Transmission fluid change

[blakshukvw]

410, that castle nut idea is brilliant.

 

[C420sailor]

That’s a smart idea. Just make sure the nut will clear the filter and such.

 

[blakshukvw]

Oh yeah, it would for sure.

 

[Trainmaster]

I use a plastic trough that's sold for mixing concrete, with cardboard under it. The thing's huge and catches the drips.

 

[radman]

Yes, I've added drain plugs to my 5R55E's and 4R70W trans pans. I used a universal B&M drain plug kit I got off eBay (around $8). No welding necessary. It works great with no leaks. You just need to drill a hole at the pan's low point and make sure the plug's nut doesn't interfere with anything. A pilot hole and a step-drill work best for producing a nice clean, round, flat hole.

Or you can just use a cheap transfer pump down the dipstick tube as other's have suggested.

I did what koda did and put a drain plug in during the first 30K fluid change on my 4R70W. I found that the filter only needs changed every other service. With the drain plug there is no mess. Do not forget to drain the torque converter while changing to new fluid.

 

[masospaghetti]

I know everyone has a different opinion on this but I think its safest to slowly exchange your ATF over time instead of all at once, or using a flushing machine.

If you use a pump out of the dipstick and exchange a few gallons at a time, once a week for a couple of months, you'll end up with mostly fresh fluid after your done without much work. (this is especially true if you drop the pan once to change the ATF filter, since you'll exchange about 4-5 gallons with the initial pan drop).

Once you exchange most of your fluid, realistically the ATF should be good for another 100K miles.

 

[BKennedy]

I used to put in those B&M drain plug kits whenever I drop a transmission pan. I always tack welded the inside nut to the inside of the pan so you can tighten it from the outside if it seeps. Those kits also make a nice place for a trans temp sender as they fit in place of the plug.

Now that I saw the castle nut idea from 410fortune I will probably be doing that. Would be just as easy as what I have always done, and cheaper than a kit. Could also just weld a 1/4" NPT nut or bung to the outside of the pan. As long as your welds are solid, it will not leak. Don't need a washer that way and it could be used for a temp sender. I don't like drain plugs sticking out from the bottom of the pan so I always install them on the side. Always worry about snagging them on something.

 

[crunchie_frog]

I have installed 3 of the aftermarket drain plug kits without any leaks or problems with leaks. After drilling the correct size hole, I have filed/sanded/removed all of the burrs around the hole and have had no problems with sealing with the kits as is. Over 200,000 miles experience on all three of them total after installation with no leaks.

 

[jmbontrager]

I the line off returning fluid from the cooler, attach a piece of tubing to the chiller and put both lines in a bucket(the line from the tranny will drip some). Turn on the engine and let it run until the fluid stops coming out from the cooler. Drop the pan, clean it, replace the filter and re install the pan. Add about the same amount of fluid that came out, start the engine again, stop at about 4 qts add four qts, start the engine again...keep repeating until you get clean fluid out, then stop the engine, put the cooler line back, fill the pan to the full level, let the engine run until the tranny is warm and check to make sure fluid is the correct level. I don’t have spills since I started this method and I get all the dirty fluid out without putting undue strain on the tranny pump or seals.

 

[CDW6212R]

Install a deeper aftermarket pan which also has a drain plug in it, win. I put one under my black 98 truck two years ago, and it's time to service that again.

I have two other aftermarket pans for the 4R70W also, one just the shallow version(and flat on the bottom), for my 92 Lincoln. Having an extra few quarts of ATF is good for my use, I like extra capacity(adding external filters also). But you have to be mindful of the cost of ATF now. It's $5-6 per quart for plain ATF brands, and much more for higher levels. You could spend $200 if you change it all at one time, so you better put good stuff in it, so it doesn't need to be changed again for a good long time.

 

[Deleted member 348523]

You could always use one like they do on boats, which pressurizes a container and extracts it. Like this: https://amzn.to/2tPaw5T
Then you don't have to modify anything that might leak, leak, leak, leak.

 

[Hamster65]

Has anybody done or considered putting a drain plug into the tranny pan to drain fluid instead of the traditional way? The last time I changed fluid and filter I ended up with tranny fluid all over the garage floor, missing the drain pan all together.
BTW, I've got a '96 XLT, 4.0 with the 4R55 tranny.

There are aftermarket drain pans available with a drain plug built in. That may be your best bet.

 

[BudPool]

Has anybody done or considered putting a drain plug into the tranny pan to drain fluid instead of the traditional way? The last time I changed fluid and filter I ended up with tranny fluid all over the garage floor, missing the drain pan all together.
BTW, I've got a '96 XLT, 4.0 with the 4R55 tranny.

Yes, I've added drain plugs to my 5R55E's and 4R70W trans pans. I used a universal B&M drain plug kit I got off eBay (around $8). No welding necessary. It works great with no leaks. You just need to drill a hole at the pan's low point and make sure the plug's nut doesn't interfere with anything. A pilot hole and a step-drill work best for producing a nice clean, round, flat hole.

Or you can just use a cheap transfer pump down the dipstick tube as other's have suggested.

 

[BudPool]

I used the B&M kit on my gen one decades ago, it worked fine. You need a half inch drill bit. Not in all drill bit kits.

 

[massacre]

The 4r70w pan has a sump in the middle that’s the low point. You could just weld the bung on the ramped portion of this sump. It would work out fine. This way it wouldn’t be the lowest point if you’re concerned with road crap, which isn’t really much of an issue. You would be left with just a tad bit of fluid but not much at all. Not enough to take a bath in for sure.

Kinda like this?