being that the hard shifts don't start until after the engine warms up, what does that tell me, if anything?
I'm willing to swap some parts myself if it doesn't require dropping the tranny. I'm no expert but I've done a bit of auto work and I'm not scared to get dirty. I just don't want to take this thing to a transmission shop and they tell me this thing is shot so give us $3k.
Thanks for any help and thanks for reading this long post!!
PS: FML. I forgot to put the magnet back in the pan. I'll drain a bit in the next few days and drop the pan enough to get it back in there.
2004 Stock Explorer - Purchased around 80k miles from the Ford Dealership.
No clue if the ATF had ever been changed. Like a noob, I didn't change the ATF or filter when I got it. I just drove that sucker -- a lot. I have a delivery business so I've put some major miles on it for sure.
Around 150k I started noticing harder shifts than usual and sometimes flipping to reverse would "clunk" and sometimes slip. At that point I dropped the pan, changed the filter, and filled it back up as I was supposed to with Mercon V from the bottom with a nipple fitting (btw, thx a lot for no dipstick, Ford.). With engine off, I filled it till it started draining back out. Cranked her up and topped it off again till it didn't drain anymore with the engine running. Took roughly 5-6 quarts. I don't remember exactly. Done.
Unfortunately this didn't fix much. I continued to drive it but was more careful and would let off the gas a bit when I knew it was about to switch gears to keep the hard shifting down. It still did it, but not as bad.
After about 10k more miles (160k total) I started noticing there was a TINY leak coming from the drain plug. Didn't worry about it much since it was a small small leak -- maybe a drop or two per day I would notice in the driveway. Should have just threw some RTV on it but whatever, I didn't.
SO, 10k more miles go by (170k total now) and I'm sure its probably time to refill this sucker again.
Here's where the nightmare begins lol:
As most of you know, the drain plug has another built in plug (torx) that you replace with a fitting to fill the pan since there is no dipstick. Somehow the end of my torx broke off in the slot when I was trying to get it out. I finally get it out and attempt to take the torx plug out again with a "higher quality" torx socket. The torx breaks AGAIN. I was using a breaker bar and putting some major torque to try to get that thing out too, being careful not to have the torx inserted at an angle. Apparently this thing is seized up in there. No big deal -- I'll just pull the whole plug and replace the whole thing right?
WRONG! Tried to remove the drain plug and of course, my luck, it just spins -- apparently the "nut" (if you want to call it that) that is welded to the inside of the pan has come loose so the "nut" and drain plug are just spinning together. Great!
At this point I have to drop the pan and try to get the old "nut" and plug apart from each other. Tried everything including including tools and even went as far as to scuff up the inside of the pan near the nut and using the strongest JB Weld I could find. It was kinda funny cause I actually put two coats of JB Weld on the inside and I was SURE I could get that drain plug out. Wrong again lol ... first turn of the plug and the JB Weld just fell apart. It was no match for this nut and plug love connection. I ended up taking a cobalt drill bit (with a dash of anger) and finally destroyed it enough to get it out. Got a new plug and cleaned off the JB Weld. Had to use some washers + nut + high temp RTV with the new drain plug and FINALLY I have the ability to refill the pan.
The pan was off for a few days (kept a garbage bag over the internals to keep debris out) so I guess more fluid kept draining from where ever because it took damn near 8-9 quarts to get the pan filled back up. Drain plug nightmare over, but I'm still at square one when it comes to the slipping in reverse and hard shifts. BTW, the magnet didn't have anything major on it. A small amount of gunk + metal shavings but what I would expect.
So I drain 24oz out and add a full bottle of Lucas Transmission additive. The bottle says "Works almost instantly." Well I let it warm up, shifted gears a dozen times, took it out for a drive and switched gears (1-3) regularly as I drove. Nothing crazy, made sure my rpms wouldn't shoot out the roof when manually switch to lower gears. At stop signs I'd put it in reverse and switched all gears a few times. I only drove it about 5 miles, but I didn't expect the product to work "instantly".
It "seemed" better but here's the thing with the hard shifts:
When the engine is cold, it shifts (up and down) in drive like a dream. Reverse still has a slip sometimes, but in drive the gears shift great. After about 5-10 miles after the engine is warmed up is when the hard shifting starts and it gets even worse after about 20 miles. So here's my questions:
1) The Lucas says "Works almost instantly." For those of you that have used it and it work, wtf does "instantly" mean? 50 miles, 100 miles? How long should I drive this sucker before possibly adding more Lucas.
2) Since I bought this thing from the dealership, it is standard procedure for them to change the fluids before reselling it (do I dare ask?), or could I have been driving on the original ATF/filter for 150k miles?
3) Being that the hard shifts don't start until after the engine warms up, what does that tell me, if anything?
I'm willing to swap some parts myself if it doesn't require dropping the tranny. I'm no expert but I've done a bit of auto work and I'm not scared to get dirty. I just don't want to take this thing to a transmission shop and they tell me this thing is shot so give us $3k.
Thanks for any help and thanks for reading this long post!!
PS: FML. I forgot to put the magnet back in the pan. I'll drain a bit in the next few days and drop the pan enough to get it back in there.
