Changing AW4 transmission fluid...

[md21722]

Wow, I've never heard of a 2-2.5 quart drain and refill with a AW4. Mine is 3.5-4 quarts.

 

[Bobbo]

I have flushed my last 2 jeeps......last one started at 200,000. Sold the jeep with 280,000 and running strong. This one started at 125,000. Now at 200,000. Most places dont use a "power flusher" anymore. It hooks into your lines and the tranny pump circulates the fluid and the machine takes in the old, and lets out the new. I will be flushing mine again after I change the flexplate. After I flush them I just do a spill and fill every other oil change.....but I let this one go for about 30,000. I do the flushes myself at work.

 

[md21722]

I drain the pan and refill every 15,000-20,000 on average using conventional, name brand ATF such as Valvoline. The fluid comes out nice and red, basically like what I put in. No aux cooler. At 310,000 miles I dropped the pan to repair the drain plug threads. It was the first time the pan had ever been off. The pan looked new inside. I did buy it at 36,000 miles. I have seen other pans from other Jeeps that look varnished from running fluid a long time. I figure fresh fluid often is better than expensive flushes once and a while. The AW4 is one of the most reliable transmissions ever built by man. They often go longer than the engine.

 

[Boss Cherokee]

I use an old rear windshield washer pump (12 V, I found in a ford station wagon at the junk yard) hooked up to a long cord and couple of alligator clips big enough to fit over the battery clamps and small tubing to pump excess oil out of the dipstick tube, works for me.
You can also do the same thing with a battery filler bulb (enema bulb) and a long piece of tubing. I use clear aquarium tubing.
Getting the plug out and finding the threads again quick can be iffy and messy.
Keeping a twelve volt pump around comes in handy. I got tired of throwing away loads of differential oil after deep water fords. Now I pump it out and then pump it back in again, if it still looks fresh and water free. You just have to get it warm before you try the pump.

Dexron is fairly cheap, I change the oil every spring, figure every 3 or 4 years it all gets replaced. The torque converter holds a bunch of oil where you can't easily get at it.

Harbor Freight has a big suction tube that is clear tubing and marked with levels. I've used it to fill transfer case, big rig tranny's, and diff's! You can use this to remove excess fairly easy just add the flex hose!