trans fluid change, tips needed

FrankenBird

Registered User
1st off i know there is cheaper alternative to fords mercon v such as Wal Mart’s Supertech Multi-Vehicle ATF and should i look for an kind of deeper oil pan from the junk yard? if so what and years should i look for? i dont plan on changing the 1st gear piston thingy as mine shifts great but just has dirty fluid..im on a limited budget so id like cheapest possibly materials,i will how ever be changing the filter and pan gasket too just to be safe, not lazy fluid flush..tips and tricks guys will help me much !
which hose do i unhook from the radiator so i can attach a hose and run it into a bucket befor i remove the pan and drain the TC, is it the hose on the drivers side or passengers side, if im correct its the passengers side rite?
which should i go with
1 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-MERCON-V-Automatic-Transmission-Fluid-1qt/17134874
2 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-Automatic-Transmission-Fluid/20573820
3 just cough up the money for ford mercon v , which id hate todo then id have to wait to get the filter and eal and even the deeper pan
and is this a the rite gasket and filter..?
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/A-Trans-Filter-Kit/_/R-ATP15036_0456357285
 
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Some owners report issues when doing a full fluid change on high mile auto trans/AODs - the new fluid acts like a solvent and releases years of otherwise minor buildup that tends to plug valves, etc. You might want to just do a filter change and the least amount of new fluid (2 ~ 4 qts.) as possible. Don't try an alternate fluid type in any case.
 
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i have a 94 auto so, 4r70w....ive had the same issue with my other mn12's and having a minor shutter at 30-34 mph under light acceleration...a fluid and filter change has always fixed it for me and i always used mercon V but was hoping for a cheaper route.
and i have herd horror stories of trans letting go after a fluid change or atleast starting to slip from the new flluid being to full of solvents.
 
Do not put any fluid other than MerconV in a 4R70. You don't need to use the Ford stuff, there are other brands that are cheaper, but it must be MerconV. Also when you do the filter, re-use the factory gasket. It is meant to be re-used, and is a much better quality than the cheap rubber ones they give you with the filter kit. Using the one that comes with the kit is just asking for leaks.
 
ok, ille make shur its mercon V ur rite, i have also seen other brands of it...and ille resue the stock gasket although the new one that came with the kit is THICK rubber buut i dont have any leaks so ille try and reuse the old gasket if it comes off well..
also which line from the radiator should i dissconnect so i can run the car and pump the fluid into a catch bucket?
friggen nappa couldnt figure out which gasket/filter my car was.Their pc's had it listed as 4r70w and aode..im 99% shur i have a 4r70w since its a 1994 so i went to advanced autoparts and they came up with it rite away no questons asked, so ille post a pic of the filter and gasket and someone tell me if its correct please so i dont have to make a run back in the middle of a job.
also how many quarts does my trans take? is it 12.?
off topic: were there some 1994 Tbird that had an aode,old stle interior and older version of the eng? some chic swears hers up and down is a 1994 and even on the title it said it was but it had the old style interior,eng and trans..could the title be wrong?
 
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No, there were no 94s with the old style interior or engine. Also, no MN12 ever got an AODE trans. The 89-93s got AODs, and the 94-97s got 4R70s.
 
heres the gasket and filter i got, are they the correct ones..? crappa couldnt figure it out so i went to advanced and they pulled this one up rite away..
but,i know you guys know more so ima run it by you guys befor i get into a project and then gotta run to the parts store.
 
anybody know?
which line to unhook from the radiator so i can run the fluid out, is it driver or passengers side?
also is the filter i have posted the correct one for a 1994 sc auto?
 
Filter looks right. Don't unhook a trans line and run the car, that is a good way to wipe out the trans pump. Most early 4R70s actually have a drain plug in the torque converter too. Take out the rubber plug in the bottom of the bell housing, then turn the engine over slowly and you should see it come around. Draining the converter and dropping the pan will let you get 90% of the fluid in the trans.
 
i guess this is how i was told to have it done, the guy is a former sc owner and has a shop and says he knows 4r70's up and down..
he said and is gonna do it for me :) since im just doing partial fluid change and filter just the pan alone should be dropped and what ever comes outa of there replace fluid wise and obviously inspect the valvebody and 1st gear servo i think its called??? clean pan,replace filter and use new gasket ONLY if needed.
i should be getting this done on thursday, cheece since owning this car for like 2 months only i will have replaced every fluid ( with good stuff like royal purp) except the rear diff and ille do it soon too ! then plugs and wires and some sensors JUUUUST for preventative maintenance. we all know how finicky our cars can be..
so far i have only ever had ONE of my mn12's break down on me. stoopid 92 cougar sport, did a topend exporer swap and the transline happened to dissconect from the throttle linkage because i left the platic O holder on and didnt upgrade it to a metal fitting and i attempted a burn out and all i burned was my clutch packs, byebye reverse for me.lol then it was an exscuse to put a built mustang aod in it..thats car was slow till the day i sold it which i never should have since it had under 50k and was clllllllllleeeeeeaaaaaaan
 
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i guess this is how i was told to have it done, the guy is a former sc owner and has a shop and says he knows 4r70's up and down..
he said and is gonna do it for me :) since im just doing partial fluid change and filter just the pan alone should be dropped and what ever comes outa of there replace fluid wise and obviously inspect the valvebody and 1st gear servo i think its called??? clean pan,replace filter and use new gasket ONLY if needed.

Good plan - good luck.
 
thanks guys...ur always a big help. man that would have sucked had i changed all the fluid just to have it slip and or use my new gasket. id have never guessed to reuse teh old one but ya, its never leaked so why not.
 
pulled the pan and needed to use new gasket thnx to old one ripping but no leaks. also 5 quarts drained out when i removed the pan. put in new filter and filled propperly. now no sudder and trans shifts beter than any mn12 ive owned now sofar.
 
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