Drivetrain tune-up checklist on the B190

[skater]

This thread is intended to hold advice for people about to tune up the drivetrain in the B190. Feel free to add to the list below.

Spark plugs - don't forget to set the gap (see under the hood)

Spark plug wires

Air filter

Fuel filter

Belts - check for odd wear (might indicate the bearings in something like the water pump are about to fail), cracks, glazing.

Coolant hoses - check to see that they are pliable. Squeeze them - they should feel firm but flexible, and not show any cracks. If they are questionable, replace them.

Brake fluid - brake fluid should be clear, and flushing it every 2-4 years is a good idea.

Transmission fluid - with the transmission warm, engine running, in park, on level ground, pull the mile-long transmission dipstick (in the 460, it's hidden behind the air intake hose, to the left of the air filter box). It should read at or near "full", and the fluid should be nice and red. Change the transmission fluid as indicated by the manuals (I think my E4OD is every 30,000 miles).

Coolant - if it's old, flush and replace it.

[lougarou]

i wish the spark plugs were under the hood. lg

[Alaskan]

Transmission service at the correct intervals is very very important...these transmissions work pretty hard in our rigs due to the near max weight

Its also very important that the filter inside the pan on the transmission be REPLACED...

Always DRAIN the converter during a trans service....most E4OD transmissions have a small 1/8th pipe plug in the converter, you need to put a socket on the crankshaft to turn the crank until you see that pipe plug.... and you access that small pipe plug by removing the rubber plug just ahead of the transmission pan

The kit costs about $40 at either NAPA or CarQuest...consists of the filter, 0-ring for the filter, and a new gasket...at Ford its $65....and 3+ gallons of trans fluid

Be SURE that when you drop the filter down that the old o-ring comes out with the filter and does not remain up in the valve-body on the transmission..

Its a wee bit of a messy job, in part because the pan does not have a drain plug so its necessary to just remove the bolts and drop in down carefully to begin the draining process....but simple.

If you take it to a trans shop or Ford expect to pay $200 plus if they do it right, drop the pan and replace that filter, flush the system and converter of the old fluid.

That filter is held in place by the pan...no bolts

Kit....

Showing 2 gaskets here...I discovered that the original Ford rubber gasket is much better than the ones that come in the kit...so I simply re-use that original Ford gasket.



Filter....