Trans fluid drain and fill

[flathead]

I drained the fluid by removing the 22 mm fluid level plug when the truck was cold without dropping the pan. Trans was rebuilt around 50,000 miles ago figured the filter should still be ok. reinstalled the plugs it sat for a hour while I got more fluid could not get more than one and a half quarts in. Ran it threw the gears then got another half in. ran it again to test and got another half in before it over flowed and ran out did it three times! All together figure I got around three quarts in. I thought it took up to 5 qts. Is this because I did not drop the pan? I started all this because it was not shifting into high soon enough and the fluid was darker than normal. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[flathead]

Its a 2006 XLT with the 4.0.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

i think the level plug is simply to tell how much fluid in the tranny, not to drain from, as when its full i assume it would be up to the line on the plug, so that wou can tell there is adequate fluid. just like the diffy. now one could drain it from there with a tube and suction i assume, but that poiint imo drop the pan... also imo at that point do a "flush" which is to change rhe fluid twice, get all the old dark fluid out, dont wantthat stuff!

 

[bobditts]

i think the level plug is simply to tell how much fluid in the tranny, not to drain from, as when its full i assume it would be up to the line on the plug, so that wou can tell there is adequate fluid. just like the diffy. now one could drain it from there with a tube and suction i assume, but that poiint imo drop the pan... also imo at that point do a "flush" which is to change rhe fluid twice, get all the old dark fluid out, dont wantthat stuff!

The OP is correct. The fill plug is in the center of the drain plug.