Is “Scotty” right?

[DKF]

Ok, serious question here: I watch Scotty Kilmer on Youtube A LOT. He obviously knows his s***. Plus I like his attitude and viewpoints. He says on older vehicles as far as transmission maintenance - just drain the old ATF out, change the filter and put back in the exact amount of new fluid to match what you got rid of. He says “flushing and filling” of old trannies can lead to slippage where there was none before - because of buildup that can get flushed away. I’m no mechanic but that makes sense to me. So of course when I took my ST in to my favorite shop they advised getting the “transmission service of flush and fill”. My truck has 240K miles and runs like a top. My question to those who know is: “Do I tell my shop to do it the “Scotty” way or is it fine to just do the “flush and fill” service? And of course, I don’t want to insult them by telling them their jobs either. I would attempt it myself but apparently all that tranny stuff is under the truck and as I said before, I’m no mechanic. I was excited when I replaced the headlight bulbs with leds a little while ago. The mechanical stuff I leave to the pros. But seriously, should I proceed with a 240K mile transmission getting the whole enchilada service? Dillard000? Anybody? Thoughts?

 

[blert]

Have only seen one or two of his videos. Ended up clicking out when he said something totally stupid. But, he is not completely wrong here. IMO, it depends on the machine the shop uses to do the flush. If they use a machine that uses its own pumps to force fluid through the transmission that is bad. If they just hook it up to a large vat of fluid and rely on the transmission's internal pumps to move the fluid you should be safe (you can do this method in your driveway if you have a few five gallon buckets and some time).

In general, yes, don't do a flush on an old transmission. It can dislodge buildup that can then get stuck in important bits and small passageways. Probably better off dropping the pan once, install a drain plug (or a new pan with a drain plug), refill. Drain and fill again in month or so. Then, every couple of months or so, siphon a quart (or two) out of the fill tube a refill with new.

 

[DKF]

Appreciate it Blert. Makes sense. In my 2008 I can’t see any tranny dip stick under the hood. Appears the whole apparatus is under the truck. Best left to a pro I say. And yeah, sometimes Scotty says stupid stuff. But his car advice seems to be accurate. Once I got past his flailing about and nonstop talking - I grew to like him and look forward to his takes on the lunacy of the car biz and the world at large.

 

[swshawaii]

Here's an older article regarding transmission "flush vs. change" that pretty much mirrors what @blert said. Had this service done at my local dealer in 2011 using a BG PF5 machine that included 20 quarts of Motorcraft Mercon V, pan gasket, and screen for $200. I'm certain prices have increased substantially since this article linked below was published more than ten years ago.
https://www.transmissionrepaircostguide.com/what-is-a-transmission-flush/
Key points in the article mentioned by blert.

Machines typically connect to the cooler lines. The line that connects your vehicle’s transmission to the cooler will be disconnected and attached to the machine’s line in. This will allow the car’s fluids to drain into the machine. The line out from the machine then connects to your car’s cooler. This allows the new fluid in the machine to be transferred into the vehicle. The transfer process only utilizes the pressure produced by the car’s pump to circulate it, so no damage can be done to the internal parts of the system.

Note: Some service centers use machines that add additional force to blast fluid and/or cleaning solution through the system. This is NEVER a good idea as this can damage seals and/or lodge sludge in places it shouldn’t be as mentioned above.

 

[DILLARD000]

Ditto.
If not having Tranny issues, just do PanDrop + New Filter + New Gasket + Band Adjust every 33kMiles\4Years.
A premium MerconV compatible FullSyn ATF is recommended; personal preference is AmsOil or RedLine.
Don't let shops talk you into a power flush upsale that can do more harm than good.
In the end, its your vehicle & your decision, not theirs.
Don't be rude, just be confident+specific in what you want.
Yep, unfortunately DipSticks\\DipTube have generally gotten deleted on Transmissions over the last ~15 years;
eliminates my preference to handpump 1qt from DipTube & add 1qt of fresh MerconV every 6mths.

PS: Kilmer has some good info, but is also ultra-hyped to maintain YT viewers+sponsors, so a "grain of salt".

 

[Ed Fenwick]

I have been told that what they flush with is the last guy's old fluid. If they use new fluid (after thoroughly cleaning the machine) that is expensive. As Dillard says, if there aren't any issues. Drain change filter and refill, shops have told me that we have no bands to adjust! I have the fluid changed every 30K miles or so. God bless Ed

 

[DKF]

Appreciate all the info. I think the shop I patronize will be cool with my instructions on what I want done…thanks everyone!

 

[DILLARD000]

I have been told that what they flush with is the last guy's old fluid. If they use new fluid (after thoroughly cleaning the machine) that is expensive. As Dillard says, if there aren't any issues. Drain change filter and refill, shops have told me that we have no bands to adjust! I have the fluid changed every 30K miles or so. God bless Ed

Unsure about later versions, Gen1 SportTrac 5r55e Transmissions do have band adjustments,
accessible\serviceable from below with Tranny in vehicle;
every 33kMiles\4Years along with routine PanDrop+ATF+Filter+Gasket service.

 

[Powly]

I have been contemplating flushing and changing my fluid on my 2010 V8 with 180,000 kms but a Mr Transmission shop told me not to as it will mess up my transmission if it is not broken.
Is there a replacement oil pan with a drain plug we can get for our trucks?

 

[user 78012]

I have been contemplating flushing and changing my fluid on my 2010 V8 with 180,000 kms but a Mr Transmission shop told me not to as it will mess up my transmission if it is not broken.
Is there a replacement oil pan with a drain plug we can get for our trucks?

I wouldn’t use Mr Transmission shop. Sounds like he is trying to recruit new business.

While you can have issues when doing flushes on higher mileage stuff-rather-the only horror stories you hear about are with higher mileage stuff, the general consensus is new fluid is better than old fluid, and a clean filter is MUCH better than a clogged filter. Most of these old tales of transmissions issues after a flush are with older, less modern transmissions, and also trans fluid of lessor quality.

Leaving in old fluid and filters is a guaranteed way to make sure you have transmission issues in the future.

I’ve stopped watching Scotty, mainly due to his lack of depth of a subject when making YouTube videos. He hits on the stuff that makes good clickbait-without talking about the small details that could prevent the topic at hand.

I’ve done numerous trans flushes on high mileage vehicles, and have never had an issue. Drain, replace filter, follow manufacture fill procedure-done.

 

[DILLARD000]

Think he's refering to a "power flush" where the shop actually uses an external pump to force fluid thru the transmission, instead of just drain + new filter + new gasket + fill with fresh ATF.

 

[blert]

...
Is there a replacement oil pan with a drain plug we can get for our trucks?

Dorman makes one. Probably others also if you have an aversion to Dorman, but more than likely they are all made on the same production line in China and branded later.
You could also install one yourself if you have the tools and skills. Worth the time and effort? <- your call.

 

[DKF]

All good info- thx guys. I think I’m ok with “Mr Transmission” as long as he doesn’t power flush anything in the service. As for Scotty he's definitely figured out clickbait and being entertaining in his videos. All good.