Transmission - Lubeguard

[Big Blue]

Especially with a relatively minor alteration to the fasteners. Makes filter changes a complete non-issue.

The location on the 3.5 is worlds worse. You have to wiggle your hand up from the bottom between a nest of coolant pipes...you can't even see it from the top.

Yeah got rid of those stupid plastic fasteners and put to rivnuts in and use thumb screws. Sounds like the 3.5 needs a filter relocation kit.

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[ctechbob]

Yeah got rid of those stupid plastic fasteners and put to rivnuts in and use thumb screws. Sounds like the 3.5 needs a filter relocation kit.

I'd happily deal with it if someone would shit an aluminum pan for the 10R80MHT.

 

[21rangerCactus]

I don't get the hate for the oil filter location - have you ever changed it? It is really not bad at all - much better than many cars I've changed oil on. It is actually very accessible, IMO.

Especially with a relatively minor alteration to the fasteners. Makes filter changes a complete non-issue.

The location on the 3.5 is worlds worse. You have to wiggle your hand up from the bottom between a nest of coolant pipes...you can't even see it from the top.

Yeah I never understood the hate for it either. I was very much impressed with the location and the oil channel to direct where it drains. Even with the stock fasteners it's super easy.

Our 2021 pilot is pretty easy. The big negative is the oil splashing all over the frame when you remove the oil filter. Putting a bag over the filter helps with that.

 

[ctechbob]

Yeah I never understood the hate for it either. I was very much impressed with the location and the oil channel to direct where it drains. Even with the stock fasteners it's super easy.

Our 2021 pilot is pretty easy. The big negative is the oil splashing all over the frame when you remove the oil filter. Putting a bag over the filter helps with that.

I have 2 J-Series cars. That filter just hanging out there in the breeze is so simple. The way things should be. And drain plugs on the transmissions....whoda thunk it.

 

[21rangerCactus]

I have 2 J-Series cars. That filter just hanging out there in the breeze is so simple. The way things should be. And drain plugs on the transmissions....whoda thunk it.

Yeah man.. I had a 2006 civic. It's one of the easiest cars, that I've owned, to maintain.

Oil filter and drain plug right next to each other up front. Slide the pan and drain both at same time. Transmission had a drain plug. Drain 3 quarts and fill with 3 quarts.

The pilot has the zf9 trans. So it's all over the place on whether you can just drain and fill. It has a fill plug, drain plug and level plug. Your supposed to replace each one because it's got a coating that seals and wears off. Each one is $20ish

Ive decided I'm just going to pump put fluid from the fill plug and call it a day.

 

[Friday yet?]

Thought about starting a new thread to relay my experience, but there's already 10K transmission threads. And the title of this one includes Lubeguard so perfect.

My truck is a 2023 so the CDF problem was corrected prior to my build. No real issues on my end. But my truck has 56K+ miles on it. As the miles have built the transmission has been less and less shy about demonstrating the fact that it is a 10R80. And the past few months (3,6,9? Not sure.) the transmission has periodically shifted poorly. Specifically slow, sharp turns, heading uphill. This situation was guaranteed to cause "WTF" shifting.

Here are my recommendations to the folks that keep reading these transmission threads, worrying, but doing nothing.

1) Buy and install the Fitzstick. Period. Best money you'll spend on your truck.
1a) I highly recommend the funnel he makes as well, but it's not a must have.

2) Buy a clear bucket. The one I bought measures quarts, gallons and liters. Wasn't expensive.

3) Buy one of the pumps mentioned many times on the various transmission threads. Not expensive.

4) Depending on mileage, if you've not already changed the fluid, do it. Do it NOW. If you have the above items, what are you waiting for? (I procrastinated about 3 months because I was . Had everything. Kept putting it off.)

Today's experience.
Old fluid was black. Truck had only sat for 18 hours but I still got 6 quarts out. Exactly. Didn't even have to mark the bucket as the fluid level was dead on the 6 quart line. I dumped the old, filled the bucket with 5+ quarts of Valvoline ULV and 10 oz of Lubeguard Plantinium. Filled it to the 6 quart line and then reversed the hoses and pumped the new fluid into the transmission.

Just put 30 miles on it doing my weekly recycling run, hardware store, gas station and beer run. Went farther than I need to as there were certain roads I want to run. Roads with slow, sharp turns while heading uphill.

Here's where I'm getting ready to get flamed by some. And I don't care. My truck today after the fluid change with Lubeguard Plantinium versus yesterday on my commute home from work IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VEHICLE. Go ahead. Laugh. "Placebo. In your mind. Full of ! Blah blah." Enjoy yourselves. But I'm being dead serious. I'm trying to remember if my truck shifted this smoothly when it was new. Today, I kept watching the gear selection on the dash while out running my errands when I should have been watching the road. I'm incredulous at the performance difference.

If you are a Lubeguard Plantinium doubter ( I was) BUY IT. I'll never change the fluid in my truck without adding more Lubeguard. And this is from a guy who was "Can't add that crap because the manufacturer says not to" about any additive. Never, ever put any sort of additive in a vehicle. Until today.

I'll shut up now. Long post. Sorry.

 

[TJC]

I was an early adopter with only 12K miles on my 2020. I literally parked it and took 6 months to decide to do exactly what you did... with identical results. This was several years ago.

Credit goes to ctechbob (Shawn).

 

[ctechbob]

Trust me, I did my share of waffling about using it as well. But after countless searching I finally decided that it was an essentially 'do no harm' type of deal.

Granted, my 2020 was functioning 'fine' but there were a few herky jerkies that did clear up with the addition of LG. From there on out i added it to my list of things to add to the trans. I've used the valvoline and the MC fluid interchangeably over the years, and the 2025 F!50 is getting the exact same treatment, even though it was butter smooth from the get-go.

 

[Friday yet?]

That's about right for overnight. I get 5 qts out overnight, if I let it sit 2-3 days I get 7.5 qts.

To get a 95%+ refresh of clean fluid takes 3 cycles at 7.5 qts.

I used the original hose that came with the pump, but did cut the tip to be diagonal, makes it easier to get into the pan. Mine was plenty long enough with the pump sitting on the engine cover. I did find that if I pushed it too far in it tended to curl up and not get all the fluid out.

I typically drive it a week and change it again. then a 3rd time. Then I don't touch it again until the next go round. With the transmission fluid temps as high as they are you really need to change the fluid at least every 30K miles. Sooner if you start noticing the transmission acting up.

The MBS dispstick makes is easy.

Morning!
After performing this task for the first time yesterday, I'm trying to figure out the best way to clean out the hoses and store the pump. What process have you come up with?

 

[Dr3wDrop]

Morning!
After performing this task for the first time yesterday, I'm trying to figure out the best way to clean out the hoses and store the pump. What process have you come up with?

Gravity

 

[Friday yet?]

Trust me, I did my share of waffling about using it as well. But after countless searching I finally decided that it was an essentially 'do no harm' type of deal.

Granted, my 2020 was functioning 'fine' but there were a few herky jerkies that did clear up with the addition of LG. From there on out i added it to my list of things to add to the trans. I've used the valvoline and the MC fluid interchangeably over the years, and the 2025 F!50 is getting the exact same treatment, even though it was butter smooth from the get-go.

Morning,
Asking you as well since you've been doing this regularly. How do you clean out the hoses and pump to store it until next time? Clearly I don't want to get it dirty/contanimated between uses.

 

[ctechbob]

Morning,
Asking you as well since you've been doing this regularly. How do you clean out the hoses and pump to store it until next time? Clearly I don't want to get it dirty/contanimated between uses.

I only used my pump to drain. I used a separate funnel to fill through the fitzstick,

These days i use two separate things. One of these fort extracting:

And this for filing:

For keeping the insides of hoses clean and plugged:

 

[TJC]

I hang my pump on the workshop stairwell rail wall with a bicycle hook placed horizontally (it is a perfect friction fit) above my mobile 25 gallon oil drain can which sits under the stair well (the shop garage interior is bare 2x4 framing), and I let the lines drain into the pan. I keep two 5 gallon empty hydraulic steel oil cans for transporting the spent oil to my local parts store oil recycling tank once a year.

 

[TJC]

Yeah got rid of those stupid plastic fasteners and put to rivnuts in and use thumb screws.

What size rivnuts ?

I'm too lazy to go pull the cover and check the hole size! Probably 1/4-20? It's finally down to 91F outside. I may do the same.

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