So if one can't drain the torque converter how much Mercon V will be flushed out and how many new quarts are needed?

Anyone know?

my 01 has a factory converter drain plug...

Mine too

So did mine. I believe it was a mid-year decontent job by Ford.

So then may want to add a note that if you own a 01 you may want to check for the drain plug in the converter.

O.k. this is a retarded question, but why not just disconnect the line from the radiator cooler to empty the fluid? Does one push and the other pull the fluid?

Also, since there is no plug for the converter, does that mean that about 12 quarts should come out by the tube connected to the line?

Thanks.

No, there's no 'pull' of fluid and yes, you can just disconnect one line. If you're certain which is the supply and which is the return, you can hook a hose up to just one. I wasn't so I put a hose on both and stuck both in the drain bucket.

As for volume of pumped-out fluid, you'll get the same amount with or without a converter drain plug. The question is - do you want to completely change the fluid (a flush)? If so, you add more fluid to the trans once you've pumped the pan empty, then start the engine again. The new fluid is pumped through the trans and convertor and eventually comes out the cooler line.

The only (but good, nonetheless) reason to pump fluid out of the trans if you have a drain plug is to avoid the trans fluid shower when you're dropping the pan. Draining the converter and the pan gets all the fluid you can without dropping and draining the valve body.

Total volume of the trans remains in the 2 gallon range.

My change was just like this one, except that it included a night with the pan off while I waited to put the valve body back on after the J-mod.

His fluid looked great. Mine looked much worse after 45,000 miles - it smelled OK, but had lots of suspended solids in it that turned it brown.

This is an excellent guide, particularly for someone like me who isn't all that familiar under the hood and needs pretty pictures so I know what I'm looking for.

As far as the cooler lines, from the instructions I see that they apparently connect in different places for pre- and post-'98 models, but do the hoses themselves differ as well? I have a 2000 P74, and they're the two hoses seen in the attached picture that run to near the front of the hood on the passenger side next to the battery, right? If so, they look completely different and appear to be attached completely different than what I assume is the original poster's '97. On my car those lines look like they're about 5/16" - 3/8" themselves, and I'm thinking I'd need to fit them inside of a ~1/2" hose so they can drain*. Does that sound about right? The instructions call for 5/16" hose and I'm just confused on how that size hose will work with my car, unless that size is only for pre-'98 models.

* Either that, or take the return line off the cooler and attach a drain hose to the cooler's outlet, in which case a 5/16" hose would be appropriate.

Also, is it correct that there is no separate fill tube for the transmission fluid and that instead one must use the same tube that the dipstick comes from? The owner's manual doesn't offer any insight on that, and I just want to be sure there isn't a fill tube that's hiding in an even harder to find place than the dipstick.

I need to perform this service on my 96 MGM. If I am going to drop the pan and drain the TQ, doesn't that eliminate the need to disconnect the tranny lines to the radiator?

Yes.

So, I won't cause any damage pumping all the fluid out my tranny via the cooler lines?
How many quarts should I have on hand if I do this along with a filter change? 12qts?

no, unhookm the two small lines in the engine bay area. And put them in a drain pan, and then start motor and watch the fluid pump out and kill motor right when fluid stops pumping.

Hello guys. Just changed the gearbox oil in my 2001 PI. So that plug on the picture doesn't have to be put back somwhere in the transmission?


I couldn't take off TQ bolt for draining it so I assume I don't need to reset PCM?

Thanks for any answer

That plug can be thrown away, it was put into the dipstick tube hole during assembly, and was pushed into the pan when they installed the dipstick tube so no worries about tossing it in the trash.