brentwrmiller

I'm very excited. I live at the beach in Queens and purchased a '95 Ford F150 extended cab V-8 5.0 with 155k miles. In great shape, but I want to change all fluids. I have researched the manual and have a few questions I hope you guys can help with:

1. Engine Oil - I'm going to use 10W30 synthetic. Any recs? I'm doing a full oil change and I read the capacity is 5L.

2. Engine Oil Filter - Manual says to buy Motorcraft Original Equipment Oil filter (Part #FL-1A).

3. Transmission Fluid - Manual says Motorcraft Mercon Automatic Transmission Fluid. I can't find any capacity though, does anybodt know? Any recs?

4. Power Steering Fluid - I can't find a capacity nor recommended type. Any recs?

5. Coolant - Any recs on this? I can't find capacity either in the manual.

Thanks so much, glad to be a part of this forum!

Ford 4x4

Welcome to the forum!! I use the Motorcraft oil filter and it seems to work good. otherwise I use Bosch filters and they also seem to work great. There is actually a discussion on the power steering pumps and the recommendation is to put in type F transmission fluid if I recall. Others should chime in soon and help ya with the rest.

Chris_1

iTrader: (1)

I usually buy 2 gallons of coolant - mix it 50/50 with water

VickMacky

Answered in your quote.

fltdriver

Ford released a service bulletin about using 5w30 instead of 10w, I have done both, no real noticeable difference.

For filter of course they say use there OEM brand, I prefer WIX filters, 51372xp is what I get.

Merc V for the trans fluid if it's auto.

Type F, some use Merc V in the PS or ATF+4

Honestly I get walmart's supertech coolant 2 gallons, undiluted, and 2 gallons of distilled water. Still have a little left.


You forgot the most important fluid! the one everyone forgets. Brake fluid. Make sure you empty the res. then fill it, bleed the brakes until you get fresh fluid at the bleeder valve on each one. Refill after each one. Brake fluid attracts water and after a few years, especially in humid climates, doesn't preform like it should and needs to be replaced before it starts corroding lines and calipers from the inside.

brentwrmiller

Thanks for the reply.

I'd like to quote your response and then edit the quote box with questions, but I cannot figure out how to quote more than "Answered in your quote."

I will ask my follow-up questions below:

1. Transmission Fluid - I have an automatic overdrive transmission. My engine is 5.0L V8 OHV 16V

Looking for quantity and type, thanks again.

brentwrmiller

Thanks for the help.

Question embedded above with *

I'm going to work on the brakes when I return from a 1,000 mile trip down south. Want to change the easy fluids first.

Also, what should I do to winterize the truck? Thinking about doing a light sand on the bottom and adding a rust jelly. Is that the best approach?

mark392001

I'm a fan of Valvoline Max Life fluids (both oil and transmission). I'm running 5w20 which is what Ford has currently recommended for most engines. For oil filter I swear by Napa Gold which is a Wix filter and one of the best at a low price. Power steering is Mercon ATF, again I'd use the Valvoline. Coolant I use Peak 50/50 and have never had an issue.

fltdriver

I was saying some use type F atf fluid for their Power Steering, it is also ok to use ATF +4. Ford and Chrysler shared a lot of the older power steering pumps (the one for my sebring was compatible with a list of fords) and each recommended "their" Automatic Transmission Fluid be used when replacing more than half of the fluid. (Type F, Merc V being Fords, ATF+4 for Chryslers) Pretty much from what I have come to understand is that Automatic Transmission Fluid works better in the power steering system than what they commonly sell as power steering fluid. But making the switch should either be fully done or not at all, don't just add some ATF to the PS fluid. ATF is much thinner, easier for the pump to move, so it tends to loosen some debris after making the fluid switch and can leak from previous spots that had build up blocking (small cracks it hose, loose connections) so watch it for a few weeks after the switch. When I did my last PS pump (Firebird) I swapped the PS fluid for parts store brand ATF+4 and that was 5 years ago, still has the same no name brand fluid, still works great.

I used ATF+4 because that's what I had on hand, bought way more than I needed when I changed the trans filter and pan gasket on my convertible.

As for coolant, like I said I used wallyworld's brand for my vehicles now, I kept it in for three years and before I changed this year (sebring and firebird) I tested it with one of those floating ball "testers" and it showed still good for -20* so I'm putting it in everything now. $10 for a gallon of concentrate and $1 for each water you can do you the entire system for $22 and still have some left to top off later.

brentwrmiller

Thanks for all of the help. I drove from NYC to NC via I-95 + I-85 and this is what happened:

1. I changed the oil and used Mobil 1 High Mileage Synthetic. Bought an oil filter, but didn't replace because I didn't have the right tool at the house. No burn-off at all and stayed pretty clean. I will change again before the cold months hit and then change the filter as well.

2. When I cold-start, the accelerator sticks a bit and forces me to gun it to get the pedal loose. Then it warms up fairly fast.

3. Transmission kicks a touch when switching into 2nd gear (but not always, usually when the engine is cold).

4. Truck feels a bit loose (maybe the bushings need to be replaced?).

5. The passenger door seems it's loose-fitting as well. Any change and pressure and it begins to shake, but it seems like it's the hinges that are loose.

6. On the way back I used the AC on the lowest setting. I made it about a 3rd of the way and I was idling at the gas station for roughly 10 minutes and it started to overheat.

I caught it before it boiled over (didn't get all the way to H) and turned off the AC and the engine.

I let it cool down and then drove it back (with stops every 2 hours or so) and it didn't overheat, but the temp fluctuated consistently between the N and R in NORMAL.

One time I stopped and checked the Cold Fill there was no coolant left. The radiator had coolant so I just added water (not distilled) to raise the Cold Fill to the proper level.

Although, once I entered stop-and-go traffic for ~30 minutes in NYC it began to overheat. I pulled over, let it cool, then drove the rest of the way.

I'm thinking this problem might be the thermostat (I'm hoping at least). The truck did start to knock around a bit (almost shaking) on the final stretch.

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I'd love to fix the thermostat, but I don't have the right manual. I'm going to search around this forum to see if I can find similar situations, but any help is much appreciated!