Transmission fluid question????

[Arsoncop]

This weekend I changed my transmission fluid ,filter and gasket on my 1998 XLT 4.0L SOHC 4x4, This is the first time I have ever done this truck before.It has 130,000 miles on it. I inherited this truck. It has a automatic transmission, I think it is the 5R55E or at least that is what I gather from the online manual I have been reading. It says that it holds 10.0 quarts of fluid. So I do the change and was in the process of replacing the fluid when fluid started running out of a small pipe under the truck beside the transmission. I put 7 of the 10 quarts in. I do not know how much ran out the small pipe. I drove the truck around to get the transmission warm and check the dip stick while in park and idling. If I read it right the level is about 2 to 3 inchs above the cross hash marks on the dip stick. I drove it Sunday about 20 miles and check it again and the same result. My question is HOW MUCH fluid does it really take and if I have over filled it do I need to drain some out and will it hurt the transmission??

 

[96eb96]

This weekend I changed my transmission fluid ,filter and gasket on my 1998 XLT 4.0L SOHC 4x4, This is the first time I have ever done this truck before.It has 130,000 miles on it. I inherited this truck. It has a automatic transmission, I think it is the 5R55E or at least that is what I gather from the online manual I have been reading. It says that it holds 10.0 quarts of fluid. So I do the change and was in the process of replacing the fluid when fluid started running out of a small pipe under the truck beside the transmission. I put 7 of the 10 quarts in. I do not know how much ran out the small pipe. I drove the truck around to get the transmission warm and check the dip stick while in park and idling. If I read it right the level is about 2 to 3 inchs above the cross hash marks on the dip stick. I drove it Sunday about 20 miles and check it again and the same result. My question is HOW MUCH fluid does it really take and if I have over filled it do I need to drain some out and will it hurt the transmission??

3-2 inches is too high. I would open the upper cooler line by the radiator and start removing 1/2 a quart at a time. Then get it into the crosshatch spec. Don't drive around like this.

The pan drop is about 3 1/2 -4 quarts and who know s how much or little you spilled.

 

[Arsoncop]

Thanks for the reply 96,, I'm not sure where the upper cooling line is, and does the engine have to be running to drain the fluid?? The small pipe the fluid was running out of beside the trans,what is that pipe for? and if the manual says 10 quarts why was I only able to get 6 or so in and now the dip stick says over filled??

 

[BrooklynBay]

The specs are for a completely empty transmission after a rebuild. You could syphon some fluid out of the fill tube. The part where the fluid leaked out of is the overfill tube. Here is my product review on a useful gadget to extract excess fluid: http://www.explorerforum.com/reviewpost/showproduct.php/product/321/cat/500

 

[96eb96]

Thanks for the reply 96,, I'm not sure where the upper cooling line is, and does the engine have to be running to drain the fluid?? The small pipe the fluid was running out of beside the trans,what is that pipe for? and if the manual says 10 quarts why was I only able to get 6 or so in and now the dip stick says over filled??

Whoa..lets backtrack. There are about 10 total quarts in the transmission. When you dropped the pan, you took out a maximum of 4!!!!!!!. 6 quarts remain in the transmission body. Now you added 7 quarts, so that means you attempted 13. The small pipe could be the overflow tube, and that was puking out extra fluid. You have to remove some fluid from the transmission now.

Look at your radiator. There is a plumbing type fitting on there. Use two wrenches to take it off. Slip a rubber hose on it, run the engine and let out about 16 ounces at at time. Check the stick each time to see if you are going into range.

 

[Arsoncop]

So I have four quarts left from this project, if I drop the pan again drain out the fluid in the pan and start over than I will be closer to having most of the fluid changed out sence 50 to 60 % of the fluid was left in the main body. How does this plan sound??

 

[BrooklynBay]

You are making a lot of extra work for yourself. Just extract the excess fluid, and add a drain plug to the pan the next time you decide to drop the pan.

 

[96eb96]

So I have four quarts left from this project, if I drop the pan again drain out the fluid in the pan and start over than I will be closer to having most of the fluid changed out sence 50 to 60 % of the fluid was left in the main body. How does this plan sound??

Do you enjoy the mess of red fluid that comes out when you drop a full pan of trans fluid?

Either install the drain plug as Brooklyn said or pump some fluid out of the cooler. Whenever I change my Trans fluid, I pump about 2 quarts out the cooler line. Just don't let it run dry pump air, 2 quarts is always a safe amount.

Then there is no mess when I drop the pan. Get a long length of tubing that will slip on the fitting. Ive done it with a short length of tubing and a poland spring bottle sitting right above the radiator.

Do you know what the fluid exchange machines do? They take out fluid from one cooler line and put it back in the other. When your trans fluid is at the right level, you can remove one or 2 quarts at a time of the old, blended fluid from the fluid line and pour another fresh quart in the dipstick. This procedure is discussed elsewhere on the board. That is the best way to completely exchange your fluid. Every 4th oil change I throw in two or three quarts that way.

 

[Arsoncop]

Could you tell me which line is the out line so I am sure to open the right line. I have never done this before, Thanks

 

[96eb96]

Could you tell me which line is the out line so I am sure to open the right line. I have never done this before, Thanks

Look at your radiator. Do you see a metal line going into the top of the driver side radiator? On my 96(which SHOULD) be the same as yours, that line you pull off will shoot fluid when the truck idles. I usually stick a rag in the radiator hole to catch the bit of fluid that may come out the other way.

Make sure to use backup wrenches (2 wrenches) and maybe shoot a bit of penetrating oil on the threads. put one wrench on the big slug fitting, the other on the fitting that sits on the tube. The tube fitting is the one that comes off. Do not loosen the slug out of the radiator.

You can safely drain 2 quarts at time, just don't run the trans with no fluid coming out of the lines. There is no reason to anyway. Use a helper if necessary, but you can definitely watch the fluid and do it yourself. Get it to the correct level, then use the leftover quarts of trans fluid you have to exchange with the old. That is what they do at the dealer, and set you back $180.

Tighten and check for leaks when you are done

 

[Arsoncop]

Thanks 96, I did not get your post until this morning, what I did was lye under the front of the truck and there are two metal lines going to a small black cooler, I choose the right line. A flexible hose coming from the small cooler attaches to the metal line with a hose clamp, I took the hose off and crank the truck, ran around and saw the fluid running out. so I connected a hose to it and ran out maybe 2 to 3 quarts. I drove it to warm the trans and pulled over to check. it was not on the dip stick so I added a quart. Drove 5 miles or so and check again, I added another quart and down the road I went. I stop the third time and the level was a tiny bit over the crosshatch marks. so I left it there. During this test drive it slip twice. I was vary gentle with it, so I hope there was'nt any damage done. Now I hope it does not leak, so I will be on my knees multible times checking. Thanks

 

[96eb96]

Thanks 96, I did not get your post until this morning, what I did was lye under the front of the truck and there are two metal lines going to a small black cooler, I choose the right line. A flexible hose coming from the small cooler attaches to the metal line with a hose clamp, I took the hose off and crank the truck, ran around and saw the fluid running out. so I connected a hose to it and ran out maybe 2 to 3 quarts. I drove it to warm the trans and pulled over to check. it was not on the dip stick so I added a quart. Drove 5 miles or so and check again, I added another quart and down the road I went. I stop the third time and the level was a tiny bit over the crosshatch marks. so I left it there. During this test drive it slip twice. I was vary gentle with it, so I hope there was'nt any damage done. Now I hope it does not leak, so I will be on my knees multible times checking. Thanks

No damage done, as long as you don't ride around like that for a few weeks or really stress it out. As long as you refilled everything correctly now you are fine. but I did suggest in my first two posts to drain 16 ozs or 1/2 qt at a time. This was my estimate of what you overfilled. Don't worry about it either way.

The two quarts is the max you can remove if you are going to immediately exchange fluid or do a pan drop, and bring it to the right level asap. If you want you can exchange your leftover quarts that way, so you will have new fluid. Just keep track of what goes in and out. Just be aware of that in the future.

 

[vanam]

alternator

hey i just changed my alternator on my 98 ford explorer i changed it with a 92 ford ranger 95 amp refurbished one. every since that when i have the heat/headlights/rear defrost and wipers on the battery odometer drops from 14 volts to 12.5 at a red light and while i drive or reve the engine the battery odometer moves form 12.5 volts to 14. please let me know what i can do to fix this problem and if the the 95 amp is not the right one and if i need a t 130 amp instead, also if i changed the gears from P to R there is a clunk sound then move it to R to D there is a pause of about 2-3 seconds and th car rolls if i dont keep my foot on the brake and a big clunk sound then jumps into gear please help me on both of these problems thank you!

 

[Opera House]

I don't see the alternator as much of an issue. Was the pulley diameter the same? I would be more inclined to add an extra ground wire from bat neg to a good screw on the body. A ground strap may have corroded.

This seems like a typical low/reverse servo O ring problem. Search for this, it is a fairly easy repair.

 

[Potomac30]

hey i just changed my alternator on my 98 ford explorer i changed it with a 92 ford ranger 95 amp refurbished one. every since that when i have the heat/headlights/rear defrost and wipers on the battery odometer drops from 14 volts to 12.5 at a red light and while i drive or reve the engine the battery odometer moves form 12.5 volts to 14. please let me know what i can do to fix this problem and if the the 95 amp is not the right one and if i need a t 130 amp instead, also if i changed the gears from P to R there is a clunk sound then move it to R to D there is a pause of about 2-3 seconds and th car rolls if i dont keep my foot on the brake and a big clunk sound then jumps into gear please help me on both of these problems thank you!

Welcome to the forum... you'll get better results on your alternator questions if their not posted in a transmission fluid thread.