Derf00

My bad about the Torque converter drain. That's only on the 5R55W version used in in trucks, not the 5r55S in the mustang. I personally never looked for the TC drain on mine when i worked on it since I knew I'd be draining, working on it, filling it, and then re draining it again in a few weeks to finish working on it.

Page 8
http://www.ratiotek.com/5r55w-complete.pdf

Also, I know we don't have a 'fill plug' (page 7) that is also on just the W version. At least that would've been nice but oh well.

BrianK

Interesting info in the Ratiotek pdf - thanks for posting that ( and a very long list of ODBII codes at the end). I'll look for the Torque Converter access plug next time I'm under the car. Also interesting is the fill info. They say to fill to the top of the 'snorkle' and put the allen plug back in. When I did my first drain, I measured the fluid that came out at each step. When I pulled the allen plug out, I got 1.5 liters out so fluid fill from the factory was that much above the 'recommended' fill level. I refill with the same amount each time with no problems. (Total fluid in a drain, filter change and fill is 4.5 liters).

When you do a drain and fill - do you adjust the bands too? Is this a recommended thing to do? On the Ratstang site he posts a procedure on band adjustment. Anyone do this? What do you notice when the bands actually need adjustment?

SCCAGT

Your measurement process seems to be good, however, trans fluid will expand/contract depending on temperature. Was the fluid you put in the same temp or at least close?
I took a quick look at ratstang and don't see anything referring to the bands. No messing with bands.
Now, this is a newer transmission, and don't see how anyone can adjust the bands without at least dropping the valve body. Not something anyone should be doing if they need to ask the type of questions you are asking. No offense. Just trying to save you some grief. Many a men have tried to DIY on things and end up costing themselves a whole lot more than just paying someone to do things right the first time. Adjusting anything in transmissions is becoming a thing of the past. I did see, however, ratstangs take on making a dipstick for the transmission. I feel that for all the trouble involved, it would less messy and much easier to just buy an aftermarket pan with the dipstick.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pma-pa27456

BrianK

When I changed the transmission oil the first time, it was pretty much at room temperature. I wasn't trying to warm it up to get any particles suspended because I was going to remove the pan and clean it all out anyway. I was surprised to see the 1.5 liters drain out with just the plug removed but that is why I did that first - to measure accurately what to pour back in. Now if I change the filter, I fill it back up to the snorkel level, run it a but so saturate the filter and get it circulating, put the plug in, and add another 1.5 liters. No shifting problems or foaming.

The info on band adjustment is in a picture toward the end of the Ratstang info - about 3/4 of the way down the tranny post. There is a picture of the side of the transmission saying to turn the 2 band adjustments in to 120 Inch pounds (10 ftlbs) then to turn the band adjustment out 2 turns - then an update note at the bottom to only turn them out 1.5 turns. I always thought that band adjustment was a thing of the past but it seems to be something to do on this transmission.

The Summit pan retrofit kit looks really nice. When I was looking, the only pan with a dipstick was a performance (deeper) pan and it was much more expensive so I went the Ratstang route. Wasn't a bid deal to do either - the hardest part was drilling the hole in the pan because that was the point of no return LOL. I'm very happy I have the dipstick - I drain and fill every fall when I put it away (about 6,000 miles). Every 3rd year I change the filter and am converting to Amsoil during this process. Cheap insurance.
You're right about doing things that could cause more problems. But if I was worried about what could happen, I wouldn't do anything and sometimes I ask myself why I do things when things don't turn out as expected.

Derf00

I did not adjust the bands on mine, it is recommended, but I don't know the recommended interval. The intermediate and overdrive servos that are accessible from the outside of the tranny do auto-adjust to a certain degree so unless you're rebuilding the tranny or have over 100K, i'd leave the bands alone.

I bought new lock nuts for when I was going to adjust mine, but never got around to it. In order to do it on our cars you will most likely need to remove the tranny cross member and let the assembly sag a bit, otherwise it's a very tight fit in the tranny tunnel. The lock nuts are not typical lock nuts. They are a tapered seat with a type of dry rubberized sealant on them.

If you end up doing the band adjustment, it's, loosen the lock nuts, tighten the center bolt to 10-15 ft/lbs, back off 1.5 turns, then tighten the lock nut to whatever the spec is while holding the center bolt to keep it from moving. The number of turns was in debate for some time but the latest info is 1.5 turns. DO NOT let the center bolts back out too much or you could end up dropping the seating surface of the band. If that happens you may not have any other choice but to drop the tranny, pull the TC and Trans Pump to gain access to the bands themselves and reseat the adjustment bolts.

The 5r55S in our cars does not have the TC access plug or the TC drain plug. Those are only found on the 5r55w for the trucks. That was my mistake in mentioning them earlier.

BrianK

Thanks for the comments Derf00 - Based on you info, I will leave the band adjustments alone. No point in poking the bear.