SOHC Tranny Filter

[addkev]

Fess up, who has actually changed their tranny filter on a SOHC EX?

I just read a thread that said you have to completely remove the exhaust from the header to the muffler, because the cat is the way. I knew it was in the way, but I assumed (that was my mistake evidently) Ford would have engineered a way to remove the pan around the cat.

Is it just a 'good' job or is not even worth messing with?

 

[IgotTwo]

"As I was told"
This is a notion that an automatic tranmission filter follows the rules of an oil filter. Filtering very particles, la te da, la te da..it does not.

It is very course filter that watches out that only the "big guys" don't recirculate back through the tranny and it doesn't clog up as a oil filter does.
Unless you are having problems, you want to see if you have any big chunks in there or are doing a flush:
I was told to leave it alone.

Keep me honest, if I'm missing something.

 

[espnfreak]

Yeah, some guy told me that at a local shop. He said you don't need to bother with the pan. He had a machine that recycled the fluid through and did a pretty good job.

 

[aldive]

Filtration is very important for the tranny. The only way to do it right is with an external filter.

Several folks on these boards have made the mod; it works great.

Good luck.....

 

[addkev]

I would agree, but my tranny has been acting weird lately, I have another post out there about it. Basically it doesn't want to shift into 2nd, so I am going to do a flush and change the filter.

 

[mosinman]

Have not changed mine yet, but have done a flush. Will change the filter around 60k. The cat is not in the way, the cat heat-shield is. The heat shield is held on by clips that you remove and then swing the shield out of your way. This is all explained in the Haynes or Chiltons. I have dropped the pan on many different automatics and the sohc auto looks to be only slighty more difficult than most do to the working clearances. Have no idea why you were told to leave it alone. The tranny flush is much much easier and quicker for the mechanic to do. His profit margin is higher on the flush. The flush does get out all of the fluid while dropping the pan does not. I do the flush at 30k and the pan/filter at 60k and continue to alternate with this routine.

 

[aldive]

If you add an external filter, the internal one need not be changed ( theoretically ) .

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by mosinman
Have not changed mine yet, but have done a flush. Will change the filter around 60k. The cat is not in the way, the cat heat-shield is. The heat shield is held on by clips that you remove and then swing the shield out of your way. This is all explained in the Haynes or Chiltons. I have dropped the pan on many different automatics and the sohc auto looks to be only slighty more difficult than most do to the working clearances. Have no idea why you were told to leave it alone. The tranny flush is much much easier and quicker for the mechanic to do. His profit margin is higher on the flush. The flush does get out all of the fluid while dropping the pan does not. I do the flush at 30k and the pan/filter at 60k and continue to alternate with this routine.

On the SOHC the only way to get the pan off is to either remove the tranny cross member and jack the transmission up, remove the catalytic converter that goes underneith the transmission or remove the front driveshaft and slide the pan out towards the side. The OHV is a piece of cake compared to the SOHC. There is not enough clearance to just remove the pan without moving something out of the way. I've done mine twice now and I can attest it is a pain in the a$$.

 

[addkev]

Thanks for replying, why did Ford do that?

 

[Robert]

addkev -- Remove the front driveshaft to slide your pan out towards the side. It is much (did I say much) easier than removing the catalytic converter from underneith. The first time I did a filter change I tried removing the exhaust. I couldn't get enough leverage on a couple of the bolts to break them free so I gave up with that idea. I settled on removing the tranny crossmember and jacking up the transmission to give me an extra inch or two of clearance. The next time I changed my filter someone suggested removing the front driveshaft and taking the pan out the side. I did and it was much much easier. It only took about 15 minutes to drop the front driveshaft down which gave me plenty of clearance to get the pan out.

 

[mosinman]

Is your exhaust bent? Just doesn't look that tight on mine. Not even all that close. Can't at all see why I would have to remove something other than the cat heat-shield which is held in by clips and designed to be removed. There is plenty of room. My old S-10 required the crossmember to be removed, but no jacking on the trans. Both manuals I have illustrate the pan removal well. Nothing has to be removed except the cat heat shield has to be rotated out of the way after removing two clips. That being said I haven't done it yet, but have done it at least a dozen times on different vehicles. Are the pan bolts super long or something? This is the first I have heard of this being a problem. Hey! just noticed you have 4wd and I have 2wd. Could that be the difference? I would think my manual would mention it.

 

[addkev]

Just writing back to this thread for future guys that are in the same spot I was in. I followed Robert's suggestion and unbolted the front driveshaft (just the front where it bolts into the universal) and moved it out of the way instead of removing the exhaust.

CAUTION!!!!! Let your exhaust cool off before beginning.

Then cover your cat with aluminum foil and drop the pan by only unscrewing a couple of bolts half way out to hold the pan on and remove the rest of the bolts completely. Let the majority of the fluid drain and then completely remove the pan. Using an air wrench it took all of 5 minutes to have the pan dropped. I cleaned out the bottom of the pan, cleaned the magnet, sprayed it down really good with brake parts cleaner, replaced the gasket, and bolted the pan back up. I filled the tranny back up with about 3 quarts of new fluid. Replace the front drive shaft and remove the aluminum foil from the cat. Some tranny fluid had still made it's way onto the cat, so I sprayed it down with brake cleaner really good. After a few minutes I drove around and filled it with another 1/2 quart of tranny fluid once the fluid had warmed up and I could accurately check it. Maybe an hour including letting the brake cleaner completely dry and driving around to warm up the fluid.

I highly recommend moving the front drive shaft versus removing the exhaust. Hats off to Robert for the tip, it worked great.

 

[Robert]

addkev - glad to have helped. After changing my fluid the first time, I made up my mind that the next time I would pay someone to do it. Someone else suggested it to me about moving the driveshaft out of the way. I never tought of it the first time even though I could get the pan out to the driveshaft. The thought neve crossed my mind that I could get the driveshaft out of the way so I tried removing the exhaust and then the cross-member and jacked up the transmission. The second change, I moved the driveshaft out of the way and the pan came right out. I bought 16 quarts of Mercon V and started filling up the transmission while letting it run out the cooler. After 16 quarts, the fluid was still darker than I liked so I went and bought a few more quarts. By the third quart the fluid was coming out looking the same as it went in.

 

[Robert]

mosinman - since yours is a 2WD you don't have a front driveshaft (obviously) so you wouldn't have to remove it. Your pan will need to come out towards the center of the vehicle though. Part of the transmission internals stick down in to the pan. The pan would have to drop straight down about 4"-5" to clear the internals. The catalytic converter is closer than that so you can't drop the pan straight down. You can drop it down enough to tilt it and pull it out towards the center. Those of us with 4x4 will find the drive shaft in the way not leaving enough room to get it out. A 2WD won't have that issue.

 

[mosinman]

ROBERT - This was starting to become weird. Couldn't figure out why people told me I had to do minor surgery just to drop the freakin pan on my SOHC's tranny. Turns out they all had 4WD. One of the few times I'm glad I've got 2WD.