For anyone who might care and likes to be a DIY'er.
I am one of the sad Escape owners that blew a tranny and paid to have a Remco pump installed. However, I have discovered one perk.
The 6F35 tranny does not have a traditional fluid pan/filter/gasket - the filter/screen is a more integral, internal part now - you have to crack the case open to get to the thing. I also understand that many of the new transmissions are designed so you don't really change out the screen/filter like we used to do. Since my local Ford dealer does not have the means to flush the tranny (a controversial subject in and of itself), they do the drain, refill and repeat method of fluid exchange and are willing to crack the case to check and change out the screen - a very expensive proposition.
Plus, the Remco pump adds a whole new dimension of complexity when it comes disconnecting the lines to hook it up to one of those flushing machines - and the drain plug is removed and replaced with part of the Remco setup.
Using an extra quick fitting I purchased from Remco, I simply attached a piece of vinyl tubing to it, disconnected the existing output fitting and popped in the new one. I then turned on the pump and pumped out 3 quarts of fluid into an empty milk jug marked at the 3 quart level. I then switched out the fittings, started up and ran through the gears for three minutes, then repeated the process two more times.
Nine quarts in, nine quarts out (the capacity of the tranny) - $200.00 less than everywhere I talked to about doing this. Since I know my fluid level was already properly lowered as per Ford's, and now, Remco's instructions, I don't have to mess with that part of the equation. In hindsight, I probably should have run 12 quarts through to get a more thorough flush of any old fluid that did get mixed in with the new, but even the fluid in the third milk jug looked significantly better than the fluid in the first one.
Mileage wise, I am only halfway to needing to do it according to my maintenance schedule. This was a, "Hey, lets get some clean, fresh fluid in there before Ford says I have to", kind of moment. It was painless and I ended up with only one drop of fluid on the garage floor.
Happy towing!
2010 Winnebago Outlook 29B
2010 Ford Escape (1 blown tranny at 4876 towing miles)
