Transmission flush 2003 Explorer?

[grabill68]

I've set up an appointment with my mechanic to service the tranny. he is gonna drop the pan and change the filter. He is also going to add Lucas. Does this sound like the right thing to do?

 

[grabill68]

Is Ford Mercon V the only kind of tranny fluid I can use or is another brand ok?

 

[Pontisteve]

Brand doesn't matter, as long as it's Mercon V.

 

[Argentimage]

These transmissions are notorious for the hard bang when you shift into reverse. Lubed for life is OK when you consider that life is 100K, sh what do you do if you want to run these past 100K???

At about 80K or so with an owners manual that had 60k, 70k and 90k change points I dropped the pan, filter and changed it according to the book.

But then as one of the folks noted - these need clean oil, just like your motor. Why do you have 300k engine guarantees? Not because the oil is any better - it is because they make you change the oil at a very low mileage before it can get burnt and contaminated.

So why not the tranny?

Since that point I drop have been dropping the plug on every oil change and letting that 1-2 quarts out. Sort of like blood letting of the 1800's. I then add that qt back to the MT pan with the manual pump.

Thing is for the last two years, non of those harsh bangs in shifting. The other thing is once you get to the point that you have to get into the modulator once that gets all gunked up - its some bucks to get that fixed.

The extra cost of oil is VERY small preventative medicine or in this case vitamins for the tranny.

 

[fedyfedz]

I will comment on this instead of starting another thread. I want to drop pan and change filter, i have 5r55w i believe and all i want to do is drop the pan, change filter, and refill.

1. Can I use royal purple synthetic? If so what kind and how much will i need if im just dropping the pan and changing the filter?

2. Also can someone give me a direct link to the tranny filter I will need?

3. Finally after i drain, remove pan and change filter and refill, do I have to run the truck through the gears and fill it up more? Or just fill it up till it starts coming out and plug it up and drive?

I plan on keeping my truck for awhile and want to change the tranny and differential fluid.

 

[Pontisteve]

The rear diff has a tsb that says replace with 75w140 synthetic. Trucks with a posi also need friction modifier.

If you just drop the pan and change the filter, you will only lose a few quarts. Motorcraft.com has the part number, or rock auto. Try amazon and ebay for the best price. There is no dipstick so you will need a fluid evacuator and an 1/8 inch pipe threaded nipple fitting to fill the pan back up. Use dexron v fluid. Depending on the mileage, only changing a few quarts is probably a good thing.

 

[fedyfedz]

The rear diff has a tsb that says replace with 75w140 synthetic. Trucks with a posi also need friction modifier.

If you just drop the pan and change the filter, you will only lose a few quarts. Motorcraft.com has the part number, or rock auto. Try amazon and ebay for the best price. There is no dipstick so you will need a fluid evacuator and an 1/8 inch pipe threaded nipple fitting to fill the pan back up. Use dexron v fluid. Depending on the mileage, only changing a few quarts is probably a good thing.

I have the fill tool and 1/8 nipple, 75w140 for the back how many quarts?(no LS ) And what about the front what weight and how much.

Also how many quarts of dexron v fluid should i get in my scenario?

And any comment about running through the gears?


I would want to get this for the tranny....http://www.summitracing.com/parts/RPO-01320/Application/

 

[Argentimage]

There is only a couple quarts in the pan. Maybe get 6 for just in case. The resto of the system will be old oil and the what I got around that is to drop a quart at every engine oil change.

Fluid has remained new and shift quality is exactly as new and we are at 135K miles.

Remember the solution to polution is dilution and any nay sayer is afraid of the cost.

I use M1 would not even consider RP, why pay $2 more. Why is it better than full synthetic?

 

[Pontisteve]

I would put 75w140 in both front and rear, although I think it calls for 75w90 in the front. All trans and rear end fluids in these vehicles are synthetic, and the Motorcraft 5w20 oil is semi-synethic. Replace with the same. I use 75w140 Mobil 1 all the way around on the diffs.

I think you'll lose 3 - 4 quarts of tranny fluid by changing the filter. I would buy 5 and return what you don't use. It takes Dexron V. I wouldn't bother getting fancy tranny fluid, because the regular (synthetic) Dexron V is already 5 bucks a quart, and it's already synthetic. So why go out of your way to put in the expensive stuff in this case. Besides, you're only going to be exchanging about 1/3 of the total amount of tranny fluid in the system.

I don't see how it could hurt to run it thru the gears, but you'll need all 4 wheels off the ground. And, the vehicle might freak out a bit because of the automatic 4wd. You're not really supposed to run the vehicle with the wheels off the ground. BUt if you want to put it in drive with all 4 wheels on jack stands, and let it idle thru for 20 seconds, I don't think that would cause any issues. Make sure the final fill procedure is done in park.

There is a specific procedure for doing this, where you have the scan tool hooked up and measure coolant temp and such. But the bottom line is that you have the vehicle warmed up to normal temps, and (after replacing the filter and pan gasket) you start pumping the new fluid into the pan until it starts draining back into the extractor when you let off the air.

The pan has a fitting on the inside that's a couple inches off the bottom of the pan. So as you add fluid, it fountains out that fitting and fills the pan. When the pan is full, and you let off the trigger, any excess fluid will drain back into the extractor. You don't want to majorly overfill it though, because that fluid will be "used" as it comes back into the extractor tool (or whatever you call that plastic can with air pressure going to it).

FYI, I bought one of those tools at harbor freight cheap. There's nothing to it really, and adapting it to work with this truck is easy. All you need is either the OTC pan fitting tool, or an 1/8" pipe thread fitting with a nipple on it that's the size of your hose on your tool.

I bought the OTC tool, but have never used it, since I figured it was the same as a generic fitting. But if anybody wants to buy it, let me know. It has a cone-shaped end on it instead of a specific nipple size.

Let me know how your procedure works out for you. I'm always curious if there is any tranny problems after doing flushes of any sort. I'm a fan of only exchanging the fluid you lose when doing the pan/filter, versus changing the entire fluid out, I think.

 

[fedyfedz]

thanks for the response i will be attempting this in the next two weeks and will report back...

 

[Pontisteve]

To add to this discussion, I should point out that its well known in the auto industry that if you take an older tranny (100k+) and do a complete trans fluid change on it, for some reason it's quite common that the tranny takes a dump within 30 days.

Some argue that the tranny was just old, and it was going to die regardless of the fluid change. Some argue that sludge is holding things together, and flushing it out is removing the glue that holds the fabric together, so to speak.

I've asked tranny guys their opinion about this for years, and have only heard one plausible explanation from them. And here it is:

The tranny is worn, although not shot. Tranny fluid has detergent in it. New fluid has new detergent in it. By installing all new fluid, you are running lots of new, strong detergent thru the trans. If the trans is already fairly worn, this flushing with strong detergents can wipe out what's left of the friction material out, causing slippage.

Do I buy that? Mostly. What I can attest to is that if you take a tranny that has never had the fluid changed, and it has over maybe 130 - 150k on it, there is a good chance that the tranny won't live long.

This phenomenon is even worse when you get a guy who changes the fluid in an attempt to "fix" a problem he is already noticing with his trans. The fluid change seems to just accelerate the problem he's already got.

For this reason, I would love to hear feedback about you guys that are changing fluid, and what mileage, and what were the results and the shift quality.

 

[Geologist]

While I have heard a lot of bad things about the explorer transmissions, I feel obligated to point out that my '02 has never had a transmission service at 163,x.. miles, and has also never had any type of issues with the transmission.

At around 130k miles I used this truck to tow another vehichle from coast to coast, and it was completely solid, and has been since.

My transmission theory is, if it doesn't seem broken, it probably isn't.

 

[Argentimage]

I agree that if you have not changed the oil and then at a high mileage you do, its a problem. By that point, to speak technically, you have varnished all sorts of parts that were never intended to be varnished and have not given these part a bath in that they were intended to be bathed in which is clean oil. When you introduce new oil, it starts to pull these varnishes off and that gets all gunked up. I have had the experience analyzing eninges at 10k where coustomers did not change the oil, created a probelm, and then droped in new oil to hide it returning same to dealer. Its easily detected what they did every time.

I drop a quart every 3k with the oil, only takes 10 minutes more and the shift quality is like new, and the oil red like new, if you skip and go to 6k, its starting to turn brownish.

 

[iBrent]

I drop a quart every 3k with the oil, only takes 10 minutes more and the shift quality is like new, and the oil red like new, if you skip and go to 6k, its starting to turn brownish.

So what do you do for this? Pull the plug in the pan, let it drain. Replace plug, remove center plug, insert 1/8" pipe thread, then pump new fluid until it drips back down? Engine running during this process?

 

[Pontisteve]

That sounds about right. The vehicle is supposed to be up to operating temp. I would fill some first, before firing it up, and only have it running while you "top it off".

It's my personal opinion that this might not be the greatest idea. One quart or three at a time, you're changing the entire amount of fluid. That means you're keeping fresh detergent in there all the time. That detergent is pretty strong, and I don't think its a good idea to subject an older tranny to that. Although it does beat doing all 12 or whatever quarts at once.

I think just changing the fluid in the pan and the filter would be a safer bet. That's probably 3 to 5 quarts, all at once, and forget about it.

If you look inside a tranny, there isn't exactly a bunch of sludge. That stuff is quite clean. The fluid picks up its brown color from clutch and band material (clutch dust). It's not like a gunky engine inside, that needs cleaning.

 

[Argentimage]

Engine warm, not running, level ground.

Pulling the plug drops the same fluid as pulling the pan, since you are at the low spot.

You should know the process to verify that the trans has the correct fill, that is run through the gears, etc. so that when you install the large plug and pump up the fluid until it runs back out you are at the correct height, and like I said, level.

As far as opinions, every one has one, at 60K, how did you fix the revere harsh shift bang & clunk? How about at 70K or 90K???

70,000miles of experience is better than "I think opines" and I don't even need to see your data that a trans w/ dirty oil runs better than one with clean oil.

Let's just say that this trans shifts like new, never an issue after I started this process. And most every one I know with one of these has had that banging problem right around 70K.

 

[esclamada]

Most mechanics/shops I know follow the rule that if the tranny fluid is red or dark red it's OK to flush/drain/fill it, if it's brownish then something is going on (slippage/overheating) and a flush/drain/fill may or may not help depending on how late/early the damage is. They let the costumer decide if they want to go ahead but doesn't guarantee that it will be ok (usually a waiver). If it's mud brown to black then forget it, only a rebuild will fix it and usually tell the customer that it's a waste of money and just drive until it blows up (or rebuild it now) I wouldn't trust a shop if they still want to go ahead with the flush/drain/fill at this state.


I can't really believe that most manufacturer now follow the sealed transmission design, I am not a believer of lifetime (or 100k) fluid changes.




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MY MOUNTY
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[Pontisteve]

My trans, at 123k, has never had any issue other than my personal dislike of how the torque management system (in the tune) retards spark during shifts. But that's in the design. The fluid has never been changed.

Here is the correct method of exchanging the fluid in the pan only, straight off the Ford repair CD:

Draining

With the vehicle in PARK, position it on a hoist. Set the vehicle as close to level as possible. For additional information, refer to Section 100-00 .
Remove the drain plug (large plug) and allow the fluid to drain.

Refill

Install the fluid drain plug.

Hold the larger drain plug with a wrench and remove the small (center) fluid level indicating plug using a 3/16-inch Allen key.

Install the special tool into the pan.

NOTE: Prior to filling the special tool with clean transmission fluid, make sure that the canister is clean.

Fill the special tool with clean automatic transmission fluid.

Hang the special tool under the vehicle, upright and close to the transmission.

Connect the special tools.
Connect the open end of the fluid hose from the Fluid Transporter/Evacuator/Injector to the, Fluid Level and Fill Plug Adapter at the bottom of the transmission fluid pan.

Apply a maximum of 206.85 kPa (30 psi) to the open end of the vacuum/pressure hose from the special tool. Fluid will immediately start flowing out of the special tool into the transmission fluid pan.

Add two or three quarts of transmission fluid into the fluid pan. Stop the process by releasing the air pressure and removing the air nozzle from the end of the hose.
NOTE: Engine idle speed is approximately 650 rpm.

Start and run the engine until the transmission fluid temperature is between 27°C - 49°C (80°F - 120°F).
Inspect the fluid level in the special tool. If the fluid drains back into the canister, the transmission is full. If no fluid drains back, more fluid will need to be added. Repeat steps 9 and 10.
Once the transmission is full, place a hand vacuum pump on the open end of the vacuum/pressure hose of the special tool and apply vacuum to the system. This will pull out any extra fluid trapped in the system and direct it into the container.

Allow the fluid to drain. When the fluid comes out as a thin stream or drip, the fluid is at the correct level.

Reinstall the small (center) fluid level indicating plug using a 3/16-inch Allen key.


As you can see, the correct method is to put a couple quarts in, then crank it up and top it off. Running the trans thru the gears is not necessary when only changing out the fluid in the pan, since the rest of the tranny is still full of fluid. That's only necessary when it was emptied entirely. Also note the fluid temp requirement, which technically requires a scantool, but if you don't have any temp issues, then generally "slightly warmed up" covers it.

The theory about "to change or not to change" on higher mileage vehicles has been discussed in other threads.

I should also add that running the vehicle thru the gears while being jacked up is not recommended, and it could do bad things on a 4WD vehicle. I also found this maintenance schedule:

Normal maintenance;
Fluid change not necessary, filled for life.

Severe duty maintenance;
Change the fluid at 48,000 km (30,000 miles) intervals.

 

[Ryanfordexp2005]

Yep, drop the pan and replace the filter. Refill, then drive it a bit. You can drain/refill the pan a few times and get most of the old fluid out that way without a flush.

I've been looking All over the place to figure out how to flush my 2005 Explorer and I thank you for this advice cuz it just makes perfect sense I got 13 qts mercon V got a new filter I got the pan down and old filter off. And Iknow that 12.7 quarts have not come. And I been trying to figure out how to get it all out.. How long should I run it? how many miles? Before I drop the trans pan again. So I should put in 4 quarts at a time?

 

[Argentimage]

I don't plan on putting Lucas in my tranny unless it starts acting up, and I have nothing to lose. My truck is symptom free at 120k, which to me seems surprising, given the other posts here.

Pro's... how long do these 5R55s trannies usually last?

One thing I don't really like about my Explorer is the torque management for the tranny. The thing shifts like a wet noodle. There is an awful long, yet probably correct, pause between shifts when the vehicle is warm. Being an EFI tuner, I know this is in the calibration on the upshifts, when warm. I have SCT software for modifying this, yet I know better than to remove all torque management. On the GM 4L60E's, that is a real good way to wipe out a tranny, since the tranny can't hold up to the amount of torque the LS engines have. I don't know if that is as big of an issue on Fords, but either way if I modify the torque management in my tune, I won't remove it entirely.

Any pros got any experience with the effects of removing torque management vs longevity on Fords?

The transmissions from DORF are JUNK!!!


They don't last.
They are notorious for being the worst for failures.
First its the reverse bang slam, and then a few 10k intervals more the entire trans is blown gone, and that is all highway and no towing.

If the fluid is not bright red, its burnt over time.

And thus time to change it.

filter and what's in the pan.

The way I go to about 175k before it was blown was by changing the pan oil at the same intervals as the engine oil.

A rebuild cost $2300 and then a month later the T case chain stretched and the T case was trash.