Hey guys,<br><br>I have a question about t-bird tranys. I'v read that some of you guys are run'n Merc V fluid in your birds and not the merc/dex III stuff they usally put in them. My 95 has just hit 90K miles and I'm worried about my trans, think it's start'n to shudder a little. Anyway, should I do a full flush and change to merc V? What does Ford say about do'n that, and what effects will the diff fluid have on my trany? Any info or input would be great. <br><br>Thanks

That's a pretty common problem. Yes, do a full flush on the tranny and torque converter and replace fluid with mercon V. Follow this link to Ford's technical service bulletin regarding the transmission shudder, it gives in depth instructions. <br><br><a href=http://www.mn12performance.com/mn12-techinfo/tsb/tsb-98-8-7.pdf target=new>http://www.mn12performance.com/mn12-techinfo/tsb/tsb-98-8-7.pdf</a><b\ r><br>While you're at it, you might also want to get an auxillary tranny cooler and a shift kit. The coolers run for $50 to $75 and the shift kit, I recommend Trans-Go, is around $80. These will add lots of life to your transmission. <br><br>Ken

If you are having tranny issues like slipping, believe me, just changing the fluid will not solve your problem. The Ford automatic transmission that is in most late model T-birds are not robust. Your best bet is to take it to a tranny shop and have them check it out! Adding a shift kit to a already sick tranny will only shorten its already shortened life. After or better yet while the tranny shop has it add the cooler and the shift kit. You will be pleased with the performance and it will add life to your freshly rebuilt tranny!

In many cases, the tranny cooler is not doing its job, causing the fluid to burn, which will cause slipping. A full flush, not just fluid change, will usually fix this. If the tranny continues to shudder after the flush, then definitely have it looked at by a professional. Try the flush first as it is very inexpensive and not very hard to do, and could save you the money of having the tranny rebuilt. And the shift kit will not shorten the life if you have a problem with slipping. It shortens shift time, causing time of stress on the transmission during the shifts to be greatly shortened. <br><br>Try the flush, not just fluid change, first. If you still have the shudder, take it to a tranny shop.

Hi All:<br>I'm new to the group and to Fords. It is great to see there is support and communication out there.<br>I too am experiencing a slipping transmission. I purchased an '89 LX, 115,000(v6 with auto) recently. I love the car except the tranny is causing some worry. I have noticed slip after driving 1/2 hour or more. The fluid does seem burnt it has an odor. I will take it for a "full flush" but does the merc V fluid apply for an 89 tranny? From what interpret it is applicable only to the 93-97 trans. Also, what exactly is a shift kit? I expect it is an internal component(s) of some variety? I expect to need a rebuild if I don't see a significant improvement after the flush. If so, do I go for the standard rebuild or is there a more robust tranny that I might use? In any case I will go with the shift kit (what ever that is...) and a cooler.<br>Can anyone recommend a competent tranny shop in the NY/NJ area? I've been burnt by less than professional shops in the past.<br>I appreciate any info you all can provide.<br>Thanks,<br>Shaun

Dont Flush this tranny. Take it to a tranny shop. You have a big problem!