Factory ZF 8 speed transmission fill procedure after doing a tranny service

[Wild one]

Hopefully this works

 

[Sherman Bird]

Hopefully this works

View attachment 218667

............and now it becomes clear why it is so expensive to have the transmissions in today's vehicles serviced!

 

[fijicorey]

I'm going to service mine later in the year when it cools down. I have about 65k miles and have noticed that it doesn't shift as smoothly when I first got the truck.

 

[tfeni52355]

Changed the tranny pan/fluid and transfer case fluid on my ‘16 Longhorn yesterday. 5.7 Hemi, 4x4. All fluids in the truck are Redline now. Did the differentials at Christmas time last year. Transfer case and differentials are easy. Tranny not so much.

Gotta love what the Chrysler engineers did (again) with the crossover pipe. Blocks the drain plug on the trannny pan, blocks a bolt on the side of the pan and makes getting to the fill plug a total PIA. I have a nice burn on my left arm to prove it. These are the things the YouTube videos don’t show you.

Truck had 66K miles on it at this change. Glad I did it now. Lots of gunk and grey metal on the magnets. Fluid was very dark. I don’t drive my truck hard other than an occasional WOT. I don’t tow although we are going to be pulling a small Travel Trailer. Truck shifts much better now.

Just my opinion but ZF is spot on with their service requirements. Chrysler is a bunch of BS with their lifetime fluid recommendation.

So a couple of tips:
1) Wrap the crossover and exhaust pipes by the tranny with soaking wet towels to absorb the heat when having to fill the tranny with the truck running. This will save you from burning your arm.
2) Buy a decent garden sprayer and modify it to pump the fluid in to the trans. Have a helper slowly pump while you are underneath filling and replacing fill bolt etc. You have enough to do under the truck. Ask for help.
3) The fill plug is VERY tight when first cracked. I had to use a pipe on the end of my ratchet to loosen. No reason for it to be so tight.
4) Do not attempt this at 10AM when you are taking the wife to lunch at noon. Leave your self plenty of time.







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[chrisbh17]

I kinda wonder if, after the initial change, is one really necessary again every 60k miles?

The dark fluid seems to be normal (iirc ZF even released a tech bulletin on it). The magnet gunk is what I would want to get rid of, I wonder if there would be much more of it to see once the initial break in material is removed.

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[tfeni52355]

I kinda wonder if, after the initial change, is one really necessary again every 60k miles?

The dark fluid seems to be normal (iirc ZF even released a tech bulletin on it). The magnet gunk is what I would want to get rid of, I wonder if there would be much more of it to see once the initial break in material is removed.

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Today I cut a 10MM Allen wrench to size so I can get to the drain plug, even with the cross over pipe being in the way. I figure once a year drop of the fluid and refill should extend the time needed to replace the pan/filter. That should be at 10K miles when I change my oil. Just make a morning or afternoon of it. Now that I have been through this once, I don’t think it will be nearly as much work going forward.

I know some folks will probably say that isn’t necessary but I really plan on keeping this $58K truck for a very long time. So $100 once a year on the tranny will be cheap insurance.


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[MRFREEZE57]

Today I cut a 10MM Allen wrench to size so I can get to the drain plug, even with the cross over pipe being in the way. I figure once a year drop of the fluid and refill should extend the time needed to replace the pan/filter. That should be at 10K miles when I change my oil. Just make a morning or afternoon of it. Now that I have been through this once, I don’t think it will be nearly as much work going forward.

I know some folks will probably say that isn’t necessary but I really plan on keeping this $58K truck for a very long time. So $100 once a year on the tranny will be cheap insurance.


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how is your tranny shifting with the redline? my truck is approaching 50k and am planning to do a drain and pan and refill with redline, wondering how it does with being diluted with some of the old fluid. still the redline being about half the cost of the mopar stuff one could run it a few thousand miles and do just a drain and fill again to get most of the old stuff out.
last question, how many quarts of fluid to do the drain and fill?

 

[Burla]

Technically redline doesn't make a fluid for this, if you were to use it I do believe d6 is the closest. Lifegard is cheaper then oem and is zf fluid. Look at the zf kits which includes the pan, so it's like less then 250 bucks for fluid plus pan/filter.

something like this but I don't know if it is for ram zf or not. gotta research it.

reviews suggest that pan will fit ram, but no magnet, whatever.

 

[Wild one]

Changed the tranny pan/fluid and transfer case fluid on my ‘16 Longhorn yesterday. 5.7 Hemi, 4x4. All fluids in the truck are Redline now. Did the differentials at Christmas time last year. Transfer case and differentials are easy. Tranny not so much.

Gotta love what the Chrysler engineers did (again) with the crossover pipe. Blocks the drain plug on the trannny pan, blocks a bolt on the side of the pan and makes getting to the fill plug a total PIA. I have a nice burn on my left arm to prove it. These are the things the YouTube videos don’t show you.

Truck had 66K miles on it at this change. Glad I did it now. Lots of gunk and grey metal on the magnets. Fluid was very dark. I don’t drive my truck hard other than an occasional WOT. I don’t tow although we are going to be pulling a small Travel Trailer. Truck shifts much better now.

Just my opinion but ZF is spot on with their service requirements. Chrysler is a bunch of BS with their lifetime fluid recommendation.

So a couple of tips:
1) Wrap the crossover and exhaust pipes by the tranny with soaking wet towels to absorb the heat when having to fill the tranny with the truck running. This will save you from burning your arm.
2) Buy a decent garden sprayer and modify it to pump the fluid in to the trans. Have a helper slowly pump while you are underneath filling and replacing fill bolt etc. You have enough to do under the truck. Ask for help.
3) The fill plug is VERY tight when first cracked. I had to use a pipe on the end of my ratchet to loosen. No reason for it to be so tight.
4) Do not attempt this at 10AM when you are taking the wife to lunch at noon. Leave your self plenty of time.







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Good tips.The one about the wet rags i hadn't considered,but i like it,and think i'll do it on my next change. I beat on mine hard as it's more dragstrip toy then truck,so i change the oil and filter every spring.That's the beauty of the PPE pan with it's replacable filter,saves buying the pan on a yearly basis.

 

[Burla]

if you want to price it out the mopar unit is 169, so add fluid price to that.

 

[Burla]

how is your tranny shifting with the redline? my truck is approaching 50k and am planning to do a drain and pan and refill with redline, wondering how it does with being diluted with some of the old fluid. still the redline being about half the cost of the mopar stuff one could run it a few thousand miles and do just a drain and fill again to get most of the old stuff out.
last question, how many quarts of fluid to do the drain and fill?

ask 16ramhemi. @16RamHemi

 

[tfeni52355]

how is your tranny shifting with the redline? my truck is approaching 50k and am planning to do a drain and pan and refill with redline, wondering how it does with being diluted with some of the old fluid. still the redline being about half the cost of the mopar stuff one could run it a few thousand miles and do just a drain and fill again to get most of the old stuff out.
last question, how many quarts of fluid to do the drain and fill?

Truck shifts smooth with the Redline. I saw a noticeable difference. Especially on the cold shifts at first startup.

It took about 6 quarts but I used a 1 gal garden sprayer and filled it twice. It still has several quarts in it.


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[tfeni52355]

Good tips.The one about the wet rags i hadn't considered,but i like it,and think i'll do it on my next change. I beat on mine hard as it's more dragstrip toy then truck,so i change the oil and filter every spring.That's the beauty of the PPE pan with it's replacable filter,saves buying the pan on a yearly basis.

Does the PPE pan fit under the 5.7 Hemi with exhaust crossover pipe without modification?


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[Wild one]

Does the PPE pan fit under the 5.7 Hemi with exhaust crossover pipe without modification?


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I run long tube headers so my exhaust isn't stock,but there are guys who are running the PPE pan with their stock exhaust,and say it clears.If you do decide to try the PPE pan with the stock cross-over,i'd be tempted to wrap the cross-over with header wrap,just to help keep the heat radiated onto the pan from the cross-over miniumized.

 

[MRFREEZE57]

Technically redline doesn't make a fluid for this, if you were to use it I do believe d6 is the closest. Lifegard is cheaper then oem and is zf fluid. Look at the zf kits which includes the pan, so it's like less then 250 bucks for fluid plus pan/filter.

something like this but I don't know if it is for ram zf or not. gotta research it.

reviews suggest that pan will fit ram, but no magnet, whatever.

on their website they do list their D6ATF for the 8HP70.

 

[tfeni52355]

on their website they do list their D6ATF for the 8HP70.

I am running D6 ATF. Checked the level today after jacking back of truck up to level the tranny. Got close but ran out of jack stand. Level was low. Probably added 1/2 quart or so then buttoned it up.

Test drove it and seems smooth as silk. Like it shifted when new.


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[Burla]

on their website they do list their D6ATF for the 8HP70.

Thanks man, you know I might have it mixed up with the transfer case voodoo fluid which they don't have. Maybe I mixed it up because I believe a member here Justin didnt prefer how the trans was shifting after running it. But it is good more guys are running it, maybe it was a one off.

 

[MRFREEZE57]

Thanks man, you know I might have it mixed up with the transfer case voodoo fluid which they don't have. Maybe I mixed it up because I believe a member here Justin didnt prefer how the trans was shifting after running it. But it is good more guys are running it, maybe it was a one off.

actually Redline lists their C+ ATF for the 44-44 transfer case which I filled mine with last year, it works great.

 

[MRFREEZE57]

I am running D6 ATF. Checked the level today after jacking back of truck up to level the tranny. Got close but ran out of jack stand. Level was low. Probably added 1/2 quart or so then buttoned it up.

Test drove it and seems smooth as silk. Like it shifted when new.


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so it is working ok even with the redline being mixed with some of the old fluid?

 

[Burla]

actually Redline lists their C+ ATF for the 44-44 transfer case which I filled mine with last year, it works great.

Yes I run it as well, I was talking about the transfer case that takes unicorn ****, the 45. But guys still run it in there and say it works great. The only issue I know of I was hoping Justin would clarify, I think there was one ram member that tried it in 8 speed and didnt prefer the shifts. Because he was one of the first people to run it in the 8 speed I was just saying we need more forum members to clarify how it works.

And just as that the zf lifegard is also redline quality oil and is oem replacement much cheaper then oem. With the 8 speed service being such a pain in the ass, I just want guys to not have to do unnecessary flushes. In fact, i think I will start a thread to see how d6 is as a replacement for oem, thanks.