I drained my torque converter

The only correct way to service the C6 is to drain both the converter and the pan. You shoulkd also change the filter which will include a gasket. You will not be able to dump

12 qts of fluid into it at one shot. You will need to fill it to "full" with the engine off and the start the engine for about 10 sec or so. Again fill it to full. and start the engine for a few secs. This is filling the converter. You may have to repeat until it does not drop significantly. At this point shift it thru the ranges and allow it to warm at which time you will check it again. At no time allow it to be overfull with the engine running. Drive it around for a few minutes and check it warm in park or nietral. Add as needed to bring to Full.

Lugnut

lugnut wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

A full C6 takes about 11 qts. put in no more than 4 qt and then do as sudjested. KB

Thanks, Lugnut- I followed your directions and everything worked out great. I put in a quart too much though but just pulled off a rubber hose to the cooler and ran it a few seconds to pump out excess.

I have 2 books, one the Ford shop manual, and all they say is pull the pan. So when I drained the torque converter, I thought I might have to turn my motorhome upside down to fill it back up! I did change the filter and gasket. When I dropped the pan I found a plastic "mushroom" laying in it. I went to the Ford dealer to figure it out and he said it was just a dust plug for the dipstick hole they pop out when they build it- lucky me. Thanks again. Dave

That plug almost always indicates that was the first time the trans has been serviced. It is used to transport and install the trans at the factory. The dipstick tube is just shoved in which results in the plug being inside the trans. The C6 is a tough trans but, should be serviced every 30k miles or so in auto use. About 15-20 k miles in truck use.

Lugnut

I recall many years ago getting chewed out by a customer for not "reinstalling" that part. He swore I was leaving parts out of his car when I serviced the trans. He had a hard time grasping why it didn't need to go back somewhere in his transmission.