Transmission drain install

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CountyMounty

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Been doing lots of maintenance to the ST now that I have once again decided to keep it another year, its been such a great vehicle. I want to do a pan drop, filter change. I am going to install a drain as suggested in the projects section. This may be a weird question but would it be safe to drill the hole in the bottom of the pan first thing and let the fluid drain out that way before removing the pan. My understanding is that the fluid is not all that flammable. Maybe its a dumb idea just trying to save a little bit of mess thats all, the last time I did it I got fluid everywhere. Also considering doing pan drop filter change, install drain, and then a week later or so, drain the fluid and refill to change out more of the oil fluid. Is it worth the extra cost in fluid?
 
Think of the mess on your drill when that fluid comes gushing out after the drill penetrates. Drop the pan first, into a container larger than it. Maybe a cardboard box lined with plastic.
 
I suppose there would still be quite a mess no matter how you do it. Last time I had a very large drain pain underneath and tried to slowly take the the bolts out and drop on side but still ended up with fluid all over me and everywhere, maybe just bad luck that time and can do better this time. I had through about just placing a plastic babby over the drill and poking the bit through. I doubt it would take much to get the hole through.
 
I've done that on all of my vehicles- not a lot of mess. dropping the pan does not get a lot of the fluid, and the filter is just a screen. IMHO, youd be better off getting a flush from a machine that changes out the oil from the cooler lines. een doing that in my 237,000 mile trac since new...
 
I did it on my '04 Adrenalin using the project linked below. It was a piece of cake, and made future fluid changes much easier.



There's a also a project for changing the filter. :banana:
 
Seems like a mess. I just loosen all the bolts. Start in a corner and work back on both sides removing bolts as you go. Eventually the seal will pop and it will pour out of the low corner. Keep removing bolts till you drop the whole pan. I use an air rachet so I can hold the pan up with my other hand. Doesn't make too much of a mess and throw some cardboard down to catch the spills.



Swap filter, clean gasket area, install new gasket and seal pan back up. Add fluid, disconnect cooler line. Stick hose on cooler line and run into old milk jug. Start truck let about a quart flow out. Shut off and refill. Repeat until bright red fluid comes out. Put cooler line back on. Fill back up, go for drive to Autozone to bring trans up to temp and recycle old fluid. Do final level check and you're good!
 
FYI, if you have a 4x4. you can make a splash sheild for the drill. Even an upside down funnel sealed to the drill. drill the center of the droped area.



If you have a 4x2. You have a different pan. I would drop the pan first and mesure an area. so the drain plug doesnt interfere with the valvbody.
 
It is a 4x4. I guess I wont tempt fate I will just go ahead and do it the way I did before, I have plenty of cardboard to lay down and I'm not afraid to get messy was just thinking of a way to avoid it.



So as to my second question, is it worth the extra $30 in fluid to do the pan drop filter change, install drain. Then drain and refill again a short time later?



Brett are you suggesting a kind of do it yourself flush? I am getting more and more comfortable at doing my own stuff but am very leery to mess to much with something like tranny. If there isn't a project of a how to for it online to watch first I'll admit I'm reluctant. I love doing stuff myself but I not completely following what you are saying. How fast will the fluid cycle through if I disconnect and try to just get out the old fluid. Also how much Mercon V would I need total if I tried this.



Thanks all for your responses. I'm getting a lot done on my to do list since deciding to keep the ST at least another year. Once I do this the only thing I have left, which I've been putting off is a pinion seal in the front, not sure I will try that myself. Also still cant figure out the chirping/squealing sound. Replaced belt, tensioner pulley, idle pulley, and didn't fix it. Doesn't seem to be water pump or alternator and it does it so intermittently that its hard to tell what it is. Seems whenever I get it in the garage and ready to really check over it wont do it. Ok thats another topic all together. Again thanks for the help.

 
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/605519-transmission-flush-at-home.html



This is one thread about a DIY trans flush. Go to http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums and search the Aerostar forum. Those Aerostar guys over there are big on do it yourself transmission flushes and there are numerous threads on it.
 
Here is my tranny flush method.



1) Remove the top trans fluid line going into the radiator near the battery.

2) Get some clear hose you can slip over the line and run into the oil drain bucket.

3) Apply emergency brake. Start the truck and place trans into drive. Let it idle.

4) Watch the exiting atf fluid at the hose and kill the engine when it stops flowing.

5) Now drop the pan. Leave two bolts in on the front and drop it towards the rear. Won't be so messy that way.

6) Ford uses these little metal spacers in the original pan gasket. I'm telling you so you won't be surprised when you discover them. Make sure you get them all when you remove the pan gasket.

7) My new filter came with a pan gasket. It was flimsy and substandard compared to a Felpro gasket. Your call.

8) Clean the pan and install the drain plug in the pan. It's probably rusted a bit. Paint it with Rustoleum.

9) Install your filter, make sure it matches what your old filter looks like. Pep Boys mixed it up. Had to go back and have the guy pull all three types to match up to the right one.

10) With the Felpro gasket I was able to lace all the bolts through the pan and just into the gasket. This made it real easy to re-install.

10) You should be able to figure out the rest from here. Make sure you reconnect the trans line.



Might as well put the good stuff in. I had a PepBoys coupon and was able to get Mobil 1 ATF for $8 a quart. I think I bought 10 or 11 quarts. But I had 1 quart left over. I refreshed my power steering fluid with it.



The instructions in the library talk about tightening a pressure valve a 1/4 turn to firm up the shifts. In hindsight I think I should have attempted this. Maybe next time. Again, your call.





 
Duane and Dean thanks for more specifics. I think I will follow Dean's directions as they seem pretty well fool proof for me and will involve use of less fluid overall though I realize its not a true "flush" and not as good as having a shop do it but at least it should change out more of the fluid.

I went to SEVEN different auto parts stores yesterday in two towns and no one sold Mercon V by the gallon. The cheapest by far was Walmart at $4.27 a gallon but just couldn't bring myself to use that. Most carried either their store brand (Napa, Carquest, Advance Auto) at $5 to $6 a quart and/or Mobil 1 at $11 to $12 a quart. I finally settles on Castrol at Advance Auto for $6 a quart. I got 10quarts, and can grab more locally at $8 a quart if needed. I also have a Wix filter and a transmission drain plug kit so I think I'm ready to tackle this on my next day off, then on to the dreaded pinion seal.



Just a couple questions Dean how much fluid will cycle through into the drain bucket before it stops? Will it pump all almost all of the fluid without any damage or will I have to keep refilling at the dipstick and keep it going?



Thanks for all the help everyone I would never be keeping the ST this long if I didn't have this site for info on maintenance and repair.







 
Steps 3 & 4 of my instructions we are just letting the engine pump out as much as it can on it's own, mainly from the torque converter and whatever is in the trans cooler.



You are not cycling anything here, its just pumping out the old fluid. Make sure you get clear tubing that slips over the trans line tightly.



It is VERY IMPORTANT that you monitor the flow by using a clear hose and cut the engine as soon as the flow drops off, like no more than a minute or so. If you are not comfortable with this approach then DON'T DO IT. The danger is obvious, the potential damage of running the tranny with no fluid in it. You basically have to know what you are doing here.



I think a couple quarts came out when I did this, but I can't remember exactly how much came out, it all went into my oil catcher.



Even with the above there will still be plenty of fluid left in the pan to spill all over yourself.

 
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What if you feed fresh transmission fluid into the other cooling line while pumping out the old fluid? Wouldn't that be a better flush of the system?
 
I think the fluid circulation is via a "push" pump (fluid is "pushed" in and out of the cooler). Would there be vacuum there to pull the fluid?
 
Thanks for further explanation Dean I have no issue with monitoring and shutting off the engine I will get a buddy to watch and signal or I'll watch and signal and stop it within seconds, but why do I need 10-11 qts of fluid if it will only pump out a couple quarts and the tranny holds 4.5? I am all for anything to get as much fluid out as possible even if its only a couple extra quarts but just a little confused as to why I need so much fluid. I still know an actually flush at a shop is better but I want to get a look at the tranny, do the EPC adjust and change filter.
 
The torque converter holds a lot of fluid. A pan drop fluid exchange will net about 4.5 quarts and excludes the fluid in the torque converter. A full flush will replace all the fluid.
 
Yeah I get that a pan drop fluid change will only get 4.5 quarts thus why I'm looking for ways to get more changed, without a full flush. I will just keep trac of excatly how much drains out from line and then pan and replace same amount.
 
Just figured I'd report back on this in case someone searches in the future. The process of "pumping" the old fluid out the upper radiator trans line did not seem to get me much extra. I got about 2 qts out of the hose and then only 2.5 to 3 when I dropped the pan. Also note to anyone doing this, I overlooked that you should plug or place something to catch fluid that will come out the now open hole in the radiator, not alot but it was coming out there as well when the truck was started. I adjusted the EPC and installed the drain plug but my truck is still in my garage because during the project I found that my TRANNY DIPSTICK IS RUSTY THROUGH near the bottom and there is fluid leaking. Trying to find a replacement dipstick nearby is not easy.
 

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