PTU Change Today

mistadobalina · May 22, 2015, 03:15:14 PM

After hearing some pretty bad stories about PTU fluid quality, I decided to replace mine while I was under the car (2011 non-PP) doing an oil change. To get to it, I didn't take off the front tire, or use 14 extensions. I simply reached my hand up through this hole with a 3/8" socket wrench and no extension. (Don't mine the massive dent in my downpipe, apparently that whole "light front end damage" on my carfax wasn't lying...)

Once I got the plug off, it looked similar to others on here:
Before wiping

After wiping

I couldn't get any fluid out for the life of me. I tried multiple size hoses and extraction pumps. They all came out like this:

I don't think there was very much fluid in there, so I added ~8oz of Motorcraft 75w-140. I plan to check it in about a week or two and do a flush to get the mixture of paste/new fluid out.

SHOnUup · May 22, 2015, 03:37:09 PM

All to common of a sight. We've been keeping car level and filling to drain plug since there's no way of really telling what's in there. 18 ounce capacity, so I'd suggest putting more in....although yours seems to be working without any fluid...lol

Rich

sunwolf · May 22, 2015, 03:55:10 PM

LOL you let the magic out when you tried to drain the fluid. My cousin made the same mistake when he changed the oil in his expedition for the first time in 160000 miles. It threw a rod shortly after.

14SHOCAR · May 22, 2015, 04:06:58 PM

mistadobalina -- can you circle or throw an arrow on the picture showing what you plugged the socket into?

IHeartGroceries · May 22, 2015, 07:25:09 PM

Quote from: sunwolf on May 22, 2015, 03:55:10 PM
My cousin made the same mistake when he changed the oil in his expedition for the first time in 160000 miles. It threw a rod shortly after.

Wait...

What?!

SHOdded · May 22, 2015, 07:50:47 PM

Nice work, mistadobalina! A couple more "changes" at short intervals should help the PTU greatly.

mistadobalina · May 23, 2015, 08:06:16 AM

Quote from: 14SHOCAR on May 22, 2015, 04:06:58 PM
mistadobalina -- can you circle or throw an arrow on the picture showing what you plugged the socket into?

In the picture above where it shows how I reached in, the drain plug is already removed. I don't really have a good picture of it.

mistadobalina · May 23, 2015, 08:08:13 AM

Quote from: SHOnUup on May 22, 2015, 03:37:09 PM
All to common of a sight. We've been keeping car level and filling to drain plug since there's no way of really telling what's in there. 18 ounce capacity, so I'd suggest putting more in....although yours seems to be working without any fluid...lol

Rich

Oddly enough, I didn't have a way to keep it level. I figured that since I was filling it on the "low" end, I couldn't overfill it. My next purchase is going to be an upgrade to the POS jack stands i have that I don't trust. This time it was done on ramps.