PTU drain plug drill and tap

[Ironpeddler]

Very true, that may actually work now that the IOLM is actually trying to take the type of driving into account (pg 403):

 

When to expect the message prompting you to change your oil

Interval Vehicle use and example

Normal 7500-10000 miles (12000-16000 km)

Normal commuting with highway driving

No, or moderate, load or towing

Flat to moderately hilly roads

No extended idling

Severe 5000-7499 miles (8000-11999 km)

Moderate to heavy load or towing

Mountainous or off-road conditions

Extended idling

Extended hot or cold operation

Extreme 3000-4999 miles (4800-7999 km)

Maximum load or towing

Extreme hot or cold operation

This is engine oil or PTU oil change?

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Engine oil. Still nothing, zip, nada on PTU fluid change In older MYs, the maintenance guide Ford puts out for cars/trucks/SUVs did say 60K fluid changes in event of special operating conditions, but no idea on the 2015/16.

[Ironpeddler]

Engine oil. Still nothing, zip, nada on PTU fluid change In older MYs, the maintenance guide Ford puts out for cars/trucks/SUVs did say 60K fluid changes in event of special operating conditions, but no idea on the 2015/16.

 

Thanks....now that I just had a new PTU installed, I want to make sure this one doesn't blow like the last one. I'm just trying to get a handle on the maintenance interval for it.

 

As hard as it is to get plugs in it...and swap out the PTU....at least one thing is easy, I just did front brakes & rotors today and it took me all of an hour or so. Now I have to get a handle on the rears and how to loosen up the E-brake to get that rotor off.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

I know macbwt did a video on the 2011 rear brakes, not sure about his 2008. All kinds of fun stuff on his channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJb7karK2nhyA7G1BW6xESg/videos

 

Do you have the instructions for the rear brakes? You have a 2007-10 Edge, right?

 

EDIT: If the 2008 matches 2007 instructions, it doesn't say anywhere that you have to deal with the EBrake. Now if you are removing the brake disc shield or the caliper support plate, yes, the EBrake comes into play.

 

Brake Rotor/Disc

 

Removal

1. Remove the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

2. CAUTION: Do not allow the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly to hang from the brake hose or damage to the hose can occur.

   Remove the 2 brake caliper anchor plate bolts and position the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly aside.
   • Support the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly using mechanic's wire.

3. Remove the brake disc.

Installation

1. Clean and dry the brake disc-to-hub mounting surface and apply a thin coat of anti-seize lubricant where indicated.
2. Install the brake disc onto the wheel hub.
3. Position the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly and install the 2 brake caliper anchor plate bolts.
   • Tighten to 55 Nm (41 lb-ft).

4. Install the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

5. Test the brakes for normal operation.

Brake Pads

 

Removal

WARNING: Use of any other than approved DOT 3 brake fluid will cause permanent damage to brake components and will render the brakes inoperative. Failure to follow these instructions may result in personal injury.

WARNING: Carefully read cautionary information on product label. For EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFORMATION seek medical advice. In the USA or Canada on Ford/Motorcraft products call: 1-800-959-3673. For additional information, consult the product Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) if available. Failure to follow these instructions may result in personal injury.

CAUTION: Brake fluid is harmful to painted and plastic surfaces. If brake fluid is spilled onto a painted or plastic surface, immediately wash it with water.

1. Check the brake fluid level in the brake master cylinder reservoir.
   • If required, remove the fluid until the brake master cylinder reservoir is 1/2 full.

2. Remove the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

3. CAUTION: Do not pry in the caliper sight hole to retract the pistons, as this can damage the pistons and boots.

   CAUTION: Do not allow the brake caliper to hang from the brake hose or damage to the hose can occur.

   Remove the 2 brake caliper guide pin bolts and position the caliper aside.
   • Support the caliper using mechanic's wire.

4. CAUTION: Install new brake pads if they are worn past the specified thickness above the metal backing plates. Install new brake pads in complete axle sets.

   Remove the 2 brake pads, shims and slide clips. Inspect the brake pads and shims for wear, damage or contamination.
   • Discard the slide clips.

Installation

1. CAUTION: Protect the caliper piston and boots when pushing the caliper piston into the bores.

   NOTE: Make sure the caliper piston boot is clean and free of foreign material.

   If installing new brake pads, using a suitable tool and a worn brake pad, compress the disc brake caliper pistons into the caliper.
2. Install the 2 brake pads, shims and new slide clips to the brake caliper anchor plate.

3. CAUTION: Make sure that the caliper guide pin boots are fully seated or damage to the caliper guide pin boots can occur.

   NOTE: Make sure that the brake caliper hose is not twisted during caliper installation.

   Position the brake caliper on the anchor plate and install the 2 guide pin bolts.
   • Tighten to 26 Nm (19 lb-ft).

4. Install the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

5. Fill the brake master cylinder reservoir with clean, specified brake fluid.

6. Test the brakes for normal operation.

Edited May 9, 2016 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W

[Ironpeddler]

 

I know macbwt did a video on the 2011 rear brakes, not sure about his 2008. All kinds of fun stuff on his channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJb7karK2nhyA7G1BW6xESg/videos

 

Do you have the instructions for the rear brakes? You have a 2007-10 Edge, right?

 

EDIT: If the 2008 matches 2007 instructions, it doesn't say anywhere that you have to deal with the EBrake. Now if you are removing the brake disc shield or the caliper support plate, yes, the EBrake comes into play.

 

Brake Rotor/Disc

 

Removal

1. Remove the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

2. CAUTION: Do not allow the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly to hang from the brake hose or damage to the hose can occur.

   Remove the 2 brake caliper anchor plate bolts and position the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly aside.
   • Support the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly using mechanic's wire.

3. Remove the brake disc.

Installation

1. Clean and dry the brake disc-to-hub mounting surface and apply a thin coat of anti-seize lubricant where indicated.
2. Install the brake disc onto the wheel hub.
3. Position the brake caliper and anchor plate assembly and install the 2 brake caliper anchor plate bolts.
   • Tighten to 55 Nm (41 lb-ft).

4. Install the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

5. Test the brakes for normal operation.

Brake Pads

 

Removal

WARNING: Use of any other than approved DOT 3 brake fluid will cause permanent damage to brake components and will render the brakes inoperative. Failure to follow these instructions may result in personal injury.

WARNING: Carefully read cautionary information on product label. For EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFORMATION seek medical advice. In the USA or Canada on Ford/Motorcraft products call: 1-800-959-3673. For additional information, consult the product Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) if available. Failure to follow these instructions may result in personal injury.

CAUTION: Brake fluid is harmful to painted and plastic surfaces. If brake fluid is spilled onto a painted or plastic surface, immediately wash it with water.

1. Check the brake fluid level in the brake master cylinder reservoir.
   • If required, remove the fluid until the brake master cylinder reservoir is 1/2 full.

2. Remove the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

3. CAUTION: Do not pry in the caliper sight hole to retract the pistons, as this can damage the pistons and boots.

   CAUTION: Do not allow the brake caliper to hang from the brake hose or damage to the hose can occur.

   Remove the 2 brake caliper guide pin bolts and position the caliper aside.
   • Support the caliper using mechanic's wire.

4. CAUTION: Install new brake pads if they are worn past the specified thickness above the metal backing plates. Install new brake pads in complete axle sets.

   Remove the 2 brake pads, shims and slide clips. Inspect the brake pads and shims for wear, damage or contamination.
   • Discard the slide clips.

Installation

1. CAUTION: Protect the caliper piston and boots when pushing the caliper piston into the bores.

   NOTE: Make sure the caliper piston boot is clean and free of foreign material.

   If installing new brake pads, using a suitable tool and a worn brake pad, compress the disc brake caliper pistons into the caliper.
2. Install the 2 brake pads, shims and new slide clips to the brake caliper anchor plate.

3. CAUTION: Make sure that the caliper guide pin boots are fully seated or damage to the caliper guide pin boots can occur.

   NOTE: Make sure that the brake caliper hose is not twisted during caliper installation.

   Position the brake caliper on the anchor plate and install the 2 guide pin bolts.
   • Tighten to 26 Nm (19 lb-ft).

4. Install the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

5. Fill the brake master cylinder reservoir with clean, specified brake fluid.

6. Test the brakes for normal operation.

 

 

Thanks! Yeah, I'm doing brakes & rotors this time. Living near the ocean with the salt air rusts the rotors very quickly. When I had the PTU replaced, the Ford service tech said they were bad....but I thought it was a ploy for more business. Then I got a small vibration in the passenger's side front wheel, so I figured he was right and it was time for a full replacement. So I got all new rotors and brakes and waited for the weather to warm up to do the job. When I took the first one off (the side they pulled the axle on to put in the new PTU) it was easy and quite rusted....but they did the heavy lifting on that one during the job. BUT the other side that hadn't been touched in three years...man, that one was glued on with rust!....and it was flaking very badly on the backside. He wasn't kidding! Check it out....

 

 

 

 

 

A video I saw a few months back made a comment on how to spin the rotor to line up the service hole for the e-brake adjustment and how to back off of it. That's what I'm looking for now.

 

Sorry for the thread jack!....and as always, thank you for the advice!

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

They encounter the same problems as ours. There are cooled & monitored versions for the SHO PP, Taurus & Explorer Interceptors, but those also have a drain plug for regular maintenance (!). No idea if it will mate to the 6F50 trans, part number seems to be the same tho

https://secure.revolutionparts.com/levittown-ford/ford/taurus/at4z7251d/2012-year/sho-trim/3-5l-v6-gas-engine/transfer-case-cat/transfer-case-scat/?part_name=transfer-case

Has anyone done any checking to see if the SHO taurus AWD or the Explorer EB unit will fit? I wonder if these would not be heavier duty units that might last longer/be more durable.

[Brian K]

I installed a 1/4" NPT drain plug today and refilled. When I drilled a 1/8" pilot hole, not much oil came out. Then I took out the fill plug and it started flowing nicely. I did previously suck some oil/sludge out and refilled so was glad to see the black crap would actually flow now. My question is - does it sound like my vent is plugged? - because of the no flow of oil when I finished the pilot hole? Can I access the vent from the bottom of the vehicle or is the top better? I looked all over for it and didn't see it - not looking hard enough I guess. I gather it pulls out and does not have threads - is that correct?

 

Thanks to everyone who posted the extremely helpful pictures and their experiences in doing this. It is great to have this done and the upcoming regular PTU oil changes.

[jlkansascity]

Interesting stuff on this thread.

 

I just bought a 2007 Lincoln MKX with 146k. The car is immaculate, purrs like a kitten, and runs, shifts perfect. Well, almost.

 

The day I bought it, I had my mechanic change all of the fluids. The Transfer case (PTU) had a grey creamy sludge on the fill plug.

 

I took it for a drive about 60 miles each way, and noticed a burning oil smell when I got out of the car. I opened the hood after a minute or two, and didn't see any smoke or anything. On the way home, I stopped and immediately opened the hood and saw a tiny bit of smoke come up from behind the engine for about a half second and stop.

 

I noticed small drops of black oil where I parked it, about the size of a quarter. The wierd thing is, I checked the driveway of the woman I bought it from, and it was totally clean.

 

It seems to shift and drive fine at all speeds.

 

After reading this post, I am wondering if just flushing it a few times would do the trick, or if I should have the seals replaced, or go right for the new transfer case (PTU). I imagine this car has already had the case replaced, since they seem to go out at 60-90k.

 

Jlkansascity, did yours leak from the seals, or out the vent? I am hoping I can squeek out having to buy a new PTU.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

 

sleddude

 

Mine leaked from the VENT. I think that's most common. Mine has 150k miles now and the axle shaft seals have never leaked. I did the flush and refill a bunch and it seems to have cleared the vent. I am always concerned though because when I do the refill, the level is generally low and IDK where the oil goes.

 

If your mechanic changed all the fluids through, I would just drive it a bit to see if maybe it was just a bit overfull and the dripping might stop if so.

Jonathan

[jlkansascity]

I installed a 1/4" NPT drain plug today and refilled. When I drilled a 1/8" pilot hole, not much oil came out. Then I took out the fill plug and it started flowing nicely. I did previously suck some oil/sludge out and refilled so was glad to see the black crap would actually flow now. My question is - does it sound like my vent is plugged? - because of the no flow of oil when I finished the pilot hole? Can I access the vent from the bottom of the vehicle or is the top better? I looked all over for it and didn't see it - not looking hard enough I guess. I gather it pulls out and does not have threads - is that correct?

 

Thanks to everyone who posted the extremely helpful pictures and their experiences in doing this. It is great to have this done and the upcoming regular PTU oil changes.

 

Brian, if the vent was plugged, you would know because it would be bubbling the black snotty grease / oil out of it. Actually here is a good photo of the vent from forum member genius the_Natrix hope he doesn't mind; http://s159.photobucket.com/user/the_natrix/media/Ford%20Edge%20PTU/KICX5250_zps24f9b30f.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

[jlkansascity]

 

Thanks! Yeah, I'm doing brakes & rotors this time. Living near the ocean with the salt air rusts the rotors very quickly. When I had the PTU replaced, the Ford service tech said they were bad....but I thought it was a ploy for more business. Then I got a small vibration in the passenger's side front wheel, so I figured he was right and it was time for a full replacement. So I got all new rotors and brakes and waited for the weather to warm up to do the job. When I took the first one off (the side they pulled the axle on to put in the new PTU) it was easy and quite rusted....but they did the heavy lifting on that one during the job. BUT the other side that hadn't been touched in three years...man, that one was glued on with rust!....and it was flaking very badly on the backside. He wasn't kidding! Check it out....

 

 

 

 

 

A video I saw a few months back made a comment on how to spin the rotor to line up the service hole for the e-brake adjustment and how to back off of it. That's what I'm looking for now.

 

Sorry for the thread jack!....and as always, thank you for the advice!

I don't know if you're holding out for a video, I couldn't find one but I just did the brakes on my 2007 yesterday. It has 150k on it and they weren't even half worn out, but a lot of dust clogging everything up. Did all new rotors and ceramic brakes.

 

On the rears, you pull the rubber plug out. Then you line it up with the hole at the top (12:00). Look in there and you can see the adjustment wheel just like on drum brakes.

 

However, you don't need to do this if the rotor is loose. One of mine came right off. The other I had to loosen the e-brake and hit it with a hammer.

 

Jonathan

[jlkansascity]

 

Thanks....now that I just had a new PTU installed, I want to make sure this one doesn't blow like the last one. I'm just trying to get a handle on the maintenance interval for it.

 

As hard as it is to get plugs in it...and swap out the PTU....at least one thing is easy, I just did front brakes & rotors today and it took me all of an hour or so. Now I have to get a handle on the rears and how to loosen up the E-brake to get that rotor off.

I'm sure you're done with the brakes by now, but you don't need to loosen the ebrake if the rotor is loose already. If the rotor is not loose and wont' come off, find the rubber plug in the rear rotor, pull it out, and turn the hole to 12:00 (straight up). If you look in there with a light, you can see the typical drum brake adjustment wheel.

 

JL

[jlkansascity]

 

Decided yesterday to install a drain plug and make future fluid changes that much easier since I'll need to be flushing this thing for a while until it cleans up. Here's the list of tools and parts I needed/used:

 

3/8"-18 NPT hex head pipe plug from Grainger ($3)

NPT tap and die set with 3/8"-18 from Harbor Freight ($12 with coupon)

5/16" drill bit for pilot hole and 9/16" bit for final hole

Cordless drill

16mm socket with 3" extension and long handle ratchet

5/16" hex head bit and 6" extension

Center punch and hammer

New fluid and fluid pump

 

Here's the start of the pilot hole:

And were getting part way into the case:

The pilot hole has broken through:

I didn't get any pics of the final hole size drilled or the tapping of it as I was concentrated on not breaking off the tap in the case, so here's the final product:

Filled it up with gear lube and will run it for a week and change fluid again. I even saved a sample of the disgusting old fluid as I'm curious in a UOA of it. It all went much smoother than I thought it would, because on the Taurus X the bottom of the PTU case is pretty low and drill bits were long enough to easily reach up between the exhaust and engine mount. I highly suggest using a hammer drill to do this, as I didn't on the pilot hole and it took way longer than the 9/16" hole did with the hammer action.

 

Edit: I changed the 8mm hex bit to 5/16" because I stripped out the plug while trying to remove it the first time. Had to hammer in a Torx socket to get the darn thing out, then replaced with the same magnetic plug.

 

 

 

Thanks for the great photos!

JL

[Brian K]

Thanks for the link to the photo Kansascity. I assume the vent is on the top of the PTU. That photo was of the PTU on the bench and just a little jiggly thingy.

Do you know if you can feel it if you reach up around to the top? There is no black sludge that I can see on the PTU anywhere so I assume my vent is not puking.

 

I did my second drain and fill of the PTU tonight. The fluid was still pretty black coming out but it flowed much better now. I suspect this will be an ongoing process to have it stay somewhat golden in color. Any idea how long this might take. (it sure feels good to have that drain plug in now).

[macbwt]

[jlkansascity]

Thanks for the link to the photo Kansascity. I assume the vent is on the top of the PTU. That photo was of the PTU on the bench and just a little jiggly thingy.

Do you know if you can feel it if you reach up around to the top? There is no black sludge that I can see on the PTU anywhere so I assume my vent is not puking.

 

I did my second drain and fill of the PTU tonight. The fluid was still pretty black coming out but it flowed much better now. I suspect this will be an ongoing process to have it stay somewhat golden in color. Any idea how long this might take. (it sure feels good to have that drain plug in now).

Brian K;

 

I have probably changed my fluid by suction device and refill about 8 times and it's still pretty black. This black tar type grease is some of the nastiest, stickiest, dirtiest stuff I've ever seen. Yeah, the vent is UP when the PTU is in the vehicle.

[jlkansascity]

macbwt, you point out many of the same frustrations I have had. One more thing; there are actual Ford DEALERS selling dozens, maybe hundreds, of these PTO units on ebay and other online sites. It seems kind of unethical to have a known problem from the manufacturer, and the dealers with what is essentially a side business selling the parts to resolve it.

 

I'm in the market for a new SUV, but my experience with this issue has really left me with lots of concerns. Overall, it's been a good vehicle, if Ford would just man up and handle this issue.

 

jlkansascity

[13EdgeSport]

If you go to the Dealer with a completely cooked PTU, that smells like burnt gear oil and sulfur (rotten eggs,) they'll replace the entire unit.

[jlkansascity]

If you go to the Dealer with a completely cooked PTU, that smells like burnt gear oil and sulfur (rotten eggs,) they'll replace the entire unit.

13EdgeSport;

 

Correct, and they will charge you roughly $1600.00 if your vehicle is out of warranty. They will not do it as a warranty or known issue replacement. The internet is rife with accounts of owners getting screwed over by Ford's reaction to this known issue. It seems to depend a lot on the dealer. I have read accounts where a dealer replaced it without much ado, and then I've seen dealers just not consider that option. I myself went into my dealer and they said basically; "yeah your PTO is totally shot and needs to be replaced and that will cost $1600.00". SOL.

 

So then I started on the suction out the old / refill cycle which has basically saved my PTO unit and it's still running 20,000 miles later.

Edited May 27, 2016 by jlkansascity

[coronan]

If you put a magnetic drain plug in the bottom: You will be amazed how much more metal shavings it finds than the top plug!!!

[Brian K]

Ford is well known for not acknowledging or fixing design problems and they happily pass the joy to the consumer. Unless the issue is safety related and the government forces a recall, consumers are SOL.

 

Other Ford 'better ideas" are a 2 piece spark plug which breaks off in the heads if you try to remove them. Actually they came up with a 'Broken SparkPlug removal too' it was so bad. This was prevalent on the 4.6 and 5.4 Triton engines from 05-07. Fortunately, if you pull the plugs before the mileage gets too high and before the plugs get seized in because of carbon build up holding the plug in, you can either replace with an aftermarket 1 piece plug or put some anti-seize on the snouts of the plugs to make future removal easier. I took my Mustang to the stealership to inquire about this issue and the service advisor just laughed and said it would cost $600 to replace the plugs if none broke and up to $1000 if they all broke. I did it myself very gently.

 

Another issue is aluminum hood corrosion on the front lip on Mustangs' hoods where there could be some steel filings in the folded over portion. This causes galvanic corrosion which eventually corrodes and blisters the paint - poor prepping when being manufactured. They sand it over and re-paint but of course it comes back. Only real recourse is to replace the hood with aftermarket one. No corrosion warranty coverage from Ford. Makes me wonder about buying a new all aluminum body F-150.

 

I'm sure there are many other issues too.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Brian K

[Christina]

Okay, I'm late to the party, but my dealer just told me yesterday that I need a new PTU for my 2011 MKX -- $1,900.

 

I don't know about this dipstick. Why is it necessary? The 2011 MKX/Edge service manual has this about changing the PTU's fluid.

 

1. With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a hoist. For additional information, refer to Section 100-02 .

1. NOTE: Clean the area around the filler plug before removing.
2. Remove the filler plug.

PTU s without a drain plug

NOTE: The fluid capacity of the PTU is 0.53L (18 oz).

1. With the PTU fluid level even with the bottom of the fill opening, remove as much fluid as possible from the PTU using the Oil Suction Gun or a suitable tool.

1. Refill the PTU fluid level even with the bottom of the fill opening and install the filler plug hand-tight.

1. With the aid of an assistant, rotate the front tires a minimal of 3 times in the same direction.

1. Remove the filler plug. Using the Oil Suction Gun or a suitable tool, remove as much fluid as possible from the PTU .

1. Refill the PTU fluid level even with the bottom of the fill opening and install the filler plug hand-tight.

1. With the aid of an assistant, rotate the front tires a minimal of 3 times in the same direction.

1. Remove the filler plug. Using the Oil Suction Gun or a suitable tool, remove as much fluid as possible from the PTU .

PTU s with a drain plug

NOTE: The fluid capacity of the PTU is 0.53L (18 oz).

1. Remove the drain plug.

1. Apply silicone sealant to the drain plug threads and install the plug.
2. Tighten to 20 Nm (177 lb-in).

All vehicles

1. Fill the PTU with lubricant. The fluid must be even with the bottom of the fill opening.

1. Apply silicone sealant to the filler plug threads and install the plug.
2. Tighten to 20 Nm (177 lb-in).

So Ford, according to this manual, recommends filling to the bottom of the fill plug. Why are you guys filling to a lower level?

Sorry about the step numbering. The forum's software munged the pasted text's step numbers. The instructions and order is correct, just the numbers are all wrong.

[13EdgeSport]

I'm not sure why people aren't filling it up all the way.

 

edit

Divide by 12, carry the 1.

Edited June 8, 2016 by 13EdgeSport

[Ironpeddler]

Okay, I'm late to the party, but my dealer just told me yesterday that I need a new PTU for my 2011 MKX -- $1,900.

Never heard of that much gear oil being added before.

 

The price quote to replace it seems high. I just had mine done here in NJ at $1,500 and that included 7% sales tax.

 

Maybe try a Ford dealer, same vehicle, but they charge less.

[Ironpeddler]

Okay, I'm late to the party, but my dealer just told me yesterday that I need a new PTU for my 2011 MKX -- $1,900.

Never heard of that much gear oil being added before.

 

The price quote to replace it seems high. I just had mine done here in NJ at $1,500 and that included 7% sales tax.

 

Maybe try a Ford dealer, same vehicle, but they charge less.

[pedro2u]

275 posts on this topic, so seemed like it was only a matter of time before it was my turn. Starting seeing the dreaded black goo on my garage floor last week. My 2011 Edge is a CPO with 47K miles. Took it in to the dealer yesterday and they kept it, said yes, it's the PTU, and gave me a loaner. Pick it up Friday......... Also found a hydraulic leak (transmission filter?)

 

Update Friday