Transmission filter myth answered, magnet, and New larger pan and shift kit installed.

[Raser x]

I like the pan. Will it be for sale? I haven't seen any trans mods online before this one. The Tracs shifting leave alot to be desired. When you step on it and in takes forever to shift down and then painfully slow clutch burning upshifts. The shift kit sounds like the ticket.



As for the filter membrane. I was an aviation hyrdrualics specialist in the Navy. When had to do constant tests on aircraft hydraulic systems. The difference between a contaminated system was measured across a 5 micron filter membrane to check for shades of grey. No obvious specks or smell. Just a slightly darker shade of pink. The aircraft system operated at 3000psi and the hydraulic motor spun at 30,000 rpms so it was obviously a more critcal system. The the effects are the same.



Auto transmissions constantly have contaminants being pumped into the system by the action of the clutches rubbing again each other to create the friction that lets the Trac move. So its very important to keep filters clean and fluids changed.



AAMCO has some kind of filtering system that is supposed to remove most foriegn matter from your fluid by hooking you vehicle up to a filtering device. Its the same kind of machine we used in the service. But it can't clean the filters...my two cents



Raserx

 

[Richard L]

Todd,

I'm sure the filter looks pretty dirty after a few hundred miles, but that is not an indication that the filter is clogged, nor is it allowing large debris to circulater through your transmission.

If you check your oil or cut open your oil filter after a few hundred miles, it will look pretty black already. The particles that make the fluid darker will make the filter material darker.



The fact that the magnet is not directly under the filter pickup does not mean it's not working. That corner may be where the bulk of the fluid drains back into the pan. Also, those magnets create a magnetic field to trap any particles that float nearby. If the particles are to big or heavy to float around in the fluid, they won't get sucked into the filter in the first place.



The point is that the transmission fluid filter is not an engine oil filter and does not attempt to function as one. Too many people tend to equate both as filters thus they must work and function in the same way, which is not the case.



The engine oil filter is dealing with combustion by-products that are very small. The oil filter is designed to trap very small particles and retain them in the filter until the filter is changed. These combustion by-products are highly corrosive and need to be removed. Most people think that the oil filter is necessary tor remove metal particles out of the oil. Metal that wears in the engine is so fine that the filter only traps a very small portion of them. The reset remain suspended in the oil as it cirulates through the engine. If you get the oil analysed they can detect the type of metal particles in the oil and determine what parts are wearing and how much. If the filter is not changed and gets clogged, there is a by-pass valve that opens to allow oil to flow to the engine without being filtered.



The transmission does not require filtering down to such a small microscopic particles. That makes the filter extremely coarse in comparison to an engine oil filter and can only strain out larger particles. Because these particles are so coarse, any that are trapped and retained in the filter will not not cause it to clog. Most of the particles are caught at the surface of the filter and will fall back to the pan when the engine is shut off. There is still no harm if the magnet does not get all the particles in the pan, since they will continue to be stopped at the surface of the filter and fall back to the pan, and eventually they will drift into the magnet's field and get captured.

 

[Todd Z]

RaserX,

There is a company that makes it, but they are a lot more money than what Wayne Foy should be selling them for. I believe some one here posted a link a while back..



Rich I here ya,

With all the tranny problems ford is having, I am making the necessary steps so I don't have a post at about 40K miles that my tranny blew!!!!....

If people don't want to change a $20.00 part thats their problem, but don't come complaining that ford tranny's suck and that they never changed the fluid or filter and the tranny is dead at 50K miles....



I haven't had a transmission ever blow up on me nor do I ever plan on it. I think from simple steps and a couple of bucks I will continue on this trend..



I am done on this point, because I can see we both have a difference of opinion. And that is our right. I was simply trying to help those who are dissatisfied with the performance of the tranny, Not to get into a pissing match over a $20.00 filter..



This discussion is like the guys on a job site, If something fails everyone has 200 reasons why it failed, and if it works they have 200 reasons why it worked..

I am out like the fat kid in dodge ball !!!!

Todd Z

 

[Richard L]

Todd,

I hear you and complete accept your optinion to change the filter early and often.

I agree that there have been too many Sport Trac transmission failures, and anything we can do to avoid the dreaded blinking O/D light can't hurt. Although I have not heard of any Sport Trac transmission failures that were caused by not changing the fluid or filter, so I don't really see either as the cause.



...Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

Has anyone seen a tranny filter for a Ford C6? It is not a media, but actually a brass screen much like a window screen, but only more fine.



The filter on the Trac is far from being considered a screen.





Tom

 

[Richard L]

Tom,

The fact that the C6 and the 5R55E transmissions use different style filters of media does not mean that one functions any differently than the other. Perhaps Ford wants to keep the particulate matter a little smaller in the newer transmissions so they use a finer mesh in the non-woven filter media. It's still nothing more than a slightly finer strainer.



Look, I'm not saying that you should not change it, particularly if you are dropping the pan to change transmission fluid. It's just that the transmission filter is not designed to trap and hold dirt like and engine oil filter. If it indeed trapped and held the debris found in the pans of most transmission, it would be hopelessly clogged in no time.



...Rich





...Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

I know where you are coming from. The big difference is that the 5R55E tranny filter is not a screen when compared to an actual screen.



Using that logic, one could say any filter is a screen since the liquid flows through the media.



That just isn't the case. The Filter used in our Tranny's is more of a filter then it is a screen. I have seen some tranny filters that are nylon mesh that looks like a screen.



Compare that to a filter for our tranny's and the difference is clear. We have a filter, not a screen.





Tom

 

[Dreman]

On another note, the automatic transmission in our Contour didn't have a pan or a filter that I could find. It looked more like a manual transmission than anything, but it wasn't. It did have a drain plug, so I just used that and replaced whatever came out whenever I changed the fluid. It worked for about 220,000 miles, and was still working fine when it passed from our hands.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Cayman is right. The Trac uses a "depth filter" which traps and retains particles inside the media. A screen is a "surface filter" that just strains the fluid and allows the the particles to drop off.

 

[Jeremy McQuown]

Todd - Can you tell me where you bought the solenoid pack and the EPC solenoid?

 

[Richard L]

Caymen, dreman, Gavin,

I have no objection if you want to call it a filter and whether you feel it traps and retains all the particals circulating in the fluid. It all a matter of symantics. A screen that blocks any particles larger than 2" can still be called a filter regardless if it holds that particle or lets it fall. Any kind of a strainer could be called a filter



What matters is the particle size that is blocked. An engine oil filter traps very small particles measured in microns. The particles are trapped at the surface of the filter. An oil filter is made of pleated filter material to provide more filtering sufrace. The more pleats, the more filtering surface and the better the filter.



This so called "Depth filter" does not trap any significant amount of material than was trapped at the surface. If it gets past the surface layer, it will likely get through the other layers as well. Yes, a small amount of the particles will get lodged into the other layers, but never enough to strain them out completely.



A transmission filter allows considerably larger size particales to pass through the filter media. Larger particles are blocked from circulating thru the transmission. While some particles may get stuck in the filter media, the majority do not.



The simple fact that there are rarely any transmission failure caused by not changing the filter. The filter will easily last 100K miles without changing and cause no harm to the transmission as long as the fluid is changed regularly Compare that to the engine oil filter if it was not changed for 100K miles. The filter would be hoplessly clogged and if not for the by-pass valve, the engine would be toast!



...Rich

 

[Todd Z]

I know i said i was done, but Like a lot of posts on this site, people cant simply agree and let well enough alone, seems people get an opinion and CAN NOT ACCEPT ANOTHER OPINION AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION OR ANSWER!!

SO i found this in one of my school books from the automotive transmission classes I took in college..



AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID

Another fluid that few motorists rarely check is the ATF in their automatic transmissions or transaxles. If the dipstick reads low, the transmission is probably leaking. A low fluid level can cause delayed engagement, slipping and shift problems, and may contribute to premature transmission failure.



On most vehicles, the fluid level should be checked when the fluid is hot with the engine idling, the parking brake set and the transmission in Park. If fluid is needed, add only enough ATF to bring the level up to the full mark. Do not overfill because doing so can cause the fluid to become aerated, which may affect transmission operation.



You should also check the condition of the fluid. Some discoloration and darkening is normal as the fluid ages, but if the ATF is brown or has a burnt smell, it is badly oxidized and needs to be changed. Varnish on the dipstick is another indication of worn-out fluid.



You can also do a "blotter test" to check for worn-out fluid. Place a few drops of ATF on a paper towel and wait 30 seconds. If the spot is widely dispersed and red or light brown in color, the fluid is in satisfactory condition. But if the spot does not spread out and is dark in color, the ATF is oxidized and should be changed.



When adding ATF, use the type specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Honda, Mercedes-Benz and others all have their own specs for ATF. There’s no such thing as a "universal" ATF that works in all transmissions. Some fluids meet a variety of specifications but cannot meet them all because of the different friction additives that are required.



Many transmission experts say that most transmission problems can be prevented by changing the ATF and filter regularly for preventive maintenance. How often depends on how the vehicle is driven. For some vehicles, this might be every 30,000 miles or two years.



The harder the transmission works, the hotter the fluid runs. The life of the fluid drops quickly once its temperature gets up above about 200° F.



ATF also becomes contaminated with normal wear particles from the clutch plates, bushings and gears. The filter will trap most of this debris before it can cause problems. But many older Asian transmissions only have a plastic or metal screen that does little to protect the transmission against internal contaminants and nothing to keep the fluid clean. On these vehicles, changing the fluid is the only way to get rid of these contaminants.



Todd Z

 

[Richard L]

Todd,

I know you said you last, so that's why my response was addressed to Cayment, dreman, and Gavin.



The main points made in your college text book are for the most part correct however there are some things that are overlooked or not mentioned.



The statement: <b>"Many transmission experts say that most transmission problems can be prevented by changing the ATF and filter regularly for preventive maintenance."</b> Of course transmission experts will always recommend changing the filter even when they are nothing more than the plastic or metal screens they describe. That's their bread and butter! Like I said, if you are going to drop the pan to change the fluid (which up until recently was the only way to change the fluid), by all means spend the extra money to replace the filter! The transmissions that have the plastic and metal mesh strainers have no more problems than ones that may have a finer filtering system, and they probably have less problems than the Sport Trac's 5R55E.



The other point I made several times, is that if you change the fluid regularly (especially with a flushing machine) your filter will last at least 100K miles. As your book also stated, the ATF is the most neglected fluid. I know people who have never checked or changed their transmission fluid and drove their vehicles well over 100K miles and never had a problem with the transmission.



Your book also states as I have as well, that heat is the biggest enemy of the transmission and the fluid. Your book also states that the filter traps most of the normal wear particles. which clearly means it does not trap all of them, so some are getting through. Finally, if the filter is trapping and retaining all these particles, why bother putting a magnet in the pan. Those particles will never get reciruclated if they are trapped and held by the filter so there would be no need to have a magnet in the pan.



The answer is simple. The filter does not filter efficiently and significantly large particles are allowed to pass through the filter media. While this may be better than the plastic or metal mesh style filters, the difference is like comparing 1" gravel to pea-gravel. You can pack both as tight as you want, water will still drain thru it.



...Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

The difference is that the 5R55E's FILTER is more of a filter media then a plastic or metal mesh/screen.



Also, couldn't it be said that flushing the tranny is more of a bread and butter because they make it sound like it is better. I am not saying it isn';;t better to flush the tranny, but they get more money out of a tranny flush then they get out of changing the FILTER.





Tom

 

[Gypsy me]

I'm just glad there will be an improved/different transmission out for the ST. This was good testing for your needs Todd and I am sure the results were and are worth it.

Makes for good reading.

 

[Richard L]

Caymen,

Yes one could always agrue that a tranny flush is better than a conventional fluid change or that the change is better than the flush. That's what this whole discussion is about...Is it really necessary to change the transmission filter if the fluid is flushed at regular intervals of 25-30K miles



I agree that the 5R55E "Filter" is filtering smaller particles and so it is doing a better filtering job than the coarse mesh found on many transmissions. The point of changing any filter is that over time it becomes saturated with harmful contaminates that have been removed from the fluid or gas it was filtering. My argument is that transmission filters are not designed to retain these contaminates. They are too small and too coarse to do that effectively. So if you flush the fluid and replace 97% or more of the old fluid you are removing the vast majority of the contaminates cirulating in the fluid. Yes you should replace the filter after every 3rd or 4th flush just to remove the build up of debris in the pan and in the filter.



...Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

Rich,



At the same time, a magnet can only hold so much metallic particles before it just wont hold any more. While a flush might be great, you still leave the magnet, which can be considered a type of filter. The magnet will trap magnetic particles. Once the particles are traped, they are no longer suspended in the fluid. Change 200% of the fluid, and your magnet is still saturated with metallic particles. Once you have the system flushed, the new particles produced from the wearing of the clutch bands have nothing to stick to because the old particles are still on the magnet.



In theory, the best of both worlds would be to have the tranny flushed, pull the pan, replace filter, clean magnet, put the pan back on, and fill it back up with the proper fluid.





Tom

 

[Richard L]

Tom,

Your transmission would be worn out long before you would overwhelm the magnet. Too much of the transmission's critical parts would be ground up and stuck to the magnet.



Also, the metal particles sticking to the magnet also become magnetic and will attract other metallic particles, so the individual particle do not need to actually be touching the magnet, the only need to be touching other particles that have become magnetized. by their proximity to the magnet.



While you could flush as well as drop the pan and change the filter every 20K-30K miles, I think that may be a little excessive. If you really want to be anal, I’m sure that in a perfectly compulsive world, you would flush the fluid, drop the pan, change the filter, disinfect the entire vehicle and wash your hands after each use. :wacko: That would insure that your fluid always remained clean and your magnet had no chance of being overwhelmed with metallic particles. But that would not be very cost effective or practical and would border on compulsive insanity. :blink:



To keep the operating cost down, I prefer to flush the fluid every 25K-30K miles and every 3rd or 4th flush (or every 100K miles), I will drop the pan and change the filter. None of us can guarantee that we will not have problems with out 5R55E transmission regardless of which method we use to flush/change the fluid. I am confident that if you follow either method your transmission will not fail due to dirty contaminated fluid or a clogged filter.



…Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

Rich,

Also, the metal particles sticking to the magnet also become magnetic and will attract other metallic particles, so the individual particle do not need to actually be touching the magnet, the only need to be touching other particles that have become magnetized. by their proximity to the magnet.

Being someone that works with magnetic fields on a daily basis, you are wrong. Once a magnet has so much particles on it, the new ones no longer stick. There is not enough lines of flux to hold them to the par. I know this since my jpb entails me to know and understand magnetic fields. Placing a piece of metal in a magnetic fiels will nt make it magneized. The reluctance of the metal to accept the magnetic charge plays a big role. Also the retentivity of the material will also dictate how well it retains that charge. The lines of flux will attract the material, but they can only hold so much until there are not enough lines in proximity of each other to hold anymore particles.



Argue all you want. As I said, I work with magnets on a daily basis, been doing it for 10 years. I am not saying I am a professional know-it-all, but I know more about magnetic fields then 90% of the public does.





Tom

 

[Gavin Allan]

Also, CHANGE YOUR TRANSMISSION FILTER regularly to ensure long life!