30K mile preventative maintenance

[osteodoc08]

was thinking of changing the transmission, transfer case and diff oils now that I’m at 30k miles as preventative maintence. Oils are cheap, unseen water intrusion or other issues leading to failure is not.

 

[scottdm]

Transfer case and diff oil should be relatively straightforward, but you may want to research changing fluid in the transmission. Often times with modern transmissions that fluid has to be up to temperature and exchanged using a special machine at the dealer to achieve the correct level of fluid since there is often no transmission dipstick. There is also likely a screen on the pickup for the transmission pan that is changed when the fluid is changed.

 

[TobyU]

Not when most places do the trans service!! This is why I hate the invention of the flush machine. It's nice to get most all of fluid out but you can run more through until you have replaced all same as they do....BUT it is MUCH MORE important to change filter and clan pan.
They made the machine to make it easier for them, THEN charge more and act like it is a better service.

 

[scottdm]

Not when most places do the trans service!! This is why I hate the invention of the flush machine. It's nice to get most all of fluid out but you can run more through until you have replaced all same as they do....BUT it is MUCH MORE important to change filter and clan pan.
They made the machine to make it easier for them, THEN charge more and act like it is a better service.

Still pretty hard to get the fluid out of the torque converter by just dropping the transmission pan, so a combination of cleaning the pan/replacing the filter screen and then doing a full flush seems like it would be ideal to get all new fluid in the torque converter and still get the debris out of the transmission pan.

 

[TobyU]

Still pretty hard to get the fluid out of the torque converter by just dropping the transmission pan, so a combination of cleaning the pan/replacing the filter screen and then doing a full flush seems like it would be ideal to get all new fluid in the torque converter and still get the debris out of the transmission pan.

Few shop or quick lube places will do that though.

Most do it themselves after the jerks stopped putting drain plugs on converters. That was a big plus for fords.
Unhook one line going to rad and pump old out as you add new and get to all new, plus pan drop and filter.

 

[st381183]

The problem is there is no tranny dipstick (hehehe) to confirm tranny fluid level and no easy place to add the fluid. Last I saw the fill hole was on top of the tranny and difficult to get to.

 

[TobyU]

The problem is there is no tranny dipstick (hehehe) to confirm tranny fluid level and no easy place to add the fluid. Last I saw the fill hole was on top of the tranny and difficult to get to.

Yes, I was going to mention in last post that it is a pain to keep adding fluid but you just have to rig a tube and a pump or run tube up and hook to bottles or gallon so you can squeeze in fairly quickly.
If I had a free flush machine use etc ok, but I'm not going to pay them 79.99 and way + to do hat I can do for the cost of fluid.
Some do the 2-3 frequent pan drops to approach 100 fluid change.
You never actually get 100% of all the old fluid out. You are diluting it though and can do estimates as many have done.
50% 1st time, then 2nd...etc pan drops are typically 4-6 qts on vehicles so you can do the math to see how far you want to go as it approaches 100% replacement.

 

[ExplorerTom]

What's the owners manual say for 30k mile maintenance?

 

[lbv150]

Buy the dipstick tube that mounts on the firewall from Summit Racing, also change the pan to cast aluminum with a drain plug. There can't get any easier than that.

 

[cekkk]

30k? Gonna flidh the brake fluif and replace your gorley filters too?

seriously, as a four Ford Expedition owner with only one transmission problem inside of warranty, I wouldn't start thinking about that for another 70,000 miles.