Changing your own tranny fluid

[icepick]

I try to do my own chassis maintenance. oil changes, grease jobs, and general check ups. Wondered if any of you change your own transmission oil and filters. any big trick to it? I have a 2014 F53.

[petewolff]

Take it to a shop that has a transmission "flush and fill" machine. What they will do is tap into the transmission cooling lines and pump fresh atf in while pushing the old out.
Does a more through job, in my opinion, and also doesn't disturb the factory installed trans pan gasket.

[CJ7365]

Originally Posted by icepick

I try to do my own chassis maintenance. oil changes, grease jobs, and general check ups. Wondered if any of you change your own transmission oil and filters. any big trick to it? I have a 2014 F53.

Easy peasy, I don't have a F53, but I did read where the engine oil drain plug lies right above the front axle, and some people have made a funnel or have installed a drain valve with a hose on it to prevent the engine oil from draining onto the axle.

If you can change the oil in your car, you can do it on your RV

[BrianGlenn]

Originally Posted by petewolff

Take it to a shop that has a transmission "flush and fill" machine. What they will do is tap into the transmission cooling lines and pump fresh atf in while pushing the old out.
Does a more through job, in my opinion, and also doesn't disturb the factory installed trans pan gasket.

I agree with a flush to ensure 100% of the transmission fluid is changed out to new fluid. However a filter replacement is always a good ideas as well, which requires removing the factory pan/filter. About 40-50% of the fluid is held up in the torque converter/lines, which is not drained in a simple drain and refill.

I change my tranny fluids, with a big tranny fluid catch pan. Its a messy job with out a drain in the tranny pan.

A flush is not required at all tranny service intervals, in fact some manufacturers factor the approx 50% fluid change out and filter replacement into OEM recommended service intervals.

Here is some reading material (Clicky here). Lots more out there.

Best advise is to follow your maintenance service manual/intervals.

Hope this helps,
Brian

[marjoa]

Take it to a professional shop so they can do a thorough pressurized flush. I use all BG Fluids in all my vehicles including my MH and it will greatly reduce friction & heat build up which will allow your Tranny to run cooler and last longer. Will cost about $50-$75 or so more than a regular tranny flush. Take it to a BG authorized shop, and tell them you want a BG tranny oil change.
https://www.bgprod.com

[Mr_D]

If you were asking about an Allison trans I'd repeat the Allison factory warning: "Do NOT use a flushing machine on an Allison transmission".

[Davidjeff]

It might help some if you told us Ford or GM chassis.
On Ford there is a drain plug on most torque shift trans pans, drain it pull the pan stick a new filter in don't forget the rubber grommet that always seems to stay in filter hole, you should have a reusable pan gasket so reuse it do not use the one that come with the filter if it's aftermarket. Theme remove a cooler line probably easiest at the cooler stick both ends into a catch bucket (3-4) gallon , add 8 quarts of trans oil in dipstick, start it, let it idle, and when fluid quits pumping out stop the engine hook your cooler hoses back up. Add 7 quarts trans oil, start it and keep adding until full. Information: a torqueshift can hold 16 quarts empty. I cannot tell you much on the workhorse GM chassis but procedure should be similar

[Waiter21]

Your 2014 will be different than my 2001 (4R100 tranny), but the concept should be the same.

Flush Fill Basics: I drained the tranny, then re-filled with new fluid (about 2 gallons). I then removed the tranny cooler return line and put it in a bucket. This is the line that comes from the cooler and drops fluid back into the tranny pan.

I run the engine until about 4 quarts were pumped into the bucket, I then added four quarts to the tranny. I did this several times until the fluid that was coming out of the return line was nice pretty red.

In all it took about 5 gallons to completely flush the system, and took about 30 minutes

I wrote a short article on how I did this :

Mirada – Ford F53 Transmission flush | 2001 Coachmen Mirada 300QB

..

[icepick]

Originally Posted by CJ7365

Easy peasy, I don't have a F53, but I did read where the engine oil drain plug lies right above the front axle, and some people have made a funnel or have installed a drain valve with a hose on it to prevent the engine oil from draining onto the axle.

If you can change the oil in your car, you can do it on your RV

I thought I was talking about transmission fluid, not engine oil

[icepick]

Originally Posted by Davidjeff

It might help some if you told us Ford or GM chassis.
On Ford there is a drain plug on most torque shift trans pans, drain it pull the pan stick a new filter in don't forget the rubber grommet that always seems to stay in filter hole, you should have a reusable pan gasket so reuse it do not use the one that come with the filter if it's aftermarket. Theme remove a cooler line probably easiest at the cooler stick both ends into a catch bucket (3-4) gallon , add 8 quarts of trans oil in dipstick, start it, let it idle, and when fluid quits pumping out stop the engine hook your cooler hoses back up. Add 7 quarts trans oil, start it and keep adding until full. Information: a torqueshift can hold 16 quarts empty. I cannot tell you much on the workhorse GM chassis but procedure should be similar

I kinda figured if I said I had an F53 chasiss, most would know I meant Ford

[Mark Kovalsky]

Originally Posted by icepick

I try to do my own chassis maintenance. oil changes, grease jobs, and general check ups. Wondered if any of you change your own transmission oil and filters. any big trick to it? I have a 2014 F53.

Yes there is. There is an internal thermostat. So if you don't keep the trans warmer than 200°F while changing the fluid all you can do is change what's in the pan. It takes a heated flush machine to change all of the fluid. And those are very, very rare.

Originally Posted by petewolff

Take it to a shop that has a transmission "flush and fill" machine. What they will do is tap into the transmission cooling lines and pump fresh atf in while pushing the old out.
Does a more through job, in my opinion, and also doesn't disturb the factory installed trans pan gasket.

That won't work on this transmission unless it is a heated machine. This trans has an internal thermostat.

Originally Posted by CJ7365

Easy peasy, I don't have a F53, but I did read where the engine oil drain plug lies right above the front axle,

He was asking about transmission oil, not engine oil.

Originally Posted by marjoa

Take it to a professional shop so they can do a thorough pressurized flush. I use all BG Fluids in all my vehicles including my MH and it will greatly reduce friction & heat build up which will allow your Tranny to run cooler and last longer. Will cost about $50-$75 or so more than a regular tranny flush. Take it to a BG authorized shop, and tell them you want a BG tranny oil change.
https://www.bgprod.com

I would never, never, NEVER allow the chemicals BG uses inside one of my transmissions. You may feel differently. One of us has much more automatic transmission experience than the other.

Originally Posted by Mr_D

If you were asking about an Allison trans I'd repeat the Allison factory warning: "Do NOT use a flushing machine on an Allison transmission".

But this isn't an Allison, so how is that relevant to this discussion?

Originally Posted by Davidjeff

It might help some if you told us Ford or GM chassis.

He said it's an F53 chassis. Ford makes and F53, GM does not.

Originally Posted by Davidjeff

On Ford there is a drain plug on most torque shift trans pans, drain it pull the pan stick a new filter in don't forget the rubber grommet that always seems to stay in filter hole, you should have a reusable pan gasket so reuse it do not use the one that come with the filter if it's aftermarket. Theme remove a cooler line

That's not going to work on this transmission due to the internal thermostat. All that procedure will do is mix the old and new fluids, then some of the mixture will come out of the cooler line. You'll need to do much more than twice the trans fluid capacity to really change the fluid.

Originally Posted by Waiter21

Your 2014 will be different than my 2001 (4R100 tranny), but the concept should be the same.

Well, no, it will NOT be the same. That works on a 4R100 trans, it will not work on the newer transmissions that have internal thermostats.

[CJ7365]

Originally Posted by icepick

I try to do my own chassis maintenance. oil changes, grease jobs, and general check ups. Wondered if any of you change your own transmission oil and filters. any big trick to it? I have a 2014 F53.

Originally Posted by icepick

I thought I was talking about transmission fluid, not engine oil

Guess I read your OP wrong, sorry I replied about the engine oil change.

[Davidjeff]

Originally Posted by icepick

I kinda figured if I said I had an F53 chasiss, most would know I meant Ford

True guess I missed that,, oops

[Davidjeff]

Originally Posted by Mark Kovalsky

Yes there is. There is an internal thermostat. So if you don't keep the trans warmer than 200°F while changing the fluid all you can do is change what's in the pan. It takes a heated flush machine to change all of the fluid. And those are very, very rare.

Even with a heated flush machine you are still useing new oil mixing with current oil to push it out. If the thermostat is not open the return flow from the torque converter is to the pan. The thermostat opens to redirect flow to the cooler for any required cooling. New trans such as this from a cold start of 40 degrees when power stalled can take up to 2 minutes before the TFT sensor will show 180 and when connected to a flush machine the thermostat opens approximately 170 then you will see flow through the sight tubes.


That won't work on this transmission unless it is a heated machine. This trans has an internal thermostat.

Some of this close! but the fluid will flow out one disconnected side until/if it warms to 185 then will reverse flow. I have watched it and know this for a fact.

He was asking about transmission oil, not engine oil.


I would never, never, NEVER allow the chemicals BG uses inside one of my transmissions. You may feel differently. One of us has much more automatic transmission experience than the other.

I am not a believer in BG products but If the OP wants to use it then he is welcome. One thing to consider, BG if used by a shop and documented before 35k first use and the used every 35k after with flush will warranty up to 2k on repairs for life. I have been able to get this 2k and apply it to many trans failures that had occurred for the repairs.

But this isn't an Allison, so how is that relevant to this discussion?


He said it's an F53 chassis. Ford makes and F53, GM does not.

Correct I missed that part, oops!! But no harm

That's not going to work on this transmission due to the internal thermostat. All that procedure will do is mix the old and new fluids, then some of the mixture will come out of the cooler line. You'll need to do much more than twice the trans fluid capacity to really change the fluid.

Some truth in mixing the fluids as you are useing old fluid mixing with new to push it out, essentially diluting the dirty oil but this is the accepted practice since the drain plugs were removed from torque converters regardless of heated or non-heated flush machines.

Well, no, it will NOT be the same. That works on a 4R100 trans, it will not work on the newer transmissions that have internal thermostats.

Not all have internal thermostats, some are mounted externally in a block that the cooler lines pass thru as some of the 4r100 as well, the cooler lines are arranged differently on the 4r100 to the torque shift. And it does still work on all Ford transmissions to date including torque shift 5 and 6 and it also works on the new 10 speed Ford has now, the reason I stated both lines directing to the bucket is to eleminate confusion on know which line will push fluid and when, this will guarantee minimal mess.

Mike I see you are a former Ford engineer and many things you have stated I am not arguing but I have practiced this in the field and the findings are as I have posted. Without the thermobypass valve not opening one might risk leaving old oil in the cooler and lines which I feel would not be more than a couple of quarts. By opening a cooler line the trans will flow opposite until the thermostat opens.