daveleeander
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- December 8, 2005
- Messages
- 156
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Marietta, OH
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 02 XLT
I replaced the solenoid block in my '02 XLT (91K miles) Friday, due to several symptoms. The replacement took 2 hours from start to finish. Fairly simple job, although I lost about a pint of fluid when I unbolted the block from the valve body. I didn't realize there was that much red stuff on top. 
When I was done, I put a piece of 1/8" pipe (1/8 X 1 nipple) in the drain plug and refilled it with a suction gun I got at NAPA. I was less than impressed with the Lincoln gun, as it sucked as much air from somewhere as it did fluid. So bleed the air from gun, suck up some more, bleed air, etc.
I followed the directions from the CD download I got from the link on this forum. It is somewhat confusing, and I wonder if the mechanic who did the first or second fluch and filter change was confused also.
I drained out about 3 quarts of fluid when I removed the pan. Those who are going to do this beware, there is a quart or two in the pan that doesn't come out due to the raised section in the pan where the drain plug is. Since you have to tilt the pan to get it out from under the crossmember, tilt the front of it down with the pan under it. Don't tilt the back down with you under it. You'll get wet.
Anyway, I drained and poured out 3 quarts. The Tech manual has a section 307-01 entitled "Transmission Fluid Drain and Refill". When it comes time to fill the pan back up, it says "With the transmission range selector in "PARK" remove the center fluid level indicating plug and install the "special tool" (Rotunda number 307-437) in the pan. Using the special tool (a suction gun) extract approximately 1 pint of fluid and proceed to fill the transmission with clean fluid. Remove the suction gun from the adaptor.Wait approxiamately one minute. When the fluid comes out as a thin stream or drip, the fluid is at the correct level."
Before I put the pan back on, I placed it between two 2 X 6" blocks and poured the fluid I had drained out in the pan, and added fresh till it came up level with the "level indicator" (I added a little less than 1/2 quart). I then proceeded to suck up that amount and refill the pan. I then added a little bit more until it came back out of the plug. I re-installed the fill plug, cleaned up everything, put the negative cable back on the battery and fired it up. I put it through all of the gears (with brake depressed) until it engaged all of them. I then left the engine running, and proceeded to the section of 307-01 that is entitled "Fluid Level Check".
This section tells you to do everything the previous section does, except it tells you to have the engine running at idle, in park, Temp between 80 and 120 deg. F, and pull the plug. I expected to see a little fluid running, but there was none. I then put in a pint, waited a minute, and still nothing. I then sucked up the rest of a quart, and put it in. Still nothing. I re-read the instructions. Doing the right thing. I then put in the second quart, waited, a few bubbles. Sucked up half of a third quart, put it in, when I withdrew the gun, I got a small stream of fluid running back out. I waited a few minutes until it quit running and slobbering, and then re-installed the plug.
I tell this long winded tail to tell another and ask a question.
I bought the car used from a dealer as a supposed "demo" with 24K on it. I was told there was nothing to do to the car transmission until 100K, but was also told in another conversation that the tranny had already had the 30K required flush.
Since the day I got it, it has flared when you turned a corner sharp, or if you did a hard stop, and then tried to accelerate away before coming to a complete stop. The latest symptoms that caused me to change the solenoid body was a long delay in going into reverse, and then drive when it was cold. the last week or two, it didn't even have to be cold and it delayed, engine reved, ain't going. Also had a bad shutter when pulling or accelerating hard. I had the tranny flushed myself at 64K in an effort to make it quit doing this. I asked about the fluid level when I had this done, and was told it was alright, "I put back in the exact same amount as I took out" were the parting words.
Since I have never seen one of these flushing machines, I wonder how it determines how much is enough. Does it measure (flow meter, weight, etc) how much comes out, and then matches that amount to meter back in?
If this is the case, then a low transmission will still be low when it is done, Right. If they know that one holds 12.7 quarts, and they run 12.7 quarts through the machine, that doesn't necessarily mean that 12.7 quarts reside in your transmission does it??
I estimate I put 2.5 quarts extra from what I took out to bring it up to level. The tech manual says it holds 12.7 quarts. 2.5 quarts is almost 20%.
The car is running better than I can remember (my paranoid wife even thinks it runs better than ever
), so I have to believe the solenoid block, plus extra fluid fixed the problem. 
Time will tell, but right now, I feel good about it (rebuild from Ford $2314 + Installation and "shop consumables", From Jasper $2623.00). My total cost of repair, $263.17.
Thanks to Glacier for the block,advice, and some encouraging words.
Now, how does a flush system work?
Dave
When I was done, I put a piece of 1/8" pipe (1/8 X 1 nipple) in the drain plug and refilled it with a suction gun I got at NAPA. I was less than impressed with the Lincoln gun, as it sucked as much air from somewhere as it did fluid. So bleed the air from gun, suck up some more, bleed air, etc.
I followed the directions from the CD download I got from the link on this forum. It is somewhat confusing, and I wonder if the mechanic who did the first or second fluch and filter change was confused also.
I drained out about 3 quarts of fluid when I removed the pan. Those who are going to do this beware, there is a quart or two in the pan that doesn't come out due to the raised section in the pan where the drain plug is. Since you have to tilt the pan to get it out from under the crossmember, tilt the front of it down with the pan under it. Don't tilt the back down with you under it. You'll get wet.
Anyway, I drained and poured out 3 quarts. The Tech manual has a section 307-01 entitled "Transmission Fluid Drain and Refill". When it comes time to fill the pan back up, it says "With the transmission range selector in "PARK" remove the center fluid level indicating plug and install the "special tool" (Rotunda number 307-437) in the pan. Using the special tool (a suction gun) extract approximately 1 pint of fluid and proceed to fill the transmission with clean fluid. Remove the suction gun from the adaptor.Wait approxiamately one minute. When the fluid comes out as a thin stream or drip, the fluid is at the correct level."
Before I put the pan back on, I placed it between two 2 X 6" blocks and poured the fluid I had drained out in the pan, and added fresh till it came up level with the "level indicator" (I added a little less than 1/2 quart). I then proceeded to suck up that amount and refill the pan. I then added a little bit more until it came back out of the plug. I re-installed the fill plug, cleaned up everything, put the negative cable back on the battery and fired it up. I put it through all of the gears (with brake depressed) until it engaged all of them. I then left the engine running, and proceeded to the section of 307-01 that is entitled "Fluid Level Check".
This section tells you to do everything the previous section does, except it tells you to have the engine running at idle, in park, Temp between 80 and 120 deg. F, and pull the plug. I expected to see a little fluid running, but there was none. I then put in a pint, waited a minute, and still nothing. I then sucked up the rest of a quart, and put it in. Still nothing. I re-read the instructions. Doing the right thing. I then put in the second quart, waited, a few bubbles. Sucked up half of a third quart, put it in, when I withdrew the gun, I got a small stream of fluid running back out. I waited a few minutes until it quit running and slobbering, and then re-installed the plug.
I tell this long winded tail to tell another and ask a question.
I bought the car used from a dealer as a supposed "demo" with 24K on it. I was told there was nothing to do to the car transmission until 100K, but was also told in another conversation that the tranny had already had the 30K required flush.
Since the day I got it, it has flared when you turned a corner sharp, or if you did a hard stop, and then tried to accelerate away before coming to a complete stop. The latest symptoms that caused me to change the solenoid body was a long delay in going into reverse, and then drive when it was cold. the last week or two, it didn't even have to be cold and it delayed, engine reved, ain't going. Also had a bad shutter when pulling or accelerating hard. I had the tranny flushed myself at 64K in an effort to make it quit doing this. I asked about the fluid level when I had this done, and was told it was alright, "I put back in the exact same amount as I took out" were the parting words.Since I have never seen one of these flushing machines, I wonder how it determines how much is enough. Does it measure (flow meter, weight, etc) how much comes out, and then matches that amount to meter back in?
If this is the case, then a low transmission will still be low when it is done, Right. If they know that one holds 12.7 quarts, and they run 12.7 quarts through the machine, that doesn't necessarily mean that 12.7 quarts reside in your transmission does it??
I estimate I put 2.5 quarts extra from what I took out to bring it up to level. The tech manual says it holds 12.7 quarts. 2.5 quarts is almost 20%.
The car is running better than I can remember (my paranoid wife even thinks it runs better than ever
), so I have to believe the solenoid block, plus extra fluid fixed the problem. Time will tell, but right now, I feel good about it (rebuild from Ford $2314 + Installation and "shop consumables", From Jasper $2623.00). My total cost of repair, $263.17.
Thanks to Glacier for the block,advice, and some encouraging words.
Now, how does a flush system work?
Dave
