How many different flavours of transmission oil are commonly out there for the 4 speed in the EFs?

I dropped the tranny oil in the EF this arvo, and found the oil not even remotely red, such as DIII or TQ95. It was actually a very brown colour, like middle age engine oil.

Does it simply loose its colour over time, or have I put in an incompatible oil? (TQ95)

And wasn't removing the dipstick a stupid idea!

it changes after time..

ive seen some go black and everytime i did mine, usually every 10,000km on the old 4 speed auto it was very bark brown, nasty.

im not sure if all are red however.

brown/black is bad

as far as i know all auto fluid is red

same as all engine oil is that nice brown colour

as the oil gets old it looses colour

i would recomend to drop the pan again or get an auto flush done

thats not good...

I'm thinking, since its such a pain in the a*** to get the oil out and in every time, I was going to drill a hole and put a fitting underneath the pan so I can drain it ala engine oil. Similarly, connecting the cooler return lines to quick connect hydraulic fittings to pump new oil back in.

Has anyone already done this with success?

Have done the drain plug idea. Pretty simple. Just make sure u use a unf (or similar fine thread nut) when you weld it in. If you aren't 100% on ya welding get a pro to do it, might cost 10 or 20 bucks but better than the f**k of it leaking all the time.

As far as the colour of the oil: every time I have dropped tranny fluid it has been red unless the tranny was cooked/f**k.

I was thinking of not welding it at all in case it warped, but rather finding a fitting that passes right through and has a nut on the other end.

That fitting would be a quick connect, and i could both drain and fill through it.

So is brown a symptom of an overheated box? Mine seems to act fine, apart from the occasional slow change before or after a kickdown.

generally brown oil (that smells) is a sign of a cooked box (a hot box if you like ). When I welded the plug on mine I had it bolted to an old tranny to stop distortion but I don't think, given that the gasket is cork, distortion would be a problem. I did mine on an old bw40 so filling wasn't an issue. But it does sound like you are on to something. Good luck. Let me know how you go with the fitting.

i change mine every 10,000ks i do the filter as well kit is about 35 bucks keeps trans clean and stronge and trouble free motoring

My AU only just had the transmission fluid changed for the first time at 170000 kays, and it was like vegemite! It's changed now, but it's obviously too late to save this gearbox! (although it still does drive tightly)

I do mine every 20,000km.
I just replace my auto though for a rebuilt/strengthened item too ... so will be looking after this one.

last one was overpressurising through ther breather ... and it was cooked when i bought it ... had been treating it gently till i had to replace it .... a trans cooler did extend the life of the trans fluid better though.

I do a lot of stop/start city driving anyway ... under load ... and pushing through traffic as well. So it doesn't really get treated gently.

Auto replacement aren't cheap ... it pays to service the auto regularly.

Hi there,

Just a bit of info for you. All Models after the EA stopped using Dexion type oil (RED) There is a specific Oil that needs to be used in the 4 speed autos. I know Castrol make it, not sure on who else. Its states specifically for Ford 4 Speed Transmissions. It is also a light brown colour. Just like a very thin engine oil. I would go and get it checked before i came to any conclusions. Just might need and oil change.

Hope this is of use to you

Cheers

Well, I finally got around to doing my drain plug. Heres a rough doco on it. Moderators - feel free to turn this into a Tech doc or whatever.


Heres a basic step by step explanation of what I did to install a drain fitting onto my EF transmission without welding a nut on.

I know what you are thinking – you should change the filter with the oil! Well, for those of you who would just like to routinely check the condition of your oil, and change it slightly more regularly without having to make a huge mess in your apartment basement, this mod may be for you.

I purchased an appropriately sized fitting from Enzed which has an integral O-ring seal with a washer surround. This particular fitting is perfect for flush mounting onto a flat piece of steel with just a round hole drilled, and no need for the steel to be threaded. I also obtained a nut to fasten to the larger end of the fitting, as well as a cap to seal off the outside.

The fitting is designed so that it can be tightened as much as you like (short of stripping the threads!) and you will never be able to extrude the O-ring, as it is surrounded and backed up by the washer. Be sure to purchase this style of fitting if you are going to do this mod!

Fitting your fitting! ï￾Š

1. Remove and clean your transmission pan. Set aside the magnet that you should find inside, and don’t forget to put it back in later when you refit the pan!

2. Mark on your pan where you are going to drill the hole. Placement is not absolutely crucial for the location I chose, as it is located in a spot that is clear of the valve block and any other internals. This location is on the front drivers side of the pan, facing forwards. Do not attempt to put it on any other corner, as you will find the cover will not go back on if the fitting is in the way of your selector sprocket or valve body! You will need to carefully drill out your hole so that the O-ring will be sitting on a flat surface of the pan, and make sure you take into account the nut that will be placed on the inside of the pan later on. Leave enough room for the nut, also taking into account the gasket lip that will overhang the inside of the pan later on. You may want to put the gasket on now, and roughly place the nut where you intend on drilling the hole. Check and re-check your markings, as you only get one shot at this! (see pics). If you do happen to stuff up the location of the hole after you have drilled it, you will simply have to file the hole out by hand.

3. Start with a pilot hole and drill through the pan in the spot you marked. Move to progressively larger drill bits until your fitting fits snugly in the hole. Avoid going straight to the drill that looks like the correct size – I drilled to a much smaller side and filed the rest out by hand with a round file. There is not much margin for error if you make the hole too big, as the O-ring is very close to the thread diameter. Don’t make it too large or your o-ring may extrude between the threads and the pan hole!

4. You may find you will have to slightly bend the lip of the pan to get your final drill size for the fitting. You can also file a round curve into the pan lip, but don’t go too far – the lip gives support to the rigidity of the pan, and should not be bent more than 45 degrees from its original angle. Once you have the fitting in the hole, you can bend the lip back as much as you need in order to be able to fit the end cap on.

5. Place the nut on the other end of the fitting and do it up tightly. The next step is optional, but I regard is as essential. Depending on what thread pitch fitting you have sourced, it is recommended to drill through the fitting and place a split pin so that it can never come loose. If you use a washer with the nut, this should not happen, but better to be safe then lose all your fluid.

6. Drill a small 2-3mm hole through the nut at an angle so that the hole does NOT pass through the fluid orifice. Be sure to clean out and remove any swarf (drillings) from the edges. Place your split pin in the hole and bend over. Also, bend the head over if it protrudes past the top of the pan, so that it will not interfere with the sealing surface of the transmission case when reassembled.

7. Making sure your pan is clean, place the gasket on the pan and make sure the inner lip does not interfere with the fitting nut. If it does, remove a small sliver of the lip that hangs over the inner side of the pan.

8. Make sure your pan is clean, the fitting is tight, and the head of the split pin (if fitted) is not above the sealing surface. Be sure there is no swarf hiding in any corners and clean the mating surface on the underside of the gearbox.. Don’t forget the magnet! (see pics)

9. Torque up the pan. Make sure the pan is sitting flat while you torque it up. Place the end cap on the fitting and do it up tight. Use a backup spanner on the fitting to avoid twisting it and ripping the O-ring. Remove the filler plug on the transmission and use a suitable pump to fill up the box to the correct level. I bought a cheapo “chocolate toppingâ€￾ style pump from Supercheap, and it did the job ok. You will need some small hose to go from the transmission filler hole to the tip of the pump. Do up the fill plug tightly.

10. All done! Check for leaks, go for a test drive etc, and check for more leaks. Enjoy easier and more regular oil changes and a prolonged box life.

 

 

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Good work mate! Agree that perhaps that should be a tech doco.
How did u go with the colour of the oil? Was the trans ok?