2007 XLT V8 4WD transfer case fluid to refill with?

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OLE442

Well-Known Member
4 wheel drive
2nd Gen owner
V8 Engine
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
1,870
Reaction score
65
Location
Some where way to close to the effen city
What engine do you have?
V8 engine
What year is your Sport Trac?
2007
What Generation is your Sport Trac?
2n Gen Owner
Today I checked the transfer case fluid and it's low with the car at temp but not running. Should I have the motor running or not to check the transfer case level? Most info I see online appears to check it not running. The manual said to use Motorcraft MERCON Multi-purpose ATF. Couldn't find that at stores but O'Reilly's said to use the Valvoline DEX/MERCON ATF fluid?
What is your experience/suggestion.

I'm trying to do more servicing my cars since I have the two post lift but some things I have no previous experience with! I hate to eff anything up trying to maintain things.

Info appreciated,
OLE442
 
Would the Valvoline DEX/MERCON be the equivalent to Motorcraft MERCON Multi-purpose ATF that is specified in the owners manual? Really don't want to eff anything up on my low mile ST since I'm retired, I can't take big dollar hit as easy as I used to.
Also, should the transfer case level be checked with the engine running and in park like the transmission? Can't seem to find a definite on this question. My brother has owned GM 4WD's but says they used gear oil (he said he checked his GM TC's cold and not running)so I don't want to use what he says since FORD vs old GM logic might not apply here.
 
I dont have a 4x4, but. I would think the level should be checked, on level ground motor off. If the gears are turning you might not get the true level. A transfer case is not the same, as an auto-trans. I would say it is a gear box.
Also I wouldnt use a multi-atf fluid. I would stick with the book version of mercon, what ever brand it is. JMO
 
Thanks Eddie.

I actually called the service dept at the dealer I bought it from and asked for the Motorcraft MERCON Multi-purpose ATF and they said it was replaced with Motorcraft Part # XT10QLVC, which is Motorcraft MERCON LV ATF.

So, I bought 2 quarts and drained all the old out and added the new ATF (1 1/2 qts) to the transfer case. It filled a bit over the lip of the fill hole....I waited till it dripped a bit off and put the plug back in.

Checked everything and then set it down off the lift and took it for a drive. All seemed well so I'll be driving it a lot the next couple weeks.

Take care,
Gary
 
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Eddie:

I don't hang out here as much as I did a few years ago but it's nice to know guys like you and Todd Z are ready and willing to try to help out! Just like the old days.

Later,
OLE442
 
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I don't hang out here as much as I did a few years ago but it's nice to know guys like you and Todd Z are ready and willing to try to help out! Just like the old days.

Gary, We lost alot folks that used to be on the old board. Including helpful folks, that no longer had their Trac's.
We used to have a good off topic, and got alot of answers to many issues. Not related to Tracs.
 
I answered through your PM to me........
 
I used Mobil 1 ATF in the transfer case for years although the last time I saw Valvoline synthetic transfer case fluid so I used that. Change every 30k.
 
Hey Jon, you said that you replace transfer case fluid every 30,000 miles .Is that what is required or is that just something you do? I ask because I'm not finding anywhere in the owners manual where there is a maintenance schedule that shows what to do at the different mileage intervals , making this little book next to useless. They do that so you bring it to a dealer ,which I refuse to do . I have my own mechanic if I cant do something myself . Thanks .
 
I believe the manual says to change it every 60,000, at least it did for the Ranger and 05 Trac I owned previously. Manual for my 08 has much longer intervals for many things. Most of the wear occurs early on. If you change the transfer case lube at 30,000 miles (I have on all three) it comes out like tar. At 60,000 still dirty but a little pink. At 90,000 it looks like new. Same with the rear axle.
 
I believe the manual says to change it every 60,000, at least it did for the Ranger and 05 Trac I owned previously. Manual for my 08 has much longer intervals for many things. Most of the wear occurs early on. If you change the transfer case lube at 30,000 miles (I have on all three) it comes out like tar. At 60,000 still dirty but a little pink. At 90,000 it looks like new. Same with the rear axle.
What your saying then is that its like wine ,it gets better with age.
 
Today I checked the transfer case fluid and it's low with the car at temp but not running. Should I have the motor running or not to check the transfer case level? Most info I see online appears to check it not running. The manual said to use Motorcraft MERCON Multi-purpose ATF. Couldn't find that at stores but O'Reilly's said to use the Valvoline DEX/MERCON ATF fluid?
What is your experience/suggestion.

I'm trying to do more servicing my cars since I have the two post lift but some things I have no previous experience with! I hate to eff anything up trying to maintain things.

Info appreciated,
OLE442
Hi Ole442 .How hard is it to change transfer case fluid ? I have a 07 ST and im thinking there is not much room to work and less room to refill the oil. Thanks man really getting too old to do this but I want too anyway if I can .
 
Seems like there was a drain plug and I drained it, then filled with new using a cheap fluid transfer pump (see post #5). (YMMV though.)

It was fairly easy for me since I now have a 10,000 two post lift installed in my garage last year. Much better than laying on a cold floor.

I too am retired and really too old to be doing some of this but the lift helps. I told the wife if I'm going to die at this house, I needed a detached 3 car garage and a two post lift so she(we) made it happen. I'm here to stay and am trying to finish up an Olds Cutlass 442 I started many years ago. The clock is ticking waaaaay too fast!!

We do have the same model Sport Trac. I had an issue with a dealer not doing a good job on it the last time it was repaired so, I figure that most of the time I can do a better job and cheaper.....just not as fast and easy! So far my Trac is doing well with my recent repairs.

Take care,
OLE442
 
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Hi Ole442 .How hard is it to change transfer case fluid ? I have a 07 ST and im thinking there is not much room to work and less room to refill the oil. Thanks man really getting too old to do this but I want too anyway if I can .
It's not hard. There are two plugs on the back side of the t-case and a 3/8" ratchet extension fits in each. Remove the fill plug first so air gets in, then remove the drain plug. Put the drain plug back in and fill it using a suction gun or a transfer pump. Harbor Freight has a transfer pump for $8.00. The case is aluminum and the threads are cut right in it so DO NOT crank the plugs real tight, just snug is fine. The manual calls for Mercon IV ATF and I've used Mobil 1 ATF, Redline D4 ATF, and Valvoline Synpower Transfer Case Fluid (currently) in mine.
 
I changed mine two weeks ago, put the truck on the ramps and didn’t realize how far the oil would shoot out. First time dealing with transfer fluid, thanks to my cat-like reflexives I pulled my head out of the way just in time, hitting the under side of the truck and fluid shot between my sleeveless shirt and my back. Then the bottle fell over twice while I was pumping it in. Moral of the story (don’t start drinking til after you change the fluid).
 
I changed mine two weeks ago, put the truck on the ramps and didn’t realize how far the oil would shoot out. First time dealing with transfer fluid, thanks to my cat-like reflexives I pulled my head out of the way just in time, hitting the under side of the truck and fluid shot between my sleeveless shirt and my back. Then the bottle fell over twice while I was pumping it in. Moral of the story (don’t start drinking til after you change the fluid).

The problem was also the ramps !!!! the front higher then the back is not good... now your level is off and I bet the t case is low now..
 
Yeah, that is the good thing about the two post lift. It's level and easy to access. I save money doing my own work.....! LOL! Oh well, at least I know it's done right! I always wanted a lift so it's worth it. My buddy said we should have had that back when we were teenagers and in our 20's. For sure!

Jon: Good luck with your fluid change. The weird thing about the track is the tranny is one fluid, the transfer case is another and the front and rear differentials are each a different fluid!
 
The problem was also the ramps !!!! the front higher then the back is not good... now your level is off and I bet the t case is low now..
The ramps weren’t a problem really, they allowed a little more room for me to move around under the truck and after I took it down and checked the fluid there wasn’t much of a difference, I would say maybe ( MAYBE ) a 1/8 of an inch down. So no big deal.
 
Hey Jon, you said that you replace transfer case fluid every 30,000 miles .Is that what is required or is that just something you do? I ask because I'm not finding anywhere in the owners manual where there is a maintenance schedule that shows what to do at the different mileage intervals , making this little book next to useless. They do that so you bring it to a dealer ,which I refuse to do . I have my own mechanic if I cant do something myself . Thanks .

Ford has tinkered with the service schedules a bit but on several trucks I've owned they said to change the transfer case every 60,000 miles. I've learned from experience that most of the wear occurs in the first 50k or so and if I drain the t-case at only 30k the fluid looks like tar. Then at 60k it's still a little dark with a hint of pink. By 90k it drains out fairly clean. I'm more fussy about maintenance and changing fluids than most people.

Oil: Every 5k, Pennzoil Platinum Synthetic.
T-case, rear axle: Every 30k.
Front axle: Every 50k at the Valvoline Qwicky Lube, has to be done with their machine.
Coolant: Every 50k.
Trans: Every 50k but it blew up anyway so I don't think it matters.
Brake fluid: Flushed whenever brakes are replaced.
Power steering: Once a year suck the pump out with a turkey baster I keep for that purpose and refill with Mobil 1 ATF.

If you don't want to be as picky as I am, I would still recommend changing the fluids in the trans, t-case, and axles every 50k. Owner's manual will tell you to do the axles at 100k and on my Gen 2, the trans at 150k which is fine since the trans won't last that long anyway.
 
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