Going back on my last post here is how I drain my FMX completely and then put it all back together.
Use all the safety precautions on jacking and so forth. Then remove the pan as mentioned previously. I drain as much as I can with a pump out of the dipstick tube. Then I remove all of the transmission pan bots except the corners. I loosen them about halfway out. Then work the pan with a flat tip screwdriver, if needed, to break the seal from the transmission. Remove two on the corner bolts along the short edge while holding the bottom of the pan. Let that side of the pan down and drain over the edge of the pan. Holding the bottom of the pan level again, remove the last two bolts. Lower the pan down and then pour it in to the catch pan or bucket. Take note of how the clip is installed holding the filter in place. With one hand hold the filter and with the other remove the clip. Just pull straight down on it from the driver side.
I made zero mess using this process except a bit of the fluid pouring over my exhaust pipe. What you can't get wiped off will burn off quickly during the refill process. Just don't freak out if you see a little white smoke coming up from the between the firewall and engine. Check it but it's most likely the ATF fluid burning off your pipe.
At this point you still have transmission fluid in the torque convertor so you still wouldn't need the approximated 11 quarts to refill the FMX transmission. On the bottom front of the bell housing there is an inspection panel. Remove the two bolt and then slide the inspection plate off. At this point I disconnected the battery to ensure the engine doesn't start and if I'm feeling squirrelly will remove the spark plugs to eliminate the compression while hand cranking the engine. If you're lucky and the torque convertor drain bolt is all ready there - GREAT! I still always go ahead and do a complete 360° of the flywheel. This is a great time to check that your flywheel to convertor nuts as all still there and check the torque.
If you don't know the history of your car I would recommend this step. I remove the cooling lines now from the radiator. Then remove them from the passenger side of the transmission. Have a drip pan handy. Blow them out. You can remove them completely and clean them up or just simply torque them back down. I use 15 ft/lbs.
Once I remove the torque convertor drain plug I start cleaning up the old gasket off the bottom of the transmission and the pan. As needed I'll restore or touch up the transmission oil pan, the inspection plate, and dipstick. Normally from here is a good time to clean up the housings and transmission case if they need it.
I lower the car now on to all four wheels. You'll typically get some transmission fluid back in the bell housing. There might even be a touch of fluid still in there if you've had just the front of the car lifted up. Once that's done dripping I raise up the back end until it's done dripping.
Raise the front end back up. Reinstall your convertor drain bolt. The torque range is pretty big. I've always used right in the middle at 21.5 ft/lbs. I put the inspection panel back on torqueing it down to 14 ft/lbs which again is in the middle of the recommended range. Slide the new filter on and ensure the hole is lined up. Put the clip back on. I always put the hook side on first and then push the other side up.
I read a lot about leaks from the transmission. I've never had a problem with a leaky oil pan after I'm done. So here is my technique. One - do not use any adhesive on the pan or the transmission to hold the gasket in place. I use the rubber gasket. What I do here though is put a thin layer of grease, the same up pump in to your suspension (I use Valvoline Ford/Mercury/Lincoln), on the oil pan lip and the where the flat surface where the oil pan installs back on to.
I then start working the bolts back in about halfway by hand. I get the corners, then the middle bolt along the long edge, the two short edge bolts and then the remaining bolts. Ensure that the bolt is indeed going up through the hole in the gasket before meeting the bottom of the transmission. I don't know how many old car parts I take off that have a gasket that was never seated properly. From here I racket them in until the bolts just snug up and from here switch to the torque wrench.
Again I go with the middle range for these bolts using 12 ft/lbs. I start with the two middle bolts along the long edge (front/back), then get one of the edge bolts on the side, go katty corner from that bolt until all four are torqued. Then I do the same with the long edge bolts lastly getting the four corner bolts. I then go over each bolt again in the same pattern. Most will move less than a quarter of a turn or not at all before the torque wrench clicks.
From here I lower the car. Add 4-6 quarts of Type F transmission fluid. Check the dipstick about every 2 quarts and look underneath the car for leaks. Start the car and let it run for about a minute. With your foot on the brake go from P to R. Let it sit there for about 10-15 seconds. Do the same for R-N-D-2-1-2-D-N-R-P. The transmission likely didn't shift gears at all but it pulled that first 4-6 quarts in. Leave the engine running and check the dipstick. Add 2 more quarts and repeat the process of shifting gears until you get to 11 quarts.
After this is all done I raise the back end just enough to get the back tires about an inch off the ground. Use your best judgment about leaving the engine running. If I don't have a 2nd person to hold the brakes I shut it down even if the wheels are chalked. While holding the brake go to R and then let go of the brake. Let it run at idle in R for about 10-15 seconds and go to N. Wait the same amount of time in N, press the brake and visually check that the back tires have stopped moving. Then of course go to D-2-1-2-D-N-Brake and check tires not moving-R-Brake and check wheels are not moving-P. Check the dipstick. Should be good but add fluid as needed.
My most recent tranny service the back brakes weren't working and I had to wait for the wheels to stop spinning on their own accord in N before going from reverse to forward gears and visa versa and from R to N to shut it down.
