I have been searching and google seems to give me an endless list of vendors for a ZF 6HP26 oil pan kit. Of those, I don't know which is reputable and some don't state whether their products are aftermarket or OE. I would like to buy:

• Oil pan (plastic)
• Gasket
• T40 Bolts (all of them; I found one place that lists a kit with only 5, don't know how many are needed but the number seems to be near 20?)
• Mechatronic Sleeve connector
• Bridge seal
• The three round cylindrical seals that everyone seems to forget.
• Mercon SP

It doesn't necessarily have to be a kit. I would prefer to buy everything OEM, but if there are any forum approved aftermarket options, I would consider it.

What can I expect to pay at an indie for this service if I chicken out on doing it myself?

 

I found this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-BMW-Aut...d=271994996005

Would you trust it?

 

FCPEuro is always good:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/jag...n-050121624301

 

Geez! If that’s the best on eBay, it’s not a good sign.

Surely the forum sponsor SNG can do better, or Terry’s Jag but are you in that awkward spot where these original parts are no longer available. Needs must, depending on your budget and/or timescale.

i recently did my ZF5HP24 using British Parts, UK, and while I was at it I put in the upgrade Transgo PR valve. For me it was purely a preventative measure, cheap and if I had the tranny pan off, for the ATF change, access to the valve body was easy for switching out the valve. installation was easy.... sort of.

 

Oh geez, I didn't notice that. Thanks for the warning!

 

Thanks! I don't know why I didn't think to check with them before.

 

Go to: thectsc.com for all the needed parts for the tranny service. I have used them and they are excellent.

 

I found a local european parts store that has the plastic OE ZF oil pan for $120, the bolts for $2 a pop, the mechatronic connector sleeve and valve body bridge seals for a combined $20 and sells the Lifeguard6 fluid for $16/Litre.

I also found a Jag indy who will do the job for $75 total. He confirmed that he has prior experience with this transmission in Jags. He is also willing to do the job with Mercon SP although he recommends the Lifeguard.

The only problem is finding the Mercon SP. I found 1 Ford dealer that has only 4 quarts stocked. The other dealers seem to be having problems answering their phones.

 

You will need 6 to 7 quarts of ATF to complete a pan-drop drain-and-fill so if you plan to go with Mercon SP, grab those 4 available quarts and start pressing the Ford dealerships to find 3 more for you....

 

Really Jon in Puerto Rico thats still messed up from Hurricane Maria...…….probably lucky to have that and why the others aren't answering the phone

 

^^ That may be, but I would still press for more supply. The squeaky wheel gets the grease....

 

Unless the grease store gets blown down by a hurricane. Then the squeaky wheel stays squeaky. The store downwind from the grease store gets the grease.

 

Advance Auto Parts has Puerto Rico locations and they carry Motorcraft Mercon SP. Might be worth checking to see if your closest store has some in stock.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks Don. I didn’t think to check with Advanced.

 

Today I got good news and more good news.

Took the car to the Jag indy who is asking $75 for the job. When he dropped the pan and drained the fluid he noted that the fluid was noticeably clean and there were nearly no metal shavings. He said it seems someone had done this service before. He did locate my leak, the mechatronic connector sleeve, a part which I am glad I bought.

I also am having him change the valve body seals. My transmission is going to be leak free and in great shape. I can’t wait for him to finish.

In regards to fluid, I am doing a bit of an experiment. BMW owners with the same ZF 6HP26 are raving about Liqui Moly Toptec 1800 ATF which was designed specifically for the ZF 6HP transmissions. It was $13 a liter. I will report back once I drive the car.

 

I would be very cautious about using the Liqui Moly Top Tec ATF 1800 fluid. It was not created "specifically for the ZF 6HP transmissions." According to Liqui-Moly, Top Tec 1800 is claimed to be "For ZF 6HP19/21/26/28/32, ZF 8HP45/50/55/65/70/75/90/95 and ZF 9HP48 [transmissions]." Here's the Liqui Moly web page:

Liqui-Moly Top Tec ATF 1800

In contradition to Liqui-Moly's claims, ZF does not agree that one type of fluid can work in the 6-speed, 8-speed and 9-speed transmissions. Instead, ZF specifies either Lifeguard 6, Lifeguard 8 or Lifeguard 9 depending on the specific transmission model. You can read ZF's fluid recommendations in this document:

ZF List of Lubricants TE-ML 11

You would think that if Lifeguard 8 was simply better than Lifeguard 6, ZF would recommend LG8 for the 6HP26, but they do not. Likewise, if LG9 was even better, why wouldn't ZF recommend it for the earlier transmissions? They do not. If the manufacturer of the transmissions insists that different fluids are optimal in their different models, how can Liqui-Moly (or Valvoline, etc.) claim that their one fluid can work optimally across such a wide range of transmissions? The short answer is that some compromise must be involved.

Motorcraft Mercon SP is widely available and has been shown by our members to be exactly the same fluid as Lifeguard 6 except for its color, so why would you risk your transmission on anything else?

Cheers,

Don

 

I took the risk because Mercon SP was not available in sufficient quantities on the island and waiting for it to ship was going to take too long. Advanced Auto, as suggested above, only had Mercon V and Mercon LV.

First impressions with the new fluid is that the transmission shifts spectacularly. The shifts are buttery smooth and quick, there are no fault codes, and there is no slipping, nor any weird noises. The gears engage quickly from a stop, including reverse. From these first initial miles it seems everything is perfect.

I will update on the performance of this new fluid, but my initial impressions is that it is good stuff.

 

Any ATF utilized in the 6HP26 transmission must meet the Shell M1375.4 specifications. Mercon SP does. Do you know whether or not Liqui Moly does? If you do not know, I would take the time to find out before I pumped it into my 6HP26....

 

Their website lists it as complying with, among others, BMW M1375.4, which I suspect is the same as Shell M1375.4. I contacted the company and am waiting for their feedback.

 

Liqui-Moly’s website lists it as meeting BMW M-1375.4 specification. Cross referencing BMW M-1375.4 shows that it is interchangeable with Shell Helix M-1375.4.


https://products.liqui-moly.com/oils...tf-1800-1.html

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...222220445#desc