Oil Cooler Flushing
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2002 Lincoln LS and 2002 Ford Thunderbird. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
CAUTION:
Use only clean ATF. Do not use any supplemental transmission fluid additives, treatments or cleaning agents. The use of these materials can affect the operation of the transmission, resulting in internal component failure. Always refer to the instructions supplied with the flush and fill machine.
CAUTION:
Whenever a transmission has been disassembled to install new parts or because the valve body sticks from foreign material, the transmission fluid cooler must be cleaned using a suitable torque converter/fluid cooler cleaner. Under no circumstances should torque converters be cleaned by hand agitation with solvent. When internal wear or damage has occurred in the transmission, metal particles, clutch plate material, or band material may have been carried into the transmission cooler. These contaminants are a major cause of recurring transmission concerns.
- Using a suitable torque converter/fluid cooler cleaner, back flush the fluid cooler and lines. Test the equipment to make sure that a vigorous fluid flow is present before proceeding.
- Install a new filter in the flushing equipment if flow is weak or contaminated. To aid in attaching the cleaner to the transmission steel cooler tubes, connect 2 additional rubber hoses to the transmission end of the steel transmission cooler tubes.
- Connect the cleaner tank pressure line to the steel transmission inlet tube. See Fig 1 . Connect a tank return hose to the steel transmission outlet tube. Place the outlet end of this hose in the solvent.
- Turn on the solvent pump and allow the solvent to circulate a minimum of 5 minutes (cycling the switch on and off will help dislodge contaminants in the cooler system).
- Switch off the solvent pump and disconnect the solvent pressure hose from the transmission cooler return line. Use compressed air to blow out the cooler(s) and tubes (blow air into the transmission cooler return line) until all solvent is removed. Remove the rubber return hose from the remaining steel cooler line.