'07 F53 Trans Fluid Change

[volvik]

Not having a lot of luck googling for this info:

Trying to find the trans filler pipe, is it under the dog house or is it under the hood and I need a special tool for a pressure fill?

Thanks guys...I'm hoping it's not really obvious and something I will regret asking.

I have 25K miles so I'll likely getting it changed this fall.

Ron

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by volvik

Not having a lot of luck googling for this info:

Trying to find the trans filler pipe, is it under the dog house or is it under the hood and I need a special tool for a pressure fill?

Thanks guys...I'm hoping it's not really obvious and something I will regret asking.

I have 25K miles so I'll likely getting it changed this fall.

Ron

The fill is the transmission dip stick under the hood however one usually removes the pan along with a drain plug in the torque converter (not sure if they still put the drain plug on the 07 torque converter) to drain them cleaning the pan and replacing the filter while they are in there. Many will just seek out a shop with a flushing machine which will have all the adapters to tie into the cooling lines to flush the system from below using the cooling lines by running fresh fluid through the system until it comes out clean after which they reconnect the cooling lines and top off the transmission fluid via the dip stick tube however that does not address changing the filter or cleaning out the transmission pan.

[volvik]

Thanks Neil, it was a head scratcher for me. I did see the dipstick under the hood but for the life of me I couldn't see a filler port. I did come across some reference to what you mentioned but I'm not familiar with it at all....I think I'll leave it in the hands of the dealer in the fall.

Ron

[Mark Kovalsky]

Originally Posted by NeilV

(not sure if they still put the drain plug on the 07 torque converter)

Early 2002 models were the last ones that Ford installed torque converter drain plugs.

Originally Posted by NeilV

Many will just seek out a shop with a flushing machine which will have all the adapters to tie into the cooling lines to flush the system from below using the cooling lines by running fresh fluid through the system until it comes out clean after which they reconnect the cooling lines and top off the transmission fluid via the dip stick tube

The TorqShift transmission in this chassis has a thermostat. If the flush machine isn't heated it isn't going to work, it is just going to mix some new fluid with the old fluid.

Originally Posted by NeilV

however that does not address changing the filter or cleaning out the transmission pan.

If there is enough debris in the pan that it needs to be cleaned the trans is junk and needs to be rebuilt.

[cb1000rider]

Mark, I've noticed that due to the long dip-stick design with the V10 RVs that the dipstick tends to get some level of rust on the inside, especially as it gets close to the headers. I've seen some of this stuff on the dipstick end itself. I assume that some of that stuff gets knocked down and ends up in the pan? Or does the stuff in the pan end up getting filtered out.. My experience with auto transmissions is exceptionally limited.

[NeilV]

Hi Mark - I have the 2001 and didn't remember the cutoff point. Being a bit Old Timey I kind of prefer the visual confirmation you get when you remove the pan and can see that things are not too bad.

On the flushing machines one would hope that a shop owning an fluid flush and exchange machine would be aware of that especially if they were changing over to Transend/Synthetic which some will be doing at the first flush. The last time I had mine changed the shop could not use their machine because it was out having the heating element replaced.

Hope the ones that used to automatically shift into reverse and run people down were not yours. I worked for a Super Market chain in the mid 70's and well remember the bulletins warning employees to be careful when loading parcels into customers Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles due to that.

[Lincolnboy2]

Originally Posted by volvik

Not having a lot of luck googling for this info:

Trying to find the trans filler pipe, is it under the dog house or is it under the hood and I need a special tool for a pressure fill?

Thanks guys...I'm hoping it's not really obvious and something I will regret asking.

I have 25K miles so I'll likely getting it changed this fall.

Ron

I also found this link:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/fluid...53-132850.html


Ron I am missing something, is there a maintenance item that calls for the transmission fluid to be changed/replaced at 25K? I have 54K and fluid is still in great shape, not discolored or burned smelling, etc, don't know if it was changed at 25K either on mine.

I was wondering about that.

[Lincolnboy2]

I don't know if its true or not but I've always heard to NEVER flush your transmission as it loosens metal shavings/filings/grit and throws them back out into the transmission that have been magnetized or glommed up on the sides of the pan, etc.

Is that an old wive's tale or true?

I heard it several times, from family and friends over the years, "never flush, only drain and replace".

??

[Mark Kovalsky]

Originally Posted by cb1000rider

Mark, I've noticed that due to the long dip-stick design with the V10 RVs that the dipstick tends to get some level of rust on the inside, especially as it gets close to the headers. I've seen some of this stuff on the dipstick end itself. I assume that some of that stuff gets knocked down and ends up in the pan? Or does the stuff in the pan end up getting filtered out.. My experience with auto transmissions is exceptionally limited.

There is a filter on the pump inlet. On the other hand rust in the trans is never a good thing.

Originally Posted by NeilV

Hope the ones that used to automatically shift into reverse and run people down were not yours. I worked for a Super Market chain in the mid 70's and well remember the bulletins warning employees to be careful when loading parcels into customers Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles due to that.

Nope. I started at Ford in 1988.

Originally Posted by Lincolnboy2

I don't know if its true or not but I've always heard to NEVER flush your transmission as it loosens metal shavings/filings/grit and throws them back out into the transmission that have been magnetized or glommed up on the sides of the pan, etc.

Is that an old wive's tale or true?

I heard it several times, from family and friends over the years, "never flush, only drain and replace".

??

It's an old wive's tale, with a hint of truth.

The hint of truth is that sometimes transmissions DO fail after a flush. This happens because most people never get their transmission serviced. Then the trans starts having problems and they decide to change the fluid. At this point it's too late, the trans has some major damage and new fluid doesn't repair the mechanical damage, and the trans fails. Now they say it is the fault of the flush. It isn't, the trans was going to die with the old fluid, too, but now they can blame someone else, not their own negligence for ignoring the maintenance.

[John Wayne]

Just did this to a friends new to him 2007 we just drained the pan and refilled took 7 Qts. I also changed the external trans filter. your trans takes a new up dated fluid NOT mercon V.

[jamesrxx951]

Originally Posted by John Wayne

Just did this to a friends new to him 2007 we just drained the pan and refilled took 7 Qts. I also changed the external trans filter. your trans takes a new up dated fluid NOT mercon V.

Yes the original 5R110W transmissions came with Mercon SP. Around 2009 I believe it was switched over to Mercon LV. LV is the replacement for SP in this transmission. However SP is still available.

[jmckinley]

Originally Posted by John Wayne

Just did this to a friends new to him 2007 we just drained the pan and refilled took 7 Qts. I also changed the external trans filter. your trans takes a new up dated fluid NOT mercon V.

Transmission holds around 16 QTS, a lot of it in the torque converter. Your 7 qt drain is better than nothing. After about three times it will be mostly replaced. A lot of people do it on 3 consecutive engine oil changes.