Any Ford trans mechs?

[Tnventurer]

OK guys I know this is not about bikes but I need some help. I have a 96 F150 that I bought with 70,000 miles on it could not find out about trans service done ever. So now it has 154,000 and i have been told for years not to service tranny because it could start slipping, And I had a 78 diesel F250 That I changed thefluid in the same circumstance ,and it started slipping. So I'm in a quandary on what to do. Any thoughts?.....Fred

[Yammer Dan]

I always change the fluid in the automatics I've had.

[Tnventurer]

I know we are supposed to , But after so many miles and not knowing if it was serviced before I got it . Have ya heard of slipping after ya get all the stuff flushed out?

[Midnight Rider]

A friend of mine is a tranny guy. He always told me that if you never serviced your tranny on a regular basis don't start now. If it isn't broke don't try to fix it.

 

Dale

[Tnventurer]

Ive heard the same thing, I appreciate the input, Anyone else want to chime in?....Thanks yall.....fred

[rod]

If the fluid don't smell burnt or tranny slip I would not loose any sleep over it. Rod

[spotsy]

I would mostly agree with Midnight Rider. You could do nothing and still get 200K or more out of it with no problems.

 

If you haven't been servicing it regularly but you just feel the need, then just change the filter and fluid. I would not recommend doing any kind of flushing. Also, please don't have one of the local dealers hook a pressure flush to it because that tends to stir up all the sediment. The problem I have seen, it's stirs up everything and many times it will lead to a failure within 5K or 6K miles because all the sediment is now going through all the bearings and ports.

 

I work with a Fleet and to save costs we no longer service a transmisson unless we have a problem. We regularly sell pickups with 250,000 miles on them and they have never had the transmisson serviced.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Spotsy

[DragonRider]

Service it by dropping pan, draining converter, change filter and gasket,new fluid..........DO NOT FLUSH WITH PRESSURE........It will blow the seals...........how do I know this............503,000 miles, shop did a pressure flush on my tranny..............started leaking, got worse as time went on.............took it to shop, blown seals, had to have all the seals replaced, that lasted a little over 15,000 miles, finally had to have it rebuilt............

[Grandpagak]

A friend of mine is a tranny guy. He always told me that if you never serviced your tranny on a regular basis don't start now. If it isn't broke don't try to fix it.

 

Dale

 

 

this is my belief also..

and i have rarely had a tranny problem.. once on my plow truck.. i have had 35+ ford trucks.. all used

[silvercrew]

I asked my brother that works for ford about servicing the tranny in my truck because I tow a holiday trailer with it and he said unless it has changed color not to do it. Ford does NOT recommend you change the filter anymore or take the pan of for any reason due to contaminents getting into the tranny, just to suck the fluid out and install new back in it. I have only replaced one trans in my life so far and that was due to a quick lube place not checking the fluid at service time in my standard truck.

[Guest KitCarson]

I am sometimes amazed at all the rumors that seem to become fact about bikes.....cars......when it is all just basic common sense.....pull the pan wipe it clean....that takes care of the so called contaminants in the tranny, change the filter....put in new fluid.......I cannot even comprehend what or how the rumor got started that would hurt anything.......unless years ago when they had fluid other than like the dextron we have now........running older fluid, changing to new type........I figure that was when this rumor got started.

Bottom line is with ford vehicles......at least ford 3500 work trucks....it really does not matter what you do........that transmission is going to shell out before 100.000 miles in any event. That overdrive and the planatery gear will be lying in pieces in the bottom of the tranny...........I tried 3 of them.....pulled the wires off the modulator last two so it could not even shift into overdrive..........still both ford trucks had bad transmissions before 100,000 miles........bought a ford van.........sitting at a stop light with 4000 miles on it, get ready to go and nothing, motor revs up.....you just sit there....another tranny out!!! Got that fixed up ........going around a corner...missed my turn.......hit the brakes hard........nothing.......both feet on the brakes.......well maybe one was just trying to put a hole in the floorboard........come to find out ......van had plastic pistons in the calipers....had melted and chosen that time to freeze up............Ford is now a dirty word.........I use Chevy.....put some energizer batteries under the hood........they are like the pink rabbit.........they just keep going........

[Jethroish]

I have to agree with the "Don't do it," group.

I have a 1996 Dodge truck that I never touched. For some stupid reason, I decided to change the tranny filter at about 120,000 mile. By 150,000 the convertor was slipping and had to get a new tranny.

 

The exception to that would be, if the tranny is slow to engage when cold, then the fliter may be dirty and not allowing the thicker, cold fluid to pass through easily. I had that happen to me on an Olds Cutlass many years ago. Dropped the pan and the filter was filthy. The problem cleared up. I don't know if it started slipping or not because I sold the car a few months later.

 

Ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Squidley]

A friend of mine is a tranny guy. He always told me that if you never serviced your tranny on a regular basis don't start now. If it isn't broke don't try to fix it.

 

Dale

 

I agree with Dale on this one also, my friend did GM trannys for many years and has said the same thing. I did exactly the opposite on a Ford van and changed the fluid out less than 3K later the trans was slipping. Let it be until it pukes and then worry about if it's worth it to rebuild it.

[Condor]

Bottom line is with ford vehicles......at least ford 3500 work trucks....it really does not matter what you do........that transmission is going to shell out before 100.000 miles in any event.

 

Yep... Consider yourself lucky that you've gotten 153K out of the tranny. Ford truck trannies are the pits.... "100K and DOA....." Keep running it, and then service when it's toast.

[Tnventurer]

Ok guys , Will do . It shifts great now with that many miles on it and I pull a travel trailer. So I will take your advice. Love this place!......Fred

[Squidley]

Ok guys , Will do . It shifts great now with that many miles on it and I pull a travel trailer. So I will take your advice. Love this place!......Fred

 

 

Fred,

 

What you could do, if it doesn't already have one, is install a trans cooler. This helps keep the temp down and will assist in making the trans last as long as possible seeing your pulling stuff with it

[flb_78]

If it's never been serviced and has more than 75,000 on it, don't touch it. The new fluid will break up all the varnish and other crap that's built up and plug up the valve body. I had an 89 Buick with 265,000 with the original trans and it had never been serviced. Hell, we didn't put spark plugs in it until 235,000 miles!!! 3 of the plugs had no ground left and the other 3 had the electrode burnt done into the porcelain. The car had a miss and the new plugs didn't fix it, it was a bad coil pack.