Any ideas why this link isn't working for me? Just says page cannot be found.

Thanks

 

This is the link my last post was referring to. Doesn't seem to open anything now. Any ideas out there?

Jules

 

It's working now!!! I'm going back to bed...

 

+10
Mercon SP is bomb! Did a flush with new pan, getting about 6.5 quarts in there. Fluid and magnets were clean, but had 50K on them since last service.

My lazy 2-1 shift is gone...completely. And it used to bug the crap out of me.
Tranny runs and shifts perfectly now...I'm a believer.

If you haven't done it, do it.

 

Is this the correct Mercon fluid?

Thanks

 

No, you need Mercon SP. LV supersedes SP in all applications except the 6HP26 and another Ford transmission application.

 

Thanks - glad I asked. This looks more like it.

 

Yep, that's the correct one.

 

I got a case of this fluid and just noticed the Mercon SP is red fluid. It also says it's compatible with Dextron III. A jag mechanic I know who went to a training course on the ZF transmission in Europe was warned specifically against using "that red fluid" (generically speaking), and said they repeatedly stressed never to use anything other than the ZF fluid.

Yes, I know, this could be nothing more than standard corporate pedantry, but I've been down this road before. I did a filter and fluid swap on my '97 XK8 with the 5HP24, it worked well thereafter (but made a little more whiny noise) for about 20k miles before biting the dust for good. I used a red synthetic brand (can't recall offhand which one it was) that others swore by. It isn't clear to me whether the filter/fluid swap accelerated or postponed the breakdown, but as with all 5HP24s, it eventually self destructed. Point is, if it's a choice between a couple of hundred bucks now or several thousand later, I may just bite the bullet and go with the ZF fluid, which I found here thanks to a earlier mention in this and other threads. A couple of things I didn't find in other threads:

Beyond whether it's better or worse, can anyone say for certain the Mercon SP is even compatible with ZF Lifeguard6?

Also, is it truly necessary to replace the sleeve, as I've seen mentioned in some other threads?

Thanks

 

As with other industries, in the car business "built under license" part does not necessarily mean they are making the exact same transmission, though. The VW Bugs made in Mexico were not the same as the ones made in Germany, for example.

Thus, Ford could well be using different (US sourced) alloys, different (hopefully more durable for a truck?) specs, and parts just different enough to require a slightly altered fluid formula. So far, it sounds like people have had good luck with MerconSP but I'm still a bit paranoid.....

 

If you read the FAQs from the web site where you found the fluid, it describes how to replace the sleeve. It requires the pan to be off so a locking tab can be depressed. And yes, I believe leaks at the sleeve are not uncommon.

PS: Also, as your car is an 03, chances are you have the earlier pan screws that require the small Torx bit. Some will round off when removed. The later cars came with better screws. You might want to consider replacing all of them with the later version.

 

Thanks, I will check if the sleeve is leaking, but based on the details in the replacement procedure you pointed out, if it's ok I may not mess with it until next change.

As for the bolts, thanks for that too - it may warrant an extra can of liquid wrench to prepare them for removal.

Found some more info about the fluids where some guy sent samples to Blackstone for comparison. They are almost identical except for color and some very slight variations in chemicals. Blackstone said those differences could be attributed to inconsistencies in production runs and not deliberate spec changes.

 

If you are replacing the pan/filter at this juncture, you might as well change the sleeve and replace the screws. This way, next time, you can do just a drain and refill without messing with the pan. As you know, there is no easy way to completely drain the fluid, some of the old fluid will remain (easily 3 liters or more). This is why a more frequent drain and refill is such an attractive proposition with the cheaper Mercon SP. Just my opinion. Your wallet, your choice, of course.

PS: Liquid wrench is probably going to disappoint. The screws are upside-down, and have to go through the plastic pan before threading in the transmission. I ended up using a chisel to free some of mine.

 

It is not that difficult to do a flush of the system and get 99% of the fluid.

You need two people and you need access to the transmission cooler lines.

I did this and posted how to do it a while ago and btw used the ZF recommended fluid, which really was not that much more expensive, for peace of mind.
After doing a "normal" drain and fill I detached the "out" transmission pipe from the transmission cooler where it attaches to the transmission and started the engine for less than 2 seconds and about a quart of old fluid was flushed.
I used a plastic "deflector" to deflect the fluid into a large pan.

Then pumped a quart of new fluid in. I kept this up until clean fluid was expelled and did the normal check on the level at the correct temperature.

You need the second person to start and stop the engine to limit the amount of fluid loss to about a quart at a time.

I did the sleeve as well as its not that expensive or difficult to change even tho mine was not leaking. Again for peace of mind.

 

Does anybody have a part number for the T40 pan bolts? SNG Barratt has them but they can't tell whether they are T27 or T40 from the catalog. They only index by the last 6 digits of the VIN number, so I'm guessing the ones for my car are like what I already have - the T27s.

Unless I can give him a part number - or the last 6 of a newer car (2004-2006)

Anyone?

 

The place where you found the fluid has them here, probably genuine ZF: oil-pan-screw-plastic-oil-pan-28-10. Part# is 0736 101 486 01

As usual on the Internet, for anyone finding a product at a certain price, someone else can find it cheaper...

eBay has a number of listings as well, with cheap pans, some coming with all the bolts and a gasket. I assume they are not all stamped with the ZF brand...

 

Thanks - I just went out and double checked; lo and behold, my car already has the T40 bolts and after trying a few, they loosen easily with a hand tool. Guess I got lucky, as the car hasn't seen a lot of foul weather driving.

 

In my post I have corrected what I originally posted.

You need to detach the out/return pipe from the transmission cooler where it goes into the transmission. That way you clean out the transmission cooler.

 

I have the car all up on jack stands, ready to go, with all the right parts and ZF fluid. I just went underneath the car to ensure the fill plug would come loose without too much effort, when I noticed tool marks on the plug - it's been removed before.

I knew the previous owner had a torque converter replaced by the dealer at about 46k miles as a result of a defect (covered in this technical bulletin), so I figured the tool marks were the result of topping off any fluid taken out during that process.

After verifying from the receipt that there were 5 quarts of fluid replaced during the torque converter swap, I found another receipt where the same owner needed to have the pan replaced not even a thousand miles earlier. During that work he also had the sleeve replaced and 5 qts of fluid added by the same dealership. He also had the T27 bolts replaced with T40 bolts, which explains why my earlier model car has these.

So - I'm in much better shape than I realized. The car is at 62k miles - with a pan/filter replacement and what amounts to a full fluid flush with 10 quarts added, I'm thinking it's unnecessary to do another pan and filter swap right now. I'm a bit bummed I wasted time before re-examining the pile of receipts provided when I bought the car, but most of what I bought can be returned. The dilemma is whether to just keep everything until I need it, but not sure when would be the appropriate time to perform this work again. 100k?

FYI, for those still wondering about fluids, I also found another fluid with the same part code as what was on the dealer receipt - at a very reasonable price.

 

Hi all. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Delirious New Year!

Well, I've hit two big milestones: 30,000 miles on the MERCON SP, and 200,000 miles overall. (Amazing)

The only two anomalies that weren't fixed completely with the switch to MERCON were the morning surging until warm, and a slightly "thumpy" upshift to 2nd when pulling away from a full stop. Of those, those the thumpy shift to 2nd "may" be a bit worse - I'm keeping an eye on it, and the morning surging is the least it's ever been in the 100,000 miles I've driven the car - even on cold winter mornings with the fluid temperature starting out in the 30s(F).

The surge & thump in to 5th gear has disappeared completely, as have ALL the other shifting anomalies and odd noises. I think even the kick-down functions have steadily improved - they occur easily and without any excitement.

MERCON SP still gets my Thumbs-Up for use in a 200,000 mile 6HP26 transmission.

Someone in this thread mentioned that he was warned off of using "The Red Stuff" in the 6HP and he was concerned because MERCON SP is red. That warning may have been in reference to RedLine6, with which I wasn't happy at all. As I've said before, all the problems I had after a shop put in the RedLine fluid "might" have been attributable to an incorrect fluid level, but I'm never going to use the RedLine again.