[sewiv]

So, apparently on New Year's Day of 2007, I changed my transmission fluid and filter, and took a bunch of pictures. Then I apparently ignored those pictures for a long time, until about July of 2007, when I resized and cropped them. Then I ignored them some more, until tonight, when I uploaded them to Supermotors, and wrote this howto. Whaddaya want for free, anyway? :rofl: (Thanks to DEMIGOD for the final kick in the butt to get this thing done.)

Here we go, then, changing fluid and filter on an E4OD (including the torque converter) (specifically my 1994 5.0L MAF XLT, not that that makes much difference in this case):

First things first, safety safety safety. Set your parking brake, and since I don't trust your parking brake, chock your wheels. Some things that we will do in this writeup will require your transmission to possibly be in gear with not quite enough fluid in it, which means it could roll uncontrollably as though it were in neutral. Set the parking brake and chock the wheels.

Wear gloves. I wear these:

Wear eye protection, goggles or face shield or whatever.

You'll want quite a large drain pan. I use this one:

A goodly amount of cardboard to protect your work floor would be helpful, too.

You'll need a filter replacement kit, preferably one that includes a new gasket. I like the rubber gaskets, myself. Some people prefer the cork. (I have no idea why I didn't take a picture of the filter kit part number.)

Edit:
need4racin gave this filter part number info:

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT113 - 2wd E4OD

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT114 - 4x4 E4OD, 2wd & 4x4 4R100

end of edit

You'll need some Mercon compatible transmission fluid (rather a lot, really). This is what I use:

I buy 2 cases of it (24 quarts). Stated capacity of the E4OD is 16.2 US quarts, but with the added external filter and large cooler, I figure it's better to have plenty of extra. Ford specifies Mercon, but I believe that a TSA came out recently that said that Mercon-V is usable in transmissions that formerly required Mercon. I just buy Mercon-compatible and leave it at that. You can do as you like, just don't blame me.

If you haven't already installed a filter clip, get one now and install it during this filter change. The E4OD is known for the filter dropping out of the valve body into the pan, and causing problems. The best-known symptom of this is that the truck stalls whenever you shift into reverse. There's a simple fix, though, and here it is:

Inside that package you will find a couple of these simple sheetmetal clips, and a single page of instructions.

You only need one clip per transmission. I think I paid $4 for 2, plus shipping.

(That link is http://www.superior-transmission.com.)

(Wait, no, that's the manufacturer and they don't sell retail. Here's where I bought them: http://www.transmissioncenter.net/e4od.htm)

My old pan is missing something.

A drain plug. I bought a new pan from Ford for about $45 or so. (You don't have to, and if you don't, just ignore the stuff in here about "new pan/old pan".)

(for searching purposes, that's an E4OD/4R100 4x4 trans pan with drain plug, part # F81Z-7A194-BA )

Looks like this:

Pull out the dipstick, clean it, and set it aside someplace where you won't bend or lose it. My dipstick looks like this:

and fits in here (on the passenger side of the engine):

We'll start by draining the torque converter. (You don't have to drain the TC every time you change your fluid, but it's pretty easy.) The TC is bolted to the flexplate on the back of the engine, and spins with the engine. The drain plug is in the "side" of the torque converter, and we'll need to turn the engine over to line the plug up with the access hole. Here's the access hole cover (circled in red) in the bottom of the bell housing:

It's a rubber plug. Use caution removing it, so that you don't push it into the bell housing, and so that all the gunk that has collected above it doesn't cover your face when you get it out. If you do push it into the bell housing, you can remove the dust cover behind the exhaust crossover and get it back out.

I'm lazy, so I use the electric motor that the Ford Motor Company kindly attached to the engine to turn it. (You could also put a wrench on the balancer bolt on the front of the crankshaft, but for me this is easier.) See http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63592 for instructions on how to hook up your remote ignition switch (and disconnect the coil wire, just to be sure), then dangle the switch down where you can reach it under the truck and it won't get caught in any belts or anything.

You need to bump the engine around until the drain plug shows up in the access hole.

Position your drain pan, and unscrew that bolt just like any other drain plug. I think it's a 10mm head on mine.

Let it drain out for a while.

After it's pretty much drained out, put the plug back in (don't crank on it, just put it in so it doesn't leak), and put the access hole cover back in place. (If the access hole cover won't stay in place, use a little RTV on it.)

Now we can start on the transmission pan itself. It's got 20 10mm bolts all around the perimeter. Loosen all of them a half-turn or so. Pick a corner, and remove the bolts nearest that corner. Then loosen each bolt moving away from the corner, so that the whole pan tilts towards that corner. You're going to want your drain pan ready, and have plenty of cardboard down. You may need to pry on the edge of the pan a bit to get the gasket to let loose. Don't bend the lip of the pan or scratch the sealing surface on the transmission.

If you're not careful (and a little lucky), this whole process can make a pretty big mess.

Once you've got the pan off, you can see that there's not much difference between the two. The old pan is on top, and it has a divot where the magnet sits, whereas the new pan has a slightly larger sump area, a drain plug, and a couple of divots over on the right there, that help to hold up the filter. (If you're not replacing the pan, clean it really well with brake cleaner or something similar.)

The new pan doesn't come with a magnet, so you'll need to clean up the one in your old pan and move it over to the new one. (Oddly enough, it fits perfectly around the drain plug. Almost as if someone had designed it that way. Weird.)

Getting back to the filter change, here's what you see with the pan off. Make sure you carefully clean the gasket surface on the transmission. Don't nick it, if you have to scrape it (which hopefully you don't), use a plastic tool.

That black plastic tube-ish thing is the filter fluid pickup. The filter is the flat ribbed silver thing above it.

Pull it out. It's just a friction fit.

Once it's out, you're looking at the valve body and shift solenoid pack.

Let it drain for a while. It'll drip from all over.

START OF OPTIONAL SECTION. SKIP IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN EXTERNAL TRANNY FILTER.

While it's draining, you can change your external filter (assuming you have installed one. If you haven't, search this site and do it).

You should change the external filter every time you change your oil, and every time you change your internal filter.

First, you need a small drain pan or drip tray. Position it under your remote filter mount.

Here's my mount from above:

and below:

Once your drip tray is in place, just spin off the old filter. It should come off easily, though you may need to use an oil filter wrench if you put it on too tight last time, or failed to oil the gasket. Keep it upright and it won't even make much of a mess.

Clean up the mount with a rag, making sure your old gasket isn't stuck to it, then get out your new Motorcraft FL1-A (or whatever filter you happen to be using on your external mount, there are a lot of choices) and a bottle of new transmission fluid.

Fill up the filter with new tranny fluid. It'll take a while to sink down into the filter, so go slow, in several stages. Make sure you coat the entire gasket with new tranny fluid as well.

Take the new filter, and spin it onto the mount. Once the filter gasket contacts the gasket surface on the mount, turn it another half-turn or so, just tight enough that it doesn't leak (just like an oil filter).

Now that the external filter change is done, and you've let the valve body drain for a while, let's get back to the internal filter change.

END OF OPTIONAL SECTION

Check out your new internal filter, make sure it looks like the old one.

Wait a minute! What's that orange thing? The filter I pulled out didn't have that.

Well, that's your filter seal. It always seems to get left behind in the valve body.

You can carefully remove it with a hooked pick. Be careful not to nick the inside of the hole that it's stuck in.

Once you've removed the old seal, you can lube up the new seal with some fresh tranny fluid, and slide the new filter into place.

Now that it's in place, we can install the filter clip. It's held on with one of the valve body bolts, which I believe are 8mm.

I'm pretty sure that, according to the directions,

it's this one

right here:

Yup, that seemed to work.

Okay, filter's back in place, so now we just need to get the new gasket and pan in place. Use a light coat of heavy grease, like axle or bearing grease, to hold the gasket in place on the pan. It'll make your life a LOT easier.

(There's grease on the top side of the gasket only because I dropped it putting it into place. It behaved a lot like buttered bread.)

Put the pan in place, and screw in the 20 bolts that hold it on. Don't crank them down, they just need to hold the pan in place and not leak. If the rubber seal is squeezing out between the bolt holes, the bolts are way too tight. Tighten them in a pattern, too, in several stages. Don't just crank one down and move on to the one next to it. Haynes says 10-14 ft-lbs (using a torque wrench, not just guessing), and moving in a diagonal pattern (so, one corner, then the opposite, and so on).

Here it is, in all its glory.

(Yeah, that drain plug is kind of low. I'd rather it was on the side of the sump, but what can you do?)

Now that everything is buttoned up, it's time to refill the transmission. Put a long funnel in the dipstick hole and start dumping in the new fluid. (While the bottles are draining in, you can disconnect the remote starter switch and reconnect the coil wire.)

I usually put in a full case (12 quarts) (assuming I drained the torque converter), then start the engine. Don't rev it up, just let it idle for a minute or two. Check the pan gasket (and the external filter, if you have one) for leaks while it's idling. Then, with your foot on the brake (and the parking brake on and the wheels chocked), shift into each gear for about 20 seconds, and back to neutral. Check the level of the trans fluid (with the engine running, in neutral), and add enough to bring it up to the bottom hole on the dipstick. (edit: The crosshatched area on the dipstick is only 1 pint (1/2 bottle) "high". Don't over-fill.) If you have to add more than a quart, go through the gears again. You'll be able to tell when you are getting enough fluid in there, because you'll be able to feel the transmission actually shift into gear when you move the selector.

After you are getting solid gear engagement, and the level is at least at the lowest hole on the dipstick, drive around gently for about 15 minutes, to get the tranny up to temperature. (Don't forget about your wheel chocks.) If you feel any slippage, stop and add some fluid. Don't add more than half a pint (a quarter of a bottle) at a time. Once it's warmed up, make sure that the fluid level is showing in the crosshatches on the dipstick.

There you go. Easy-peasy, no?

Coming up: Front and rear differentials, transfer case, and lubing your rear slipshaft for fun and profit.

 

[sewiv]

From the bottom of the cross hatch, to the top is one pint. Not one quart. So be careful doing that.

Yup, important point. Also, it doesn't need to be at the top of the crosshatches, just *in* the crosshatched section.

The dipstick says check fluid, warm idling in park. Why do they recommend this? It's easier to read the dipstick in neutral.

What difference does it make? Isn't park just neutral with the parking pawl engaged?

Instead of grease for the pan gasket, I always use rtv, any color. Put amount that back of the bottle says and then lay the gasket down on it. Get it all straight and perfect and let the pan sit there for 20 mins drying. I always found that the easiest because the gasket doesn't move when you install the pan.

It didn't move when I put it on just using grease.

E4od with flat pan holes can use rubber gaskets, but e4od with raise spots around the bolts need a cork gasket.

Good information, and all the more reason to get a new pan, in my opinion.

When i bought the e4od filter clip the current price was $6 plus shipping. It was $8 to ship me two clips. So it ended up costing me $21 to have to filter clips shipped to me. Kinda expensive, but worth it.

Ouch. I think I paid $28 shipped with two cans of trans line flush.

 

[sewiv]

How often mileage wise do you plan to do your next tranny service Sandy, and will it just be a fluid drain?

The book says 60K miles or 5 years for a filter change. Probably, with the drain plug, I'll just do a fluid change before winter this year (don't remember what the mileage is at right now, I haven't driven it much lately), and let the internal filter go another year or so.

Edit: In looking at NAPA's gasket/filter kits (and having purchased them twice before) I'm pretty sure I've been putting on the rubber gasket (which I prefer as well) but with the raised spots around the holes. oopps, well, it's not leaked, but I'll have to look into this. I'd just buy the new pan, but don't want that drain bolt right at the bottom.

I'm pretty sure my old pan had the flat holes. You can have it if you want, for the cost of the trip, and put your own drain plug in it. The magnet dimple would be a good place to drill, probably. It's on the side of the sump. I can check the holes later.

 

[sewiv]

I was looking at the NAPA catalog last week and they list a filter kit with cork gasket
and an upgraded kit with rubber neoprene gasket.

Depends on your drain pan. Some want cork, some want rubber. I *think* the neoprene gasket will work with either, but I can't guarantee it. What does NAPA say?

Question: should you drain the external filter lines or it doesn't matter?

Not enough in there to matter.

On another tranny post, someone recommended using a cleaner called
Kooler Klean by Lubegard. Did you ever use this? I went to Advance, Zone, Pep Homos and nobody carries it.

I bought some Cooler Flush stuff, from the same site that I bought the clips, but I never used it. You can use it if you like. I'd disconnect both cooler lines from the transmission and use it that way, so that you get the whole length of the cooling system. I'm not sure what it'll necessarily do for you if you aren't having problems, though, other than maybe flush out a little crud from the cooler. I'd certainly use it before I replaced a transmission that blew, because that puts all kinds of crud into the lines.

Are the filter clips mail order only?

I've never seen them anywhere else. You can read the site on that first image of the instruction sheet, that's where I got them.

 

[Need4racin]

no, only one filter clip comes in a box for $6 + shipping. I bought two since we have two e4od trucks in the family.

You can buy trans pan drain plugs at advanced auto for $2.

Looks just like this.

All you have to do is drill a 1/2 hole in the pan. Use some loctite on the part that holds the drain plug to the pan. You will understand what I'm talking about when you put a drain plug in.

 

[sewiv]

I might take you up on that. Seems like someone else has drilled their own hole for a drain. just not sure how you would tap thin steel like that or if that would even be needed. You said you were sent 2 filter clips? so maybe your spare can ride along for a minimal added fee? kinda strange they send 2 in a box?

They come 2 in a box, I dunno why. Lemme see what it'll cost to replace, since I've got another E4OD I was thinking about rebuilding.

(Edit: Now they come only one in a box from the second link I posted above. $6 + shipping, as noted above. The manufacturer says they come 2 to a box, and I know there were two in my box. Maybe someone's shanghai-ing one of them somewhere along the way.)

Sixlitre put a drain plug in his AOD, he just welded a nut inside the pan. Or you can use a universal plug like is shown above.

From the pictures above, the holes are flat on the old pan, but there are ridges between them. I don't know if that matters, I don't think so. I had a rubber gasket on there, you can see it in the pictures.

Got your old front ABS sensor shields? I need a couple of those.

 

[s1120]

Shouldn't the e4od take MV fluid???

 

[sewiv]

What's MV?

The manual specs Mercon. In a talk I had with a Ford transmission engineer, he said the best way to kill a transmission was to put the wrong fluid in it.

 

[s1120]

Sorry... I ment Mercon V ie 5

 

[sewiv]

Until very recently, Mercon V was NOT specified for the E4OD. I remember seeing a TSA about Mercon V replacing all old Mercon specs, but I'd have to see it again to remember the details.

I just use Mercon-compatible, it's what's specified in the owner's manual.

 

[Need4racin]

I ordered a motorcraft e4od filter kit off rockauto on sunday. It should get here Thursday. Anyway rockauto and motorcraft's part number lookup didn't have the filter listed. I found on the internet that these parts numbers work on the e4od/4r100 transmissions.

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT113 - 2wd E4OD

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT114 - 4x4 E4OD, 2wd & 4x4 4R100

I paid $25 for the filter kit (ft114) shipped to me.

 

[sewiv]

Hey Sandy, the tranny place you bought the clip from, did you also buy the filter kit from them? They have one for $12 and have pics of some of their kits which show filter and gasket. The E4OD has no pic. They list a dozen numbers for calling them so just trying to confirm if you got a complete kit from them (they are cheap at $12!!, napa wants more than 2x's that).

Nope, just the clip. $12 is cheap with a gasket. I think I paid $20 in the local shop.

Sorry about the delay on the pan, Shadofax. Still want it?

 

[sewiv]

I ordered a motorcraft e4od filter kit off rockauto on sunday. It should get here Thursday. Anyway rockauto and motorcraft's part number lookup didn't have the filter listed. I found on the internet that these parts numbers work on the e4od/4r100 transmissions.

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT113 - 2wd E4OD

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT114 - 4x4 E4OD, 2wd & 4x4 4R100

I paid $25 for the filter kit (ft114) shipped to me.

info added to the top post. Thanks.

 

[Shadofax]

I ordered a motorcraft e4od filter kit off rockauto on sunday. It should get here Thursday. Anyway rockauto and motorcraft's part number lookup didn't have the filter listed. I found on the internet that these parts numbers work on the e4od/4r100 transmissions.

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT113 - 2wd E4OD

MOTORCRAFT Part # FT114 - 4x4 E4OD, 2wd & 4x4 4R100

I paid $25 for the filter kit (ft114) shipped to me.

You have a link for that? I don't see any Motorcraft filter kit FT114 listed at Rockauto for a '95 Ford Bronco 4x4 with E4OD.

 

[Shadofax]

Well, did my tranny fluid again today. It is interesting the filter I had from napa that I pulled was like the motorcraft one in that:

1) it was all plastic
2) it has an angled pick up tube as seen in the pic above

The one I installed is exactly like Sewiv's in that the pickup is not angled and the lower half was aluminum or something
and unfortunately made in china, so we'll see. It did have a couple tabs that press it up against the tranny at the pan suck-pickup end, so that's a good thing. The motorcraft pic above does not have these tabs. I think they just help make sure the filter is not allowed to move and just sits there under all conditions...likely good for the little rubber pickup seal. It did come with the rubber pan gasket as well. So far no leaks which is what I live for with a tranny fluid change, I hate this job.

Some other notes:

-- I also installed the filter clip and just did not like how it tended to pull the filter a little toward it. My fear here was that it could compromise the seal the little rubber has up into the tranny hole. So I pulled it again and bent it a little so it was not pushing up quite so much and making it bend sideways some. I also used a little bit of locktite blue on the bolt for the tranny. Now that I had broke that bolt loose I wanted to make sure it was going back in and staying there with the clip on, so I cleaned the bolt with brake cleaner, made sure the hole was clean and then put the locktite and clip on and reinstalled. It also stayed like that for about an hour before the tranny fluid went back in.

--As usual, my magnet and pan were pretty clean, just some "metallic slush" stuck to the magnet. Last fluid/filter change was about 17k ago, about 3.5yrs.

I chose not to drill and install the drain plug pictured above. I chickened out because I did not want a leak, and don't want to do this again for some time. So Sandy, I may still take you up on your old pan if you still would part with it. This would allow me to put the plug in there, clean your's all up, and "test" it for leaks by putting some fluid in the pan and leaving it for a time. Or maybe welding it, I dunno.

Basically I did just another tranny fluid change like I always do, exception being the filter clip add so I'm happy that is there.

Edit: So if I look at the two filters pictured in this thread it seems to me the motorcraft pan pickup is moved forward a little but angled, and that's likely a good thing to allow the fluid to move a slightly angled tube, angled toward where the hole is going into the tranny. both filters do seem to pick up the fluid in the same pan location however (the straight tube is further back on the filter if that makes sense, so they both pickup fluid in the same location).

 

[79BlueMule]

This is what i am scared of. I don't know why i never did it when i first got it but now i am scared that i am going to cause problems if i change it.

i didnt wanna go this far because i know i am gonna get flamed big time for it (especially in this particular thread lol) but here we go...

it wont prevent your trans from dying, even if it was done since day one. An engine gets "contamination of oil" from outside sources. I.E. fuel and air and combustion blowby. But a transmission is a sealed system, in the fact that all of its contamination comes from inside the unit. (except if you dunk it under water but thats a different story, lol) no amount of fluid and filter changes will keep planetaries from coming to pieces, or torque converters from making metal, or other sources of conatminants being made. changing the fluid may get you by for a week or a month or so after a problem has begun, but it wont prevent anything. Therefore the 50 or so bucks spent every time changing the fluid could be applied towards having the unit built once it does fail (because it WILL fail one day) or you could change it every 30k or so and spend 200 dollars on fluid and filters and then have to pay to have the unit built. just my .02 :rockon

~Joseph

 

[redbeast9]

Great write up!!! Thanks. As for the clip. For 18 buxs I think there will be a few people on here making there own, I will during my next fluid change.

I agree with 79BlueMule to an extent. But keeping the debris out as much as posiable will make your bands last longer and keep the valves from clogging causing harder shifts or delayed shifts which over time will destry the trans. The bottom line is that in most casses keeping the fluid/filter changed will alow the trans to perform as designed which in turn will usaly make it last a little longer. But keep in mind that driving habits has the biggest effect on how long a auto trans will last.

 

[silent one]

i didnt wanna go this far because i know i am gonna get flamed big time for it (especially in this particular thread lol) but here we go...

it wont prevent your trans from dying, even if it was done since day one. An engine gets "contamination of oil" from outside sources. I.E. fuel and air and combustion blowby. But a transmission is a sealed system, in the fact that all of its contamination comes from inside the unit. (except if you dunk it under water but thats a different story, lol) no amount of fluid and filter changes will keep planetaries from coming to pieces, or torque converters from making metal, or other sources of conatminants being made. changing the fluid may get you by for a week or a month or so after a problem has begun, but it wont prevent anything. Therefore the 50 or so bucks spent every time changing the fluid could be applied towards having the unit built once it does fail (because it WILL fail one day) or you could change it every 30k or so and spend 200 dollars on fluid and filters and then have to pay to have the unit built. just my .02 :rockon

~Joseph

I totally understand all that, i am a tech at a dealership but i don't know much about this trans. I just don't want to change the fluid on a trans with no problems and a week later having to rebuild the trans.

(sorry did not know how to say that without sounding like an a$$)

 

[79BlueMule]

I just don't want to change the fluid on a trans with no problems and a week later having to rebuild the trans.

(sorry did not know how to say that without sounding like an a$$)

i've heard several horror stories of shops with a trans flush machine getting a car that has never been serviced and it wouldn't pull out of the bay when they were done "flushing" it. :doh0715: it can happen. i understand your worries

~Joseph

 

[Shadofax]

i didnt wanna go this far because i know i am gonna get flamed big time for it (especially in this particular thread lol) but here we go...

it wont prevent your trans from dying, even if it was done since day one. An engine gets "contamination of oil" from outside sources. I.E. fuel and air and combustion blowby. But a transmission is a sealed system, in the fact that all of its contamination comes from inside the unit. (except if you dunk it under water but thats a different story, lol) no amount of fluid and filter changes will keep planetaries from coming to pieces, or torque converters from making metal, or other sources of conatminants being made. changing the fluid may get you by for a week or a month or so after a problem has begun, but it wont prevent anything. Therefore the 50 or so bucks spent every time changing the fluid could be applied towards having the unit built once it does fail (because it WILL fail one day) or you could change it every 30k or so and spend 200 dollars on fluid and filters and then have to pay to have the unit built. just my .02 :rockon

~Joseph

Sealed unit, well moreso than an engine, but the thinking I totally disagree with.

A tranmission lives by it's fluid. As the fluid ages, it gets internal contamination, the filter clogs, the magnet will only hold so much small particulate, and the fluid itself looses it's properties of keeping seals in good shape, clutch/shudder protection, and begins to accumulate varnish, and the overall trans temp begins to worsen. this is exactly what will severely shorten a transmission's life. Everything will die, so changing the fluid won't prevent that, but come on...do you want to die at 30 or live to 90???? Really has nothing to do with a sealed system vs. an engine breathing system.

Keep in mind here, Silent One just asked about potential issues with changing the fluid. You have to do this. And while the pan is dropped put a new filter in. You don't have to touch the torque convertor, so in essence you're mixing in some 50% new fluid, this won't freak out the trans, and will help it with that fresh fluid. Just don't go stripping the pan bolts. what does worry me is everyone's fascination these days with "flushing" stuff....engine seafoam, the tranny flush systems they have, etc. I say don't flush a tranny that is in decent shape and working, just give is some fresh blood.