If You’re Really Going to Service 8HP70 Trans on Your Driveway ...

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Funkychateau

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Don’t undertake this project if you are not willing to do the research, watch the videos, and ensure that you comprehend the procedures. Know what you’re getting into, and be honest with yourself about your mechanical aptitude and physical limitations.

Having said that, let me add that this isn’t rocket science and requires no “special” tools other than a torque wrench, two metric allen wrenches, some sort of sump gun (I used the type for servicing differentials), a small level, and a torx bit. I’m 66 years old, never serviced an automatic transmission in my entire life, and I am extremely pleased with the outcome.

This service even mitigated a snatching/jerking condition during low-load acceleration that had been steadily worsening over the past three or so years. Don’t know if the problem was caused by filter restrictions or degraded fluid, because obviously I replaced both.

I’d like to offer some specific pointers to anyone doing this for the very first time:

1. Don’t read just one description or watch just one video. Many of these documentaries gloss over one or more important points. Utilize a number of different sources, and make sure you understand the entire procedure.

2. Decide whether you must have factory parts and fluid. This is basically an economic choice. My own research convinced me that I would do no harm by using tried-and-true aftermarket items. I chose the Dorman 265-850 pan with replaceable filter, and Valvoline Maxlife transmission fluid. Both seem to work perfectly. I found the pan for $114 at Rockauto.com, and the fluid for $18 a gallon at Walmart. You’ll have to buy two gallons, but you’ll actually use maybe five quarts. Next time I change fluid and filter, I’ll keep the same pan and just replace the filter element for about $40.

3. Level the transmission pan’s mounting surface to obtain an accurate fluid fill. Members slickracer, Tim Garceau, and Wild One mention in the comments that the transmission is installed with an upward slope (rear to front). This means that, on a level parking surface, the fill-plug opening will be “low”, as will the final fluid level. This slope is difficult to judge when laying underneath the vehicle, so get a level and use it. My driveway slopes between 4-1/2 and 5 inches over the distance occupied by my truck’s wheelbase. Backing into the driveway, then adding a couple of paving stones beneath each rear wheel, resulted in a level transmission (as measured at the pan-mounting surface). Having the pavers under the tires also gave me a small but welcome amount of extra clearance to crawl beneath the truck.

4. Be sure you have all tools on hand before beginning. You’ll need a 10-mm allen wrench for the drain plug and an 8-mm allen wrench for the fill plug. You’ll also need some sort of extension handle for the 8-mm wrench, because the fill plug will be tight. The 10-mm drain plug is plastic, and easily loosened (about 6 foot-pounds). The pan bolts require a T40 torx bit. A 4” to 6” extension for the torx bit will also be needed to reach all the bolts. Oh, and a long-sleeve shirt. More about that later.

5. With the truck leveled, loosen the drain plug. You don’t need to remove it, just turn counter-clockwise until the fluid starts running out. Let it run until it stops dripping, then re-tighten the plug. You can now remove the pan without spilling fluid all over the place. There are 13 pan bolts. Loosen them all, then remove all but one near the back. Leave this one loose, but in place, to support the pan while you free up the front. The pan will stay attached near the front because the pick-up tube from the filter fits fairly tightly into the transmission’s pump inlet. Wiggle the front of the pan while pulling down, until you feel this connection pull free, then finish removing the remaining rear bolt. Lower the pan carefully and set it aside.

6. Wipe the gasket mating surface with a clean rag, lubricate the pan gasket and the O-ring on the filter’s pick-up tube with some clean fluid, and install the new pan. Lightly snug up all the bolts. Tighten the bolts by skipping from side to side, starting in the center and alternately working out toward the front and rear. This helps prevent buckling of the plastic surface. If you bought the Dorman pan, the torque spec is 10 Newton-meters, or a little less than 90 inch-pounds. I worked up to this in three steps, torquing everything to 30, then 60, then 88 inch-pounds. “Test” the new pan’s drain plug with the 10-mm Allen wrench to make sure it was shipped “tight”. Mine was. Remember, max is only about 6 foot-pounds - don’t strip it!

7. Use the 8-mm allen wrench (with extension) to remove the fill plug.
This plug is located just above the rear passenger-side corner of the pan. On my truck (2014 1500 2WD crew cab), the plug is near the “Y” junction of the two exhaust-header pipes. Using the sump gun, add fluid until it dribbles out of the fill hole. Do not re-install the plug.

8. NOW IS THE TIME to figure out how you are going to re-install the fill plug without touching the exhaust pipes! It looks easy in all the videos, but with no clearance to move your body or even turn over, transmission fluid running down your arm, hot exhaust pipes an inch from the back of your hand, and only a minute or so to complete the task before the transmission temperature goes above the calibration range, you won’t have time to fumble around.

9. OK, now you are about to bring the transmission fluid up to the final fill level. Starting the engine will lower the fluid level as the pump draws fluid from the pan. You will then use the sump gun to add more fluid until the level is once again even with the bottom of the fill hole. Once this has been done, the fill plug can ONLY be out when the engine is running. Why? Because as soon as the engine is turned off, drain-back from the transmission will raise the fluid level in the pan substantially above the fill hole, and too much will run out. The fluid level must align with the bottom of the fill hole with the engine running, and with the transmission temperature within the calibration range.

10. Lay the drain plug and 8-mm allen wrench where you can quickly grab them. Crawl out from underneath the truck and put on the long-sleeve shirt (remember the long-sleeve shirt?). Turn the key to “run”, without starting the engine, and set the instrument panel to display transmission temperature. Start the engine and verify that the transmission temperature is at or below the lower end (86 degrees F) of the fluid-level-calibration range. Note - It’s August and I’m in Texas, so I had to do this in the early morning to get a starting temperature in the 80s. If it were winter, I’d have to let everything warm up to minimum before beginning to add fluid.

11. After the idle speed drops, with your foot firmly on the brake, shift into drive for about 30 seconds, reverse for about 30 seconds, then back to park. Also, several authors recommended holding RPM around 2000 for about 30 seconds (in park, obviously). Note - some sources I read said neutral, others said park. I believe the pump runs in park as well as neutral, because the fluid level stays “dropped” (no drainback). So I used “park”.

12. Now the fun begins. QUICKLY get your ass back under the truck and start pumping in more fluid until it again dribbles out the fill hole. Then put the fill plug back in and tighten it. This is where the long-sleeve shirt comes in handy. Those exhaust pipes heat up considerably faster than the transmission, and you CANNOT shut the engine off until the plug is back in, or you lose fluid because of drain-back. I had to “grin and bear it”, getting blisters on the back of my hand as well as the inside of my forearm. Next time, I’ll wear the shirt.

13. Now get back up to the cab and verify that the transmission temperature hasn’t gone over 122 degrees F, the upper end of the calibration range. If all is well, go check for leaks and then take a test drive. I was absolutely AMAZED at how much smoother my truck drove immediately after this service. The jerking and shuddering had gotten bad enough that passengers were asking about it.

14. After a few days of driving, I plan to re-check the fluid level in case I had trapped air anywhere in the plumbing. At least one procedure I read mentioned the possibility of fluid levels dropping a little after a transmission-cooler thermostat opened. But first I’m going to locate a sacrificial long-sleeve shirt.

15. I also realize that this service probably leaves about 1/3 of the old fluid in the system. Because my old fluid had 184,000 miles on it, I may do a simple “drain and re-fill”, without removing the pan, in the near future. This will dilute the remaining old fluid down to only about 1/9 of the total. It will only cost me about $18, because I can use the partial gallon of fluid I have left and buy only one additional gallon.
 
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Potatomafia

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This is a fantastic write up! Even though my 2015 only has 38k miles on it, I'm not happy with the low speed, low load shift quality. I have been researching the best way to do this at home in my garage because the usual place I work on my vehicles is closed (auto hobby shop on base).

What was your initial trans temp before the fill procedure? How fast did the trans heat up after you started the engine? I'm concerned about running our of time to get the fluid level correct before the trans gets too hot.
 
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Funkychateau

Funkychateau

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Potatomafia, your concern is real.

My starting temp was about 84 degrees, but by the time I finished a 2000-RPM run-up and shifting between drive and reverse, it had already climbed into the 90s. It was in the teens upon completion.

I spent maybe a minute getting back in position underneath, a minute or three pumping in more fluid, and maybe a minute fumbling around with the fill plug trying to get it back in without burning the **** out of myself on the exhaust pipes.

What I didn’t mention in the write-up was that I did this twice. I was unsure of my fill, so I let everything cool for a few hours and then cranked it back up. When I went downstairs and removed the fill plug, I was actually able to get a little more fluid in. Possibly this was because I was a little faster the second time and finished while the temp was a little lower.

I suppose both fills were technically “in spec”, but I’m glad for the extra fluid because of the possibility of trapped air causing a slight decrease later. As I mentioned, that’s why I’ll probably check again after a few days of driving.
Your mileage is so low that it seems unlikely your shuddering issue would be due to worn fluid or restricted filter. I think mine started around 80,000-100,000 miles. But maybe your fill level is off ...

2020-08-15 EDIT: I went through the procedure again this morning, after paying careful attention to leveling the pan. I had to start at 105 degrees, because it was 3 am and I’d been waiting since before midnight for the temp to drop. It doesn’t cool very quickly when ambient temperature is 95. Anyway, the point is that I had time to get under the truck, add one barrel of fluid with the sump gun, watch the excess drip out, put the plug in, and go topside to read my dash, while the temperature only climbed 10 degrees to 115. Maybe I’m getting faster with practice. And I didn’t burn myself this time!
 
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slickracer

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Did you do the leveling process to ensure the pan rails were level?
 

Wild one

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Don’t undertake this project if you are not willing to do the research, watch the videos, and ensure that you comprehend the procedures. Know what you’re getting into, and be honest with yourself about your mechanical aptitude and physical limitations.

Having said that, let me add that this isn’t rocket science and requires no “special” tools other than a torque wrench, two metric allen wrenches, some sort of sump gun (I used the type for servicing differentials), and a torx bit. I’m 66 years old, never serviced an automatic transmission in my entire life, and I am extremely pleased with the outcome.

This service even mitigated a snatching/jerking condition during low-load acceleration that had been steadily worsening over the past three or so years. Don’t know if the problem was caused by filter restrictions or degraded fluid, because obviously I replaced both.

I’d like to offer some specific pointers to anyone doing this for the very first time:

1. Don’t read just one description or watch just one video. Many of these documentaries gloss over one or more important points. Utilize a number of different sources, and make sure you understand the entire procedure.

2. Decide whether you must have factory parts and fluid. This is basically an economic choice. My own research convinced me that I would do no harm by using tried-and-true aftermarket items. I chose the Dorman 265-850 pan with replaceable filter, and Valvoline Maxlife transmission fluid. Both seem to work perfectly. I found the pan for $114 at Rockauto.com, and the fluid for $18 a gallon at Walmart. You’ll have to buy two gallons, but you’ll actually use maybe five quarts. Next time I change fluid and filter, I’ll keep the same pan and just replace the filter element for about $40.

3. No, your driveway isn’t going to be level. I “fixed” this with a beam level and a ruler, with which I determined that my driveway slopes between 4-1/2 and 5 inches over the distance occupied by my truck’s wheelbase. Stacking a couple of concrete paving stones gave me a 4-3/4” platform, so putting two of these pavers under each of the rear tires with the truck pointed uphill simulated a flat parking surface. It also gave me a small but welcome amount of extra clearance to crawl beneath the truck.

4. Be sure you have all tools on hand before beginning. You’ll need a 10-mm allen wrench for the drain plug and an 8-mm allen wrench for the fill plug. You’ll also need some sort of extension handle for the 8-mm wrench, because the fill plug will be tight. The 10-mm drain plug is plastic, and easily loosened (about 6 foot-pounds). The pan bolts require a T40 torx bit. A 4” to 6” extension for the torx bit will also be needed to reach all the bolts. Oh, and a long-sleeve shirt. More about that later.

5. With the truck leveled, loosen the drain plug. You don’t need to remove it, just turn counter-clockwise until the fluid starts running out. Let it run until it stops dripping, then re-tighten the plug. You can now remove the pan without spilling fluid all over the place. There are 13 pan bolts. Loosen them all, then remove all but one near the back. Leave this one loose, but in place, to support the pan while you free up the front. The pan will stay attached near the front because the pick-up tube from the filter fits fairly tightly into the transmission’s pump inlet. Wiggle the front of the pan while pulling down, until you feel this connection pull free, then finish removing the remaining rear bolt. Lower the pan carefully and set it aside.

6. Wipe the gasket mating surface with a clean rag, lubricate the pan gasket and the O-ring on the filter’s pick-up tube with some clean fluid, and install the new pan. Lightly snug up all the bolts. Tighten the bolts by skipping from side to side, starting in the center and alternately working out toward the front and rear. This helps prevent buckling of the plastic surface. If you bought the Dorman pan, the torque spec is 10 Newton-meters, or a little less than 90 inch-pounds. I worked up to this in three steps, torquing everything to 30, then 60, then 88 inch-pounds. “Test” the new pan’s drain plug with the 10-mm Allen wrench to make sure it was shipped “tight”. Mine was. Remember, max is only about 6 foot-pounds - don’t strip it!

7. Use the 8-mm allen wrench (with extension) to remove the fill plug.
This plug is located just above the rear passenger-side corner of the pan. On my truck (2014 1500 2WD crew cab), the plug is near the “Y” junction of the two exhaust-header pipes. Using the sump gun, add fluid until it dribbles out of the fill hole. Do not re-install the plug.

8. NOW IS THE TIME to figure out how you are going to re-install the fill plug without touching the exhaust pipes! It looks easy in all the videos, but with no clearance to move your body or even turn over, transmission fluid running down your arm, hot exhaust pipes an inch from the back of your hand, and only a minute or so to complete the task before the transmission temperature goes above the calibration range, you won’t have time to fumble around.

9. OK, now you are about to bring the transmission fluid up to the final fill level. Starting the engine will lower the fluid level as the pump draws fluid from the pan. You will then use the sump gun to add more fluid until the level is once again even with the bottom of the fill hole. Once this has been done, the fill plug can ONLY be out when the engine is running. Why? Because as soon as the engine is turned off, drain-back from the transmission will raise the fluid level in the pan substantially above the fill hole, and too much will run out. The fluid level must align with the bottom of the fill hole with the engine running, and with the transmission temperature within the calibration range.

10. Lay the drain plug and 8-mm allen wrench where you can quickly grab them. Crawl out from underneath the truck and put on the long-sleeve shirt (remember the long-sleeve shirt?). Turn the key to “run”, without starting the engine, and set the instrument panel to display transmission temperature. Start the engine and verify that the transmission temperature is at or below the lower end (86 degrees F) of the fluid-level-calibration range. Note - It’s August and I’m in Texas, so I had to do this in the early morning to get a starting temperature in the 80s. If it were winter, I’d have to let everything warm up to minimum before beginning to add fluid.

11. After the idle speed drops, with your foot firmly on the brake, shift into drive for about 30 seconds, reverse for about 30 seconds, then back to park. Also, several authors recommended holding RPM around 2000 for about 30 seconds (in park, obviously). Note - some sources I read said neutral, others said park. I believe the pump runs in park as well as neutral, because the fluid level stays “dropped” (no drainback). So I used “park”.

12. Now the fun begins. QUICKLY get your ass back under the truck and start pumping in more fluid until it again dribbles out the fill hole. Then put the fill plug back in and tighten it. This is where the long-sleeve shirt comes in handy. Those exhaust pipes heat up considerably faster than the transmission, and you CANNOT shut the engine off until the plug is back in, or you lose fluid because of drain-back. I had to “grin and bear it”, getting blisters on the back of my hand as well as the inside of my forearm. Next time, I’ll wear the shirt.

13. Now get back up to the cab and verify that the transmission temperature hasn’t gone over 122 degrees F, the upper end of the calibration range. If all is well, go check for leaks and then take a test drive. I was absolutely AMAZED at how much smoother my truck drove immediately after this service. The jerking and shuddering had gotten bad enough that passengers were asking about it.

14. After a few days of driving, I plan to re-check the fluid level in case I had trapped air anywhere in the plumbing. At least one procedure I read mentioned the possibility of fluid levels dropping a little after a transmission-cooler thermostat opened. But first I’m going to locate a sacrificial long-sleeve shirt.

15. I also realize that this service probably leaves about 1/3 of the old fluid in the system. Because my old fluid had 184,000 miles on it, I may do a simple “drain and re-fill”, without removing the pan, in the near future. This will dilute the remaining old fluid down to only about 1/9 of the total. It will only cost me about $18, because I can use the partial gallon of fluid I have left and buy only one additional gallon.

The trucks need the rear tires at least 8" off the ground,as you need the pan rail level,not the truck itself. The transmission points downhill in the trucks,so you need to level the pan rail.In the cars the transmission sits virtually level,so on them,they don't need the rear tires in the air as high as the trucks do.Sgriffin7 posted the factory service procedure for the trucks that is directly from ZF and they are very specific about making sure the pan rail is level "front to rear" and "side to side". Good write up.I've done several services on my 8 speed,and have it down to a science,but the checking procedure is still a pain in the ass.The best way to do a torque procedure is to look at the bolts and start in the middle then torque in a ever increasingly bigger circle if you don't have a torquing procedure pattern handy to look at.
 
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Wild one

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See if this works,if not,i'll post the factory ZF fill procedure for the trucks on facebook,and somebody can copy and move it here. These are directly from ZF ,and are the instructions that are specifically for the trucks.Only cost me several thousand to get these instructions,lol

IMG_3383 (2).JPG
 

chrisbh17

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The trucks need the rear tires at least 8" off the ground,as you need the pan rail level,not the truck itself. The transmission points downhill in the trucks,so you need to level the pan rail.In the cars the transmission sits virtually level,so on them,they don't need the rear tires in the air as high as the trucks do.Sgriffin7 posted the factory service procedure for the trucks that is directly from ZF and they are very specific about making sure the pan rail is level "front to rear" and "side to side". Good write up.I've done several services on my 8 speed,and have it down to a science,but the checking procedure is still a pain in the ass.The best way to do a torque procedure is to look at the bolts and start in the middle then torque in a ever increasingly bigger circle if you don't have a torquing procedure pattern handy to look at.
This.

Essentially they missed one of those very important details they spoke of being left out...

Honest mistake I'm sure but it just goes to show how variations (like the trans being level in the cars but not the trucks) can make a difference.

I've seen the green instructions sheet loads of times, but had anyone ever confirmed exactly what vehicles are listed on it? I'm guessing it's for the trucks because of the note to level the pan, but then the awd reference kinda throws me off (trucks don't have awd.... Do the jeeps have an angled trans as well?)


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Wild one

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This.

Essentially they missed one of those very important details they spoke of being left out...

Honest mistake I'm sure but it just goes to show how variations (like the trans being level in the cars but not the trucks) can make a difference.

I've seen the green instructions sheet loads of times, but had anyone ever confirmed exactly what vehicles are listed on it? I'm guessing it's for the trucks because of the note to level the pan, but then the awd reference kinda throws me off (trucks don't have awd.... Do the jeeps have an angled trans as well?)


Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

The ZF 8 speed is in several vehicles,some of them have the transmission sitting level,some don't,in the ones the tranny doesn't sit level in,you need to make sure it is jacked up to the point of the pan rail being level. The instructions cover pretty well every vehicle the tranny is in,that includes AWD vehicles.Doesn't matter if the tranny is in your high end Rolls Royce or your truck,the transmissions pan rail still needs to be level to get a proper fluid level check at the fill plug
 

GsRAM

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Good write up, but I'd suggest you crack the fill plug loose before you start to ensure you can loosen it. (Just slightly so you know it'll turn)

The last thing you want to do is drain all the fluid out only to realize later you can't loosen the fill plug.
 

Tim Garceau

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Yeah, jack the rear axle up 8-10” and you’ll get another quart and a half in there. Take it easy on shifts until then so you don’t slip your C/E clutches.
 

chrisbh17

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The ZF 8 speed is in several vehicles,some of them have the transmission sitting level,some don't,in the ones the tranny doesn't sit level in,you need to make sure it is jacked up to the point of the pan rail being level. The instructions cover pretty well every vehicle the tranny is in,that includes AWD vehicles.Doesn't matter if the tranny is in your high end Rolls Royce or your truck,the transmissions pan rail still needs to be level to get a proper fluid level check at the fill plug

True, but Ive seen another pic of the instructions that does NOT list the step of levelling the pan rail, so I thought each pic may be cut off at the top where it lists exactly what vehicles the procedure applies to.
 

Wild one

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True, but Ive seen another pic of the instructions that does NOT list the step of levelling the pan rail, so I thought each pic may be cut off at the top where it lists exactly what vehicles the procedure applies to.

Top of the sheet doesn't list specific vehicles,as it doesn't matter what vehicle the tranny is in,the "pan rail still has to be level" to get a proper reading at the fill plug. The tranny if it's not sitting level with the ground,is going to give you a false level reading,look at where the fill plug is in relation to the pan,it's towards the back,so if the tranny is leaning down towards the rear or leans to one side or the other side ,when you pull the fill plug to get the final reading on the fluid level,it'll be out of spec.

Not sure why guys have a hard time accepting the fact you need to make sure the pan rail is levelled properly.All you have to do is crawl under the truck and look at where the fill plug is located,and it'll become very obvious why the pan rail needs to be level to get a proper fluid level check at the fill plug. Common sense should tell you fluid runs downhill,lol
 
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makint

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This is a fantastic write up! Even though my 2015 only has 38k miles on it, I'm not happy with the low speed, low load shift quality. I have been researching the best way to do this at home in my garage because the usual place I work on my vehicles is closed (auto hobby shop on base).

What was your initial trans temp before the fill procedure? How fast did the trans heat up after you started the engine? I'm concerned about running our of time to get the fluid level correct before the trans gets too hot.

I wasn't happy with low speed downshifting either and finally took mine in this week. There is actually a reprogram for the transmission, here is a link to the TSB they updated it under. It's dated February 2020.

So far seems much better, we'll see as the trans learns.
 
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Funkychateau

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Slickracer, Tim Garceau, and Wild One, thanks for pointing out the surface-leveling vs pan-leveling issue. When I re-check the fluid I’ll level at the pan, report how far off it was, and fix the write-up.

UPDATE - Under level-pavement conditions, the transmission-pan mounting surface slopes up by over an inch from rear to front. I think I can correct this by backing the truck into the driveway and also blocking the rear wheels as before. Then I’ll edit the original write-up (and credit you guys for pointing it out) to protect other members who may not read the comments. Hopefully it isn’t already too hot (going up to 104 today in Dallas).

GsRam and Nick - my plug was still out from the static fill when I started the engine. But yes, it is a good idea to break it loose first if you are about to do a re-check because those exhaust pipes heat up quickly.

Makint - very interesting. I read the bulletin you referenced. However, it doesn’t seem to describe the issue I mentioned having. Mine was a shudder during acceleration/upshift under light load, which worsened over time and responded favorably to the fluid change. Are you aware of a similar bulletin addressing this?
 
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makint

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Oh sorry, Funkychateau.

That was in response to Potatomafias comment about the low speed shifting.
 

Longhorn1500

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Very good write-up and comments. I hope to do this service in a year or two. My truck has about 43k miles on it, but I do tow a heavy trailer quite a bit.
 

Wild one

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Very good write-up and comments. I hope to do this service in a year or two. My truck has about 43k miles on it, but I do tow a heavy trailer quite a bit.

ZF themselves reconmends a fluid and filter change between 80,000 and 120,000 "kilometers" or roughly 50,000 to 75,000 miles,if you tow lots,you'd probably want to do it closer to the 50,000 mile mark.
 
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Funkychateau

Funkychateau

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ZF themselves reconmends a fluid and filter change between 80,000 and 120,000 "kilometers" or roughly 50,000 to 75,000 miles,if you tow lots,you'd probably want to do it closer to the 50,000 mile mark.

I waited far too long to do this. Initially I fell for the “lifetime fill” excuse the salesman gave for not having a dipstick. But I’m very happy with the results.

The driveability, particularly regarding rough-upshift and shuddering under light acceleration, has improved 100%.
 
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