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zam_man's avatar
zam_man
Explorer
Jun 11, 2015

E4OD Capacity

Trying to find out an accurate capacity for my 1996 Ford E4OD transmission.

I have seen anywhere from 16.2 to 19 Qts.

I had to replace my radiator and didn't like the look of the transmission fluid when I disconnected it so I figured it was time for a change.

I drained the pan and torque converter and got 12 Qts from there and when I Changed the radiator and drained the cooler I probably had another Qt. That makes a total of 13 Qts out.

Never thought to check the level before I did it to make sure it was full to start but based on what came out I could have been a gallon or so low.

Refilled it with the 13 Qts I originally removed and started checking the dipstick as I continued. The stick is the plastic tip on a wire and it looks wet every time I pull it out. I don't know if it just picks up fluid from the wet tube as it slides out and looks wet but I put the tip in some fresh fluid and it looks more noticeable on the stick than what I am pulling out of the tube. I am up to 18 Qts and the stick still comes out looking the same as it did at 16 Qts. I am waiting to see a clear and positive amount on the stick but I do not want to overfill it.
From what I have found so far I am pretty sure the 13 Qts I removed was low, and maybe when I checked it in the past I thought the stick was wet when it was actually just dragging fluid off the side of the tube.
Can anyone give me an accurate capacity for the transmission, torque converter, radiator and external cooler?

Thanks
  • zam_man's avatar
    zam_man
    Explorer
    Jun 15, 2015
    Thanks for all of the replies.
    I ended up draining out about 2 quarts to get me down around the 16.2 quarts and checked it cold and was right in the cold area on the stick.
    Next trip out I will recheck it after it is hot and make sure it is in the hot range.
  • zam_man's avatar
    zam_man
    Explorer
    Jun 12, 2015
    I saw that 16.2 in some of my searches, that's why I was a little concerned about the 18 I put in. But then my searches also went up to as much as 18 or 19.
    The tough part is that 5 foot dipstick dragging fluid up the side and also allowing some of it to get pulled off the tip. My eyes aren't what they used to be so I have trouble seeing what's on the stick.
  • Jframpey's avatar
    Jframpey
    Explorer
    Jun 12, 2015
    If you have overfilled the transmission the fluid will be churned by the rotating assemblies. This will cause foaming and a further rise in the level... Eventually puking out the vents and dipstick. Foamy fluid will also make for unstable shifts. Try to get an accurate level and get any extra fluid out.
  • n7bsn's avatar
    n7bsn
    Explorer
    Jun 11, 2015
    You've gotten the best answer I could help with already. so... Does it have a Banks Transcommand? If not consider getting one. The largest fault the E4OD had was the soft shift they designed into it. That means that under heavy load (ie towing) the transmission can overheat.
    The Transcommand adjusts this shift and lowers the transmission failure rate.
  • Tiger02's avatar
    Tiger02
    Explorer
    Jun 11, 2015
    The fluid level will read higher if the engine is off as the pump in the transmission is not circulating the fluid. This means that the fluid is draining back into the pan, which will give you a higher reading. The engine needs to be running with the gear selector in park or neutral and parking brake on (safety first) to get an accurate reading.

    You should be able to see the pink/red fluid on the off-white plastic tip of the dip stick pretty clearly. As long as it's in the cross hatch area you are good.
  • zam_man's avatar
    zam_man
    Explorer
    Jun 11, 2015
    I let it settle down a little bit after driving it this morning and adding fluid and when I pull the stick without it running I seem to see fluid better than before.
    I started it up and it looked like the whole tip was wet, maybe even a little above the hot section. It was still warm from earlier.
    I will drive it again later and see if I get a different result checking it when it is fully hot right after driving.
    If it's a little above the full hot area is it a problem?
    How critical is the level, is there any leeway? Obviously I may have been 4 or so quarts low before and it still seemed to operate fine.
    I'm heading into the mountains next week towing my blazer so it is going to get a workout and I would hate to be too full and start puking fluid under heavy load in the mountains.

    Thanks
  • Tiger02's avatar
    Tiger02
    Explorer
    Jun 11, 2015
    The system holds right around 18 quarts of fluid. Make sure your transmission is fully warmed up and check it with the engine running in park. If it's shifting smoothly and the TC is locking up when it's supposed to then I would leave it at that.

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