There is actually a 6” tube that that plug slides around and 5 quarts adds exactly 6 inches into the bottom of the pan…and ford did that with serviceablity in mind because an adroit can now fill without over filling…
Hey JC, that was in genius. What you did to supplement for buying an expensive pump with a jug a tube and a air hole just ingenious excellent my son‘s got that car and he’s having problems with the transmission. He said a lonely run for about 30 minutes before it starts ticking in the transmission so he said he couldn’t find a dipstick and from your video that shows there is no dipstick and how you put fluid in. That’s absolutely crazy that Mercury would do some idiotic thing like that but we seen more stupid stuff with Ford and GMC as well anyway great video. Thanks a lot.
I try to remain open minded and learn something new every day. Today I learned how to save $10 by using a windshield wiper bottle and some air pressure. Thank you sir... I love the torque wrench sound effects.....oh and also the heat shrink trick 👍🇺🇸
Question: Isn't the fluid level supposed to be done on a vehicle that is LEVEL, and not jacked up in the front by at least 10 degrees? or put a jack stand under each corner to level it?
He had the whole vehicle off the ground and level at that point. In the beginning of the video just the front was jacked up, then later he explains how it needs to be level and he went ahead and lifted the back end up too. 4 years too late of a reply though >.>
@@isherwoodme it's a technican tool the dipstick the early chrysler 300 are similar they have a dipstick tube installed but no dipstick and the dipstick is only available to technicans ... you can call the dealerships and see of they will sell you the dipstick it's classified as a tool
Brilliant solution to refill the trans JC Nice to see you both outside in comfortable temps working on the rusty Mountaineer lol Have a safe work week, we'll see ya on the next 1 Doug@ the "ranch"
not all but many 97 vehicles are long gone to the crusher around here. i wouldnt know what to do if vehicles were as clean as the ones you get to work on.
1st time ever seeing a setup like this...like going around the block 3 times just to walk across the street or maybe they just want you to bring it in so they can charge you...that rust sure is rough up there
rust is such a pain. it destroys everything. this old mercury will take constant repair but its worth it. very reliable, all wheel drive, cold a/c, good heat and only 80k miles.....hopefully we can get another few years out of it.
It is a stupid setup but the transmissions are known to be pretty shitty so it is to be expected. Had a lot of transmission problems in 183k in ours.(on 3rd rebuild) I will say the current rebuilt transmission with the latest servo and valve body upgrades does shift well and has been doing much better than the previous ones thus far. My grandfather has a like new 02' Explorer with the same trans with 50k miles on it he bought brand new and babied. Transmission shifts like shit from new and I am surprised it even made it to 50k miles. Both were never driven hard and maintained well past what a normal owner does. Ford sold lots of these Explorers, cheaped out in a lot of areas to save money and gave them a bad name. It is a shame because they do have a lot of good attributes. Now Ford wants you to pay big bucks for a unibody primarily fwd Explorer, no thanks. There is a reason the newer ones are not selling well.
Well if that is not a set up for failure then I' m betting that you made a ton of people happy knowing how to fill. I haven't ever seen anything like that before. I sure am glad to have this in my head as I know of two rigs parked because of shifting problems. I think that was a size thirty five torques socket that you used on the inside of drain/fill plug, Thanks a million!!
Ok, this was a disaster. No problem removing the plug and the inside torx plug. Even got excited when I found the correct sized little piece of pipe at the hardware store to screw into the torx plug spot, along with perfectly fitting poly tube. Filled about 10 quarts (the manual says it takes 12.7 quarts). Figured I would see how much comes back out and at least 8 quarts came back out (*after test driving) and doesn't look like it's stopping. :( Gonna try again today. *Initially let about 3 quarts drain back out, then stopped because it seemed like too much was coming out. Ran the hose up the side of the car and taped it there with black electrical tape and took it for a drive. At first, it wouldn't shift (auto) into any gears, but after about a minute it started working, and started shifting smoothly. Following the video, I checked to see if it would drain and it still did, another couple quarts. Put up the hose and took it for a longer drive with higher speeds and it ran smoother than I remember in a long time. Until I got it home in the driveway. Jumped when shifting into Reverse or Drive. Still wanted to drain more, so I put it up for the night. I think I am going to fill it, take off the hose and put the Torx plug back in (spilling as much as comes out during the process) because before I drained so much out, it seemed to be fine. It doesn't want to retain any of the fluid. Just had an AHA moment. I wonder whether any air got through the tube and is pressurized, pushing the fluid back out?
This helped a ton. I have 2 of these. One with no reverse and another one that was diagnosed as bad torque converter. So I changed the filter today and hope to fill tomorrow and test drive. I removed the front drive shaft on the original mountaineer, but may run off the front only on the new one. Changed gas mileage to around 20 mpg
May not help right now,I turned it upside down, and filled it with Ford spray. Sat for about two hours ,and came out. Nova Scotia, we have our own tin ants as well🤣. Decided to order a new plug since rounded nut of some. Take care folks, flu bug and all,God bless.
Another good video! I really enjoy when you post these how to videos using things around the shop. That heat shrink trick with the hose is one to remember!
So the owners manual calls for 12 quarts capacity in the transmission. 12 quarts goes well beyond the top of that plug. If you get it filled to about 8 quarts then start the vehicle and get it to normal operating temp that engages the pump to the trans cooling lines and begins to cycle the transmission fluid which creates a vacuum in the center filler plug and no fluid will drain out. You then fill it until fluid begins to drain.
What a crappy set up thanks Ford
Beautiful headlights and rusted frame good old Ohio
There is actually a 6” tube that that plug slides around and 5 quarts adds exactly 6 inches into the bottom of the pan…and ford did that with serviceablity in mind because an adroit can now fill without over filling…
Heat shrink as a spacer. Genius! I will use that at sometime in the future.
I'd have been tempted to fill the pan before installing it. I'm sure I wouldn't spill it all over myself...
I use use a weed sprayer to fill fluids on my vehicles
yep, same principal...
Does that work good I got one sitting in garage
I have the same year truck&you guys just showed me exactly what I thought &I had it for 4 years now THANKS
Hey JC, that was in genius. What you did to supplement for buying an expensive pump with a jug a tube and a air hole just ingenious excellent my son‘s got that car and he’s having problems with the transmission. He said a lonely run for about 30 minutes before it starts ticking in the transmission so he said he couldn’t find a dipstick and from your video that shows there is no dipstick and how you put fluid in. That’s absolutely crazy that Mercury would do some idiotic thing like that but we seen more stupid stuff with Ford and GMC as well anyway great video. Thanks a lot.
Used to have a 2002 explorer with this trans never again I avoid those models have a 99 explorer with a 302 v8 and trans has a dipstick lol
I try to remain open minded and learn something new every day. Today I learned how to save $10 by using a windshield wiper bottle and some air pressure. Thank you sir... I love the torque wrench sound effects.....oh and also the heat shrink trick 👍🇺🇸
Question: Isn't the fluid level supposed to be done on a vehicle that is LEVEL, and not jacked up in the front by at least 10 degrees? or put a jack stand under each corner to level it?
He had the whole vehicle off the ground and level at that point. In the beginning of the video just the front was jacked up, then later he explains how it needs to be level and he went ahead and lifted the back end up too. 4 years too late of a reply though >.>
You should be able to run the truck while your filling it
that is what i ended up doing.....you usually check them running at operating temp, so why would this be any different.
@@j.c.smithprojects exactly JC
That fill style sucks for the trans old school way is pore into dipstick tube but yeah them plugs were a dumb idea when they were made
It sucks, but this car doesn't have a dipstick. I have a 2003 same model.
@@isherwoodme service technicians do have access to a dipstick it's just not available to the public
@@AntonioClaudioMichael :😀 😀 it's a secret dipstick tube? lol
@@isherwoodme it's a technican tool the dipstick the early chrysler 300 are similar they have a dipstick tube installed but no dipstick and the dipstick is only available to technicans ... you can call the dealerships and see of they will sell you the dipstick it's classified as a tool
Can you explain how to do everything thus the video.....
Brilliant solution to refill the trans JC
Nice to see you both outside in comfortable temps working on the rusty Mountaineer lol
Have a safe work week, we'll see ya on the next 1
Doug@ the "ranch"
Wow simple question turned into a we're too good to own? Wow just wow!
Kinda old? My daily driver is a 97. But it does have a Cummins Diesel. LOL
not all but many 97 vehicles are long gone to the crusher around here. i wouldnt know what to do if vehicles were as clean as the ones you get to work on.
Thanks for the info. It was helpful
1st time ever seeing a setup like this...like going around the block 3 times just to walk across the street or maybe they just want you to bring it in so they can charge you...that rust sure is rough up there
rust is such a pain. it destroys everything. this old mercury will take constant repair but its worth it. very reliable, all wheel drive, cold a/c, good heat and only 80k miles.....hopefully we can get another few years out of it.
It is a stupid setup but the transmissions are known to be pretty shitty so it is to be expected. Had a lot of transmission problems in 183k in ours.(on 3rd rebuild) I will say the current rebuilt transmission with the latest servo and valve body upgrades does shift well and has been doing much better than the previous ones thus far. My grandfather has a like new 02' Explorer with the same trans with 50k miles on it he bought brand new and babied. Transmission shifts like shit from new and I am surprised it even made it to 50k miles. Both were never driven hard and maintained well past what a normal owner does. Ford sold lots of these Explorers, cheaped out in a lot of areas to save money and gave them a bad name. It is a shame because they do have a lot of good attributes. Now Ford wants you to pay big bucks for a unibody primarily fwd Explorer, no thanks. There is a reason the newer ones are not selling well.
I would have tried to prefill the pan. Lol might have been a mess tho.
Keep up the good work! The subs climbing like crazzy today 13k next stop 100k
find one for 40 bucks? 73 bucks not including shipping in Tennessee
you understand this video was in 2019? nothing is the same price now as it was then....
Great video JC
Very neet trick to get the fluid to pump up hill
SOMEBODY BUY THIS MAN A BEER!
I agree with your wife they always break when you need to finish the job
Dang that transmission pan is pretty bad
That looks like NPT threading
Well if that is not a set up for failure then I' m betting that you made a ton of people happy knowing how to fill. I haven't ever seen anything like that before. I sure am glad to have this in my head as I know of two rigs parked because of shifting problems. I think that was a size thirty five torques socket that you used on the inside of drain/fill plug, Thanks a million!!
My man! your filling it w air process is genius!! Thanks for the great video!!
can you identify the type of filler plug you used?
Ok, this was a disaster. No problem removing the plug and the inside torx plug. Even got excited when I found the correct sized little piece of pipe at the hardware store to screw into the torx plug spot, along with perfectly fitting poly tube. Filled about 10 quarts (the manual says it takes 12.7 quarts). Figured I would see how much comes back out and at least 8 quarts came back out (*after test driving) and doesn't look like it's stopping. :( Gonna try again today.
*Initially let about 3 quarts drain back out, then stopped because it seemed like too much was coming out. Ran the hose up the side of the car and taped it there with black electrical tape and took it for a drive. At first, it wouldn't shift (auto) into any gears, but after about a minute it started working, and started shifting smoothly. Following the video, I checked to see if it would drain and it still did, another couple quarts. Put up the hose and took it for a longer drive with higher speeds and it ran smoother than I remember in a long time. Until I got it home in the driveway. Jumped when shifting into Reverse or Drive. Still wanted to drain more, so I put it up for the night. I think I am going to fill it, take off the hose and put the Torx plug back in (spilling as much as comes out during the process) because before I drained so much out, it seemed to be fine. It doesn't want to retain any of the fluid. Just had an AHA moment. I wonder whether any air got through the tube and is pressurized, pushing the fluid back out?
Got to love the rust
Why doesn't Ford give you a new drain plug to go with a new trans pan. This would only be common sense!
That part of engineering wonder probably costs as much as the pan
This helped a ton. I have 2 of these. One with no reverse and another one that was diagnosed as bad torque converter. So I changed the filter today and hope to fill tomorrow and test drive. I removed the front drive shaft on the original mountaineer, but may run off the front only on the new one. Changed gas mileage to around 20 mpg
Great homemade fluid filler!! I was wondering how much air it would take before it blew the cap off. Thanks for bringing us along
well, i didnt wear any of it so it must have been just enough. lucky i guess!
Does a 2003 Ford Explorer XLT transmission fluid have anything to do with the motor starting
May not help right now,I turned it upside down, and filled it with Ford spray. Sat for about two hours ,and came out. Nova Scotia, we have our own tin ants as well🤣. Decided to order a new plug since rounded nut of some. Take care folks, flu bug and all,God bless.
Good video but the oil should be drained to the correct level with the trans at operating temperature and the motor idling in park.
Another good video! I really enjoy when you post these how to videos using things around the shop. That heat shrink trick with the hose is one to remember!
The fluid has to be hot and the engine running to properly fill the transmission.
Why they never fitted it with a filler plug like the transfer case baffles me.
I don’t get in a habit of buying vehicles with transmission pans ... but good info nonetheless
Hello, I would like to know to empty my transmission, what type of oil and how many liters of oil. Thank you
Gorgeous Wilton vise
IKR
@@nickhildabridle1612 heck yeah
So the owners manual calls for 12 quarts capacity in the transmission. 12 quarts goes well beyond the top of that plug. If you get it filled to about 8 quarts then start the vehicle and get it to normal operating temp that engages the pump to the trans cooling lines and begins to cycle the transmission fluid which creates a vacuum in the center filler plug and no fluid will drain out. You then fill it until fluid begins to drain.
I have the same torque wrench as you, think yours may need new batteries lol
That was an AWESOME trick. Great Video
Rust is such a killer. I liked the way you replaced the oil. Great idea.
Napa fluid, least you didn't go Wal mart,I work Ford dealership, I got ford fluid.
Very well done how to. Thank you
thank you for sharing
Were in ohio im in cleveland
Hi
Good Dad.
L
I can tell by the click that your torque wrench is a little out of calibration you might want drink some water first LOL
BUSTED!