Hi all, hope everyone is well, had my father in the hospital and then the thought was hospice but because he was so great to me and my kids, brought him home to my place to be with his family.
Not fun changing his diapers and washing you know what when done, but hey, he did it for me a long time ago.

Finally got around to changing the Trans fluid because its been about 50 thousand since the new trans was put in.
And recently it has felt like the trans has been slipping a little bit like a belt on a wheel not grabbing right away.
Thanks very much to Grant Francis for some guidance on changing the fluid and the other posts on the site.

Anyway put it up on stands and took out the drain plug and out poured perfectly colored trans fluid, not the dirty stuff I was expecting so kind of happy and sad thinking hopefully maybe the fluid was the issue.

Going to let it drain until tomorrow and then re-fill.
I thought about the slipping and I do remember our dog while in the car bumped the gear shift which moved it ever so slightly out of drive. became disengaged and was just a bit out of drive.
Now on occasion if I do not make sure it is in drive completely have a little slipping so could it be a cable not making things connect correctly?

Was going to do the repair posted on the site with those springs and internal filter but because the fluid was so clean if I do not have to take the cover off because those springs are not the issue, why do it.

Anything come to mind on why it could be slipping just a bit? Does not do it all the time so thinking something to do with the shift in drive not going in all the way but not sure. Thanks.

 

Understand your fathers plight. Lost my mom last August. She wanted to be with us, so hospice at my brothers house. As for the slight trans. slip: R U sure it's slipping rather than surging? Any 200+ rpm surging from start through warmup? If yes, then torque converter or O2 sensor. Can the trans. rebuild shop pressure test her?

 

Thanks for looking after your father. So many folk now just unload oldies and walk away.

Very insightful about changing his nappies. In many ways we're less hardened faced with a baby's poop as young folk.

Anyway, I've put some line breaks into your post to help make it easier to follow.

 

Sorry about your mom. Just spoke to wife and she thinks its a surging rather then a slipping. And yes it could have been start to warmup because she just got into car and drove it without warmup. When I replaced the trans, I had bought a re-built and then had a guy and his dad do it who are very good with working on Trans and do it in his fathers garage. His dad had worked for a trans shop before retiring. Not sure if he has the tools at his house to pressure test though. I do have a card reader so would the 02 sensor show up on a test? It is fairly drained and a little surprised at not seeing more fluid then I see now in the pan I have under the car. Poured it into a 1 gallon cranberry jug and it looks like about 3 and 1/2 quarts or a little less. Here is a pic of what came out.



Also on another thread here, I remember reading a post about doing something when under the car near the trans. tightning something maybe? Forget the thread.

 

I'd guess you're thinking about changing the electrical connector to the transmission which needs the pan off.

 

But that and the trans bolts are for the ZF 6HP26.

This one (5R55N) also doesn't like being short of fluid - if it was - and another issue can be the trans cable stretching bit by bit. May adjust. Otherwise needs replacing.

 

Amadeuss, that's not enough trans. fluid. Does the Ford 5 speed have a trans. dip stick? Theyr'll be a few quarts in the torque converter too. Perhaps do a complete pan drop then refill.

 

no dip stick. My thought is their is fluid still in the torque converter. But my issue now is I drained out about 4 quarts and now trying to re-fill and after a quart and 3/4 put back in, it is dripping out the bleed hole in the drain plug. That drain plug determines the amount of fluid based on its size going into the pan. My only thought could be when the guy installed the re-built trans, he over filled? Not sure now what to do.

 

Re-filling is a multi-stage process:

1. Refill until it starts to run out again,then

2. Start the engine, run through all gear lever positions, get it up to 45-50°C then top up until it starts to trickle out, then you're done.

 

Thanks. Filled, ran through gears, up to temp, turned off, filled again, ran thru gears, make sure temp is right filled again. Good to go. Hope this fixes my issues. Did not feel the surge when I went for test drive but time will tell. Car was warmed up and the respnses have been it will surge more when cold. Still going to keep my eye on possible 02 sensor or torque converter.

 

NO NO NO - you need to do the 2nd top-up after cycling through the gears WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING

 

+1 on that. Rick said as much, too.

 

To adjust shifter or check it at least. Put the lever in nuetral, move back and forth to feel how much slack is on both sides. The play needs to be even on both sides of nuetral. Check the cable sheath underneath the car. If you can see its pulled out of the sheath where its crimped, it needs to be replaced. If you cable is original it may need to replaced anyway. they get stif over time and lead to harder shifting as does a gummy gear shifter slide inside the shifter.

 

Sorry for sounding foolish but Just to confirm, pull the filler plug and do the top off with the fluid while the engine is running? or go through the gears while engine running after first fill and then shut car off and re-fill to right level? Thanks

 

Engine must be running in Park while you top off through the filler hole. This should be done at 35C - 40C trans oil temperature, or warm/hot-to-touch. If you top off while engine off, you will under fill the transmission.

Obvious note of safety here: ensure the car is securely hoisted either on ramps or jack stands as the engine will be on and transmission shifted through gears.