Transmission oil and filter?

[1995E]

Has anyone changed out the transmission oil filter and transmission oil? I'm planning on changing it out before my roadtrip to Florida. Any special procedures I need to follow or know before I do it? Also, where can I find torque specs for the car? Thanks all.

 

[sheltonfilms]

Has anyone changed out the transmission oil filter and transmission oil? I'm planning on changing it out before my roadtrip to Florida. Any special procedures I need to follow or know before I do it? Also, where can I find torque specs for the car? Thanks all.

Filter is non serviceable. Its between the two halves of the transmission. Simple pan drop doesn't cut it anymore.

Since there is no filter I would use something like liquivac and suck all you can through the dipstick hole and just replace what it pulled out.

 

[1995E]

Filter is non serviceable. Its between the two halves of the transmission. Simple pan drop doesn't cut it anymore.

Since there is no filter I would use something like liquivac and suck all you can through the dipstick hole and just replace what it pulled out.

The design where the filter is between the two halves of the transmission is so stupid. Same with the fuel filter design.

I tried looking under the car to see if I can find a drain plug of some sort but I'm not sure if the bolt I found was a drain plug or not.

 

[sheltonfilms]

I think there is a drain bolt.

What's with the fuel filter? internal to tank?

 

[FordGT55]

There is a small drain plug at the center of the transmission on the bottom. I mean small.

 

[1995E]

I think there is a drain bolt.

What's with the fuel filter? internal to tank?

Yep! It's supposed to be a "lifetime fuel filter" but when Ford says lifetime for a vehicle, it's only 150,000 miles apparently stated in some video I saw. We can see how lifetime fluids and service works, especially with the PTU lol. I'm still sour about my PTU lol.

Also, thanks FordGT55 for the picture! Do you happen to know the torque spec for the bolt as well? Thanks!

Also, should I stick with Mercon LV ATF or are there better transmission fluids out there?

 

[blwnsmoke]

there are only a few fluids that are lv compatible.. stick with the Ford.

 

[FordGT55]

I would torque until snug like a typical drain plug. And make sure to get twice the fluid(10 or so quarts) you would need for a drain and fill so you can do one, drive it around and then do second drain and fill to get most of the dirty atf out.

 

[182RG]

Has anyone changed out the transmission oil filter and transmission oil?

Your local BG shop can do an exchange via the cooler lines. The key is to set the parking brake, keep your foot on the brake, transmission in 'R' or 'D', and RPM at 2,000. This keeps the temp up, and the transmission cooler thermostat (inside the transmission) open. Works fine. This gets all the old fluid out, including the converter.

BG synthetic is fine, as is MaxLife and a few others that are equivalent to Mercon LV.

 

[Rick369]

Has anyone changed out the transmission oil filter and transmission oil? I'm planning on changing it out before my roadtrip to Florida. Any special procedures I need to follow or know before I do it? Also, where can I find torque specs for the car? Thanks all.

How many miles do you have on your 2011 Explorer?

 

[1995E]

How many miles do you have on your 2011 Explorer?

50K. 20K was from 2015 alone. I've been really rough on my car so I figured a drain and fill at 50k would be reasonable. Insurance for me since I own the car outright. My car also started to shift weird so there was that. Plus, I'm going to Florida next week.

I followed this video:



Now the problem I'm having is that it seems like I didn't get all the 12.7 quarts out. I was only able to get 6 quarts out by draining with the drain plug bolt. I poured 6 quarts back in and drove it around. Feels a lot better. It kind of bothers me that I didn't get ALL the fluid out there.

I tried doing so by draining initially. It dripped and stopped. Then I started the car for 2 or 3 minutes, turned it off, and more fluid came out. I did so again, this time no fluid so I just left it alone.

Someone suggested the trans cooler lines. I plan to do a better job at 100K. Should I just drain through the cooler lines?

 

[peelman]

Change the fluid out again in a few hundred miles. The rest is in the torque converter. Change the fluid out in the same manner every couple years or 20K miles or what ever Brian suggests in the video.

 

[1995E]

Change the fluid out again in a few hundred miles. The rest is in the torque converter. Change the fluid out in the same manner every couple years or 20K miles or what ever Brian suggests in the video.

Is there any way I can drain from the torque converter directly?

 

[Kpwweb]

Only if you pull the trans from the engine. The TC doesn't have its own drain plug.

 

[sheltonfilms]

Only if you pull the trans from the engine. The TC doesn't have its own drain plug.

Even then you're not gonna get everything out. Torque converters are damn near like a one way valve.

Decades ago torque converters used to have drain plugs. Pop off an access panel, rotate the converter till the plug is at the bottom and drain.

 

[Odrapnew]

Change the fluid out again in a few hundred miles. The rest is in the torque converter. Change the fluid out in the same manner every couple years or 20K miles or what ever Brian suggests in the video.

I agree. Ive been doing that with my wife's Mazda CX9. I actually did the drain/fill 2 times when I did the engine oil. Just a couple drain/fill and you can get a pretty good fluid exchange.