2 tranny questions 4r70w..

[whitey]

hey guys i have 2 questions looking to be answered..

i have 95000 miles on my 03 mm, and i seems to be stumbling in od a lot, giving it a little bit of gas...i know the car goes into od at 36mph, but to me it seems that it stumbles too much with just normal driving...should i replace my tranny fluid? ive always heard not to, but i see a lot of post about doing it. i heard the tranny fluid has 'friction modifiers' that go away when the tranny fluid is changed and people say it will make my tranny slip. if i should change it...how should i do it(i dont have a garage), or should i take it to my mechanic?

my other question is if anybody has ever used the 'lucas tranny stop slip' and if its any good? i swear by the other lucas oil products, but im just a little bit delerious on doing anything to my transmission. out of those 2 option what would be my best bet?

btw, its completely stock 03. ill be getting a tune by zack, as soon as he gets back to me on e-mail.

thanks guys--whitey

[whitey]

hey whitey, its whitey, i found this on a website called tccoa.com

...External cooler have always been recommended for better cooling of the transmission. Vehicles equipped with an AODE or 4R70W transmission may experience a torque converter clutch shudder or vibration. This occurs under light to moderate acceleration above 56 km/h (35 mph) while in 3rd or 4th gear. This may be due to either transmission fluid breakdown and/or the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) calibration.
Ford TSB 98-3-6 recommends Mercon V for AODE-4R70W trannys to cure Torque Converter shudder. I know that Crown Vics, & Town Cars use this tranny. Isn't This the same tranny in '94 & up Tbirds? If so, I recommand it, as I have seen it work in the local Crown Vics.
:neener:

[BLACKMARAUDER04]

You should change your fluid every 30,000 miles or the transmission will start to slip. I have a xcal2 tune on my car. It will firm up your shifts and possibly give you a few more horsepower. You can get that from the many different vendors here.

[whitey]

thanks blackmarauder04, i just read that on this website, 30,000 the car manufacturers recomends, http://www.tccoa.com/articles/tranny/index.html , which im not sure if anybody else has ever seen it, but it has a lot of information on the 4r70w.

[RF Overlord]

seems to be stumbling in od a lot, giving it a little bit of gasWhat you're feeling is called "torque converter clutch shudder"...the lock-up clutch in the TC is grabbing and releasing. It means your transmission fluid is overdue for a change.
i heard the tranny fluid has 'friction modifiers' that go away when the tranny fluid is changedMercon V, which is the correct fluid for your car, is called an "HFM" fluid: highly friction modified. The friction modifier is an integral part of the Mercon V specification and additive pack and doesn't "go away".
and people say it will make my tranny slip.Those people are wrong.
if i should change it...how should i do it(i dont have a garage), or should i take it to my mechanic?If your fluid is still clear and pink, then you can either do a couple of drain & fills in a row, or you can have a complete fluid exchange done. If the fluid is starting to get brown and smelly, then get it all out of there now.

If you elect to do the drain & fill method, then install a drain plug while the pan is off. It makes future changes MUCH easier and MUCH less messy.

my other question is if anybody has ever used the 'lucas tranny stop slip' and if its any good?DON'T add any miracle-in-a-can products. That's a band-aid at best. If you do a complete fluid exchange, the shuddering should be gone almost immediately. If you do a series of drain & fills, it may take a hundred miles or so to go away.

[fastblackmerc]

What he said ^^^^

Also add a tranny cooler as stated.

[Egon Spengler]

Had my tranny serviced and it made a huge difference. I went over 50k on my fluid... Will not do that again.

[whitey]

thanks for all the responses guys! i think im going to do a full tranny drain this weekend.....since ive never done it before, is there anybody here in the baltimore county region that can help? (also looking to possibly put a tranny cooler in at the same time) i can do it at your place or mine...and $40 for the help, i know its not much, but its kind of all i have, and think of how good it will make you feel to help another member out;):beer:--whitey

[ctrlraven]

Most Ford dealers charge about $130-180 for a full transmission fluid exchange. I would recommend having the dealer do the transmission flush and change the transmission oil filter.

[RF Overlord]

whitey, you have a couple of choices:

1). Bite the bullet and have a shop do the fluid exchange. This is the most costly route.

2). DIY the fluid exchange. This is far less costly, but requires some mechanical aptitude.

3). Do a series of drain & fills. This is the least costly and simplest route, although not the most convenient. Drop the pan, change the filter, install a drain plug. Drive around the block, then drain it again.

[whitey]

:bows:thanks for all the help Stig--whitey