[2004SVTAutoXer]

Just to clear things up, in this forum I've found references to the brass plug on top of the transmission being the fill plug, and the black plug on the front of it as the drain.

I've also seen a picture that has the black plug on the front as the fill, and the black plug near the motor mount as the drain.

I filled mine at the brass plug on the top of the tranny and drained it from the black plug on the front, haven't had issues or leaks but have only driven about 40 miles.

Does anyone know for sure if any of these are good/bad? Best or worst?

 

[2004SVTAutoXer]

Here's the picture showing the two black plugs

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=1103771

and here's the thread explaining the brass plug on top
clicky

 

[BFocusSVT]

You filled it from the brass plug? I hope you dont mean the clutch bleeder valve. If so, you just put transmission fluid into the clutch/brake system.

 

[BadIdea]

I've also seen a picture that has the black plug on the front as the fill, and the black plug near the motor mount as the drain.

That is the correct one.

So when you drained the fluid out the "fill" plug, how much came out?

Why are YOU working on a car?

 

[2004SVTAutoXer]

For starters, I've been working on cars all my life and did this with an ASE certified tech. We did this because a significantly long thread on this forum when I ran a search stated 'remove the battery box, and fill through the brass plug on the top of the transmission using a long funnel' and had no complaints afterwards.

It wasn't until today that I saw the other thread with the picture WD40 posted.

On the top of the transmission there are two brass bolts you have access after removing the battery box, one is a half rounded off bolt and the other is a full bolt, we filled through that one.

Bad idea, it would be smart to watch your mouth if you want to be considered someone with the chops to talk in this forum.

 

[2004SVTAutoXer]

unless someone has some more concrete information other than what's already provided here and in the picture at the start of this thread, keep the hardy har commentary to yourselves.

 

[2004SVTAutoXer]

You filled it from the brass plug? I hope you dont mean the clutch bleeder valve. If so, you just put transmission fluid into the clutch/brake system.

There are two brass plugs, which one is the clutch bleeder valve?

 

[COSDEVSVT]

Black plug on the bottom near the motor mount is the drain.
Black plug on the front is the fill. You fill the trans until the fluid runs out of the hole when vehicle is level - capacity is 2.1 qts.

You do not have to pull the battery/tray to fill the trans. I'm not entirely sure what the brass plugs do, but they typically aren't fills - esp on the top of the trans.

The clutch bleeder valve is at the end of the hydraulic line running in the front/top of the trans. Usually has a rubber cap on it and takes a 11mm wrench to turn it.

 

[2004SVTAutoXer]

Okay, now I just need to find out from jaykirs (the guy who recommended the brass plug) what that did if anything to his system.

 

[mike 1]

You have to fill through the plug that faces fwd (towards the front) and drain at the plug by the subframe.

I hope you didnt overfill. Bad times for the seals if you did.

...and let me just say, just becuase you can pass an ASE test doesnt make you a smart mechanic. I can think of a dozen ASE mechanics that are flippin morons. ASE just means, I passed the test. You can take an ASE test til you memorize the answers. Also, ASE techs are certified in a GENERAL feild. Point being, just becuase they are a Ford mechanic doesnt make em an SVT Mechanic. The tech that did my very first reflash was on the phone with SVT for nearly an hour trying to figure out why my ECU wouldnt flash (pull fuses). They SWORE I had a chip that wouldnt let them do the ECU. ASE certified too!

 

[BadIdea]

From the workshop manaul... http://tech9.us/focaljet/mt285drainfill.pdf

Sorry you were mis-informed. Classic case of the blind leading the blind. Too bad your cerftied mechanic friend couldn't remember step 1, "break out the manual".

FYI, the service interval is 120k miles.

Good luck.

 

[Scott_SVT]

Bad Idea.... being a bit harsh aren't ya? It seems like for some reason you take transmission services very personally... maybe you should see someone about that..

In your 29 total posts spanning over 2 years, you must have mentioned the 'service interval' for our transmissions at least 5 times... Guess what? Hardly anybody is gonna wait for 120,000 miles to replace their fluid.. That's a big risk to take since the warranty runs out long before that...

Anyone remember the Dexcool vs. Chevrolet fiasco? Where all the folks had ruined engines, but no warranty, since the engine was only covered for 36k, but they were told to change their coolant the FIRST time at 150k? It's now a class action lawsuit.

Anyway, your input is appreciated, even if it is a broken record player, but you need to back off the "holier than thou" attitude, considering apparently the only time you ever post is to quote the owners manual.

 

[Clegg]

maybe before you work on your car you should pick up/download the service manual for your car. So you actually know where to do the work, and what torque specs to use when closing the thing up.

I know this will be a shocker, but just because its on a forum doesnt make it true... yep... the internet is full of misinformation, never take anything at face value especially when it could result in a 1000$ burnt up piece of aluminum.

Edit:
Oh and I think you know it by now, you drain from the bottom inverted hex plug, and fill 1.7 - 2Q of fluid put in through the front inverted hex plug hole. Both black plugs. But do your own reaserch to verify this.

 

[WD40]

Let's keep it civil folks...and thank you, for the most part it has.

That original linked thread (Clicky) did have Jaykirs talking about filling from the top.
Fortunately, it hasn't seemed to be a problem, or we would have heard about it by now, as it's been quite some time.
^^^At least, I hope that's true, isn't it Jayson??? []

I'm glad this was brought up, and we've finally got the "official" procedure from the manual thanks in part to BadIdea's footwork.

 

[Artood2s]

Quick question. I have been using Synchromax for the last couple of months just fine, but the RP site says that our transmission take SAE 10w40. What's up with that???

 

[mike 1]

Quick question. I have been using Synchromax for the last couple of months just fine, but the RP site says that our transmission take SAE 10w40. What's up with that???

There are so many different 'claims' for what our cars take. Our cars take a semi-synthetic. Almost a combo of GL5 Synthetic and ATF. RP Synchromax is what you want though...

..as far as capacity, I though it was 2.1qt.

 

[2004SVTAutoXer]

From the workshop manaul... http://tech9.us/focaljet/mt285drainfill.pdf

Sorry you were mis-informed. Classic case of the blind leading the blind. Too bad your cerftied mechanic friend couldn't remember step 1, "break out the manual".

FYI, the service interval is 120k miles.

Good luck.

For starters we went through the manual, it makes no mention of the fill or drain plugs on the getrag, hence my dependance on this site for information. And getrag is quite stingy about their manuals as well.

I have full confidence in this mechanic. This was my mistake for taking the wrong information from the website and telling him it was fact, not his.

 

[2004SVTAutoXer]

maybe before you work on your car you should pick up/download the service manual for your car. So you actually know where to do the work, and what torque specs to use when closing the thing up.

I know this will be a shocker, but just because its on a forum doesnt make it true... yep... the internet is full of misinformation, never take anything at face value especially when it could result in a 1000$ burnt up piece of aluminum.

Edit:
Oh and I think you know it by now, you drain from the bottom inverted hex plug, and fill 1.7 - 2Q of fluid put in through the front inverted hex plug hole. Both black plugs. But do your own reaserch to verify this.

If it has Doug's stamp of approval, I consider it good as it gets. All I need is confirmation from jaykirs now that everything is okay with his setup from filling through the brass plug on top. This morning I popped the fill plug off while the car was leveled to make sure it wasn't overfilled - I'm in luck. Like I said in my thread before, this only happened because of Ford's incompetence when I gave them the opportunity to do it, and since replacing the fluid through the fill plug as a drain and the brass plug as a fill point, all of my burning clutch smell problems when cruise control was set at 70 on the freeway have disappeared.

 

[jaykirs]

That original linked thread (Clicky) did have Jaykirs talking about filling from the top.
Fortunately, it hasn't seemed to be a problem, or we would have heard about it by now, as it's been quite some time.
^^^At least, I hope that's true, isn't it Jayson??? []

Nope, have had no problems at all from filling from the top and I have to say, my tranny shifts a LOT more smoothly after putting the R/P in!!

EDIT: BTW, I chose to fill from the top because I hate trying to fill from the side, I always seem to spill some of the stuff. LOL It took every bit of 2 minutes to remove the battery and tray, if that, so it was no big deal.

 

[svt2nv04]

yeah when i filled mine from the front, i used a funnel. i went underneath the car and made sure the tube was in the hole and i had a friend of mine pour it in for me.