So last night I was doing my complete system fluid replacement as I have finally hit the 25K mark on the odometer and I am the uber-maintenance freak like Rich (wynthrop). I repolaced my tranny filter and immeadiatley had a air leak noise coming from the pan. Lesson learned DO NOT BUY ANYTHING OTHER THAN MOTORCRAFT FOR TRANNY FILTER. I will be replacing the other one again tonight when I drive back out to my buddies to use the lift. So no I am out for the **** new filter, the 10 or more quarts of fluid so far, plus the 30$ for the new tranny filter and 18$for the new gasket plus the additional fluid I will have to readd again. SONOFABATCH this has me a little upset. I am now out 40$ in fluid, I dont remember the cost of the other filter plus the new filter and gasket. That is one spending tranny service for a do-it-yourself. Plus I still have to pay my buddy for renting his shop again tonight. :(

Hopefully tonight goes better. I am in such a poor mood today.

 

why do you need a shop or a lift? you can do it in the yard!

 

i had the same proble form my explorer

 

agree'ed i have done quite a few trans gaskets and filter changes in the driveway with a jack.

 

You can reuse the new fluid you just put in. You just need a clean catch bucket or can. Just be glad your only tranny problems are fluid and gaskets, not torque converter, clutch pack, and tail shaft bearing. Fluids are much cheaper than most tranny repairs!

 

I live in a Townhouse community with very particular rules, so driving out to my buddies and renting his lift and tools is much easier than the headache of the rest of the owners b!tching about doing the work in the yard. This is the major downside to living in a "retirement community" I do have a garage but no room to work in it, its more like a storage bin. I can fit the truck in but you can barely open the doors to get out. But I am stuck here for a year and it protects me from the elements.

 

I have caught the majority of it and I am thankful that it is only a filter issue, just frustrated because it was supposed to be just a quick simple repair, now its a two day affair. But thats ok, like you stated it could have been much worse.

 

I put a drain plug in my tranny pan at 20k. From then on I just drain it (4qts) and refill every 10k. Up around 100k I'll change the filter again.

Rich

 

And yet another reason i got a 5-speed! :)

 

I'd rather have an auto in my truck.