Stupid question here, but the Chilton manual isn't really top notch on this. I have the E4OD tranny in my 91 F150 5.0L - would like to drain it and put in new fluid.

First question - it seems to run fine until it's been at operating temp for awhile, then gets a little weird - doesn't feel 'strong', doesn't downshift smoothly, etc. - will new fluid help, or should I visit a tranny shop?

Second question - I can handle dropping the pan and cleaning the filter, new gasket, etc. What's involved in draining the converter too?

Third question - how many quarts will this thing hold? How much should I put in before starting the truck to let it warm up and top it off?

Any other tips or advice are welcome too!

 

if its anything like mine your gonna end up buying 7 quarts and puttin 6 and a half in it
sorry i cant help on the rest of the stuff

 

My owners manual says 15.7 quarts. When I dropped the pan on mine I didn't drain the torque converter. It took around 5 quarts to get it to the correct level. Either I am reading my manual incorrectly or there is a ton of fluid in the torque converter.

 

Haynes says 16.2 to 17.7 quarts, total system capacity.

 

That's why I'm confused - the Chilton manual says it holds 16qt or so in the capacities table, but in the step-by-step guide, it mentions putting 5qt in, running it, and topping it off. (that's not quoted - rough numbers from memory...)

The torque converter just can't hold 10qt of fluid...

 

I don't know enough about the E4OD, but it seems to me that if the total system capacity is 16 or 17 quarts, but it only takes 5 quarts to top off after a fluid change, then the torque converter must hold 11 or 12 quarts, right?

 

Well, you've got the channels in the transmission, the lines and cooler. Every bit of the system adds some capacity.

 

Well crap... how much good can it do to change 1/3 of the fluid? If you can't get the cooler, the lines, etc. emptied out, it doesn't make much sense.

If I take it to a tranny shop, can they do a more complete change? I'm sure that they could also do some basic adjustments and such while they're at it that I don't really understand.

 

I don't have experience with the e4od but with the 4r55e transmission there's a lot of fluid that will come out when you unbolt the valve body, you could do that when changing the filter to get more fluid out. Another thing that you could do without a shop is to install a shift improver kit and/or adjust your bands. That could go a long way in making the transmission feel firmer as well as increase longevity.

 

It is very difficult for a person to do a proper job of draining, flushing, and filling a Automatic transmission properly. The dealers and transmission shops have a machine that does this. This is something that I think is best left for the professionals to do. The system used to do this costs several thousand dollars.