LR4 Transmission Fluid Change: Pan Swap Option

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Pfunk951

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MBW- The fluid didn't look too bad, it was still pretty translucent and smelled used, but not burnt. Magnets has some of that slurry on them, and some veeery small shards of metal (probably burrs from manufacturing that broke off and have been on there since mile 2) and the filter was not clogged, but looked used.. It's up to you if you want to drop the pan, but peace of mind was a big part of me getting in there and changing everything..

I'll be changing the fluid again at 90k, maybe the filter too..

Mike
 

joecool509

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Update. Rovers Parts just got them in stock. call if its not online. mine shipped today.
 

JWA33

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I just joined because of this excellent thread. Big thanks to Pfunk951 for all of the excellent info!

I just bought a 2011 LR4 with 88,000 miles. It's the highest mile vehicle I've ever owned, but we looked at a ton of them and this was the cleanest. It has a great service history and is still under the CPO warranty for a couple more months. I plan to use it to tow a race car a couple hundred miles 6-7 times per year, so the first thing that I want to do is to change the tranny fluid.

I've just emailed Atlantic British to confirm if they have the pan/filter/gasket/bolt kit. If not I'll order it from Rimmer Bros.

One question - is the factory fluid branded with LR logos, or is this the exact fluid you used? http://www.roverparts.com/nxt/?keywords=LRN13754

Thanks again!
 

joecool509

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The fluid you linked is what I am using. I would call and talk to Dave at Rover parts. He took excellent care of me and gave me 10% off
 

JWA33

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Does anyone know if this version of the metal pan has the same capacity as the OEM plastic pan?

There seems to be multiple versions of the pan and I've read conflicting reports that the metal version with the drain plug may be 1 liter lower capacity, and also that there may be a version without a drain plug that is the same capacity. Dave at Rover parts wasn't sure what the capacity of the version that they're going to stock is or how it compares to stock. I'm a bit concerned about going to a setup that negatively impacts the amount of fluid in the system.
 

Pfunk951

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I put in nearly the exact amount that I took out, and followed the FSM procedure for refilling the transmission.. I had a small leak (about 2 drops a day) from the cooler, but I imagine that it had leaked less than a 1/4 liter.. So it's pretty close.

Keep in mind that the pan can't rob very much fluid from the system- the inner components of the transmission actually extend down into the pan- so they can't make it much smaller than the original without interference. The plastic factory one is thicker and has cooling ribs on it, which might make it look bigger, but it's really not. I still have the plastic original in the garage (serving as a trophy of this forum's awesomeness) and can send close up pics if you want- it's pretty shallow to begin with..

I'm about 500 miles on the new pan and filter, and I'm still grinning. Smooth as silk. Did I mention that I changed ALL of my drivetrain fluids (diffs, TC, and tranny) for $257.48? :biggrin:

Mike
 

joecool509

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The drain plug will not fully drain the pan since it protrudes about 3/4" into the pan. But since didn't have on before I will take it.
 

JWA33

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Did I mention that I changed ALL of my drivetrain fluids (diffs, TC, and tranny) for $257.48? :biggrin:

Did you find a good source for the tranny fluid? Best I'm finding for the ZF labelled version is $21/liter from RoverParts. Six of those plus the ~$125 shipped for the kit from Rimmer wouldn't leave much room for your diff/TC fluids, so you must have found a deal somewhere.
 
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Pfunk951

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http://www.rmeuropean.com/Products/LRN13754-MFG36.aspx

I spent a half an hour with one of their techs on the phone, and he stated that they supply half the Rover Indie shops in Denver with this. He said he was on a mission to figure out if this was the exact same fluid LR sells (LR ships their oil into the U.S. and repackages it), but was inconclusive.

I did quite a bit of research on the fluids and came up with a lot of info, from people using the Ford Mercon SP all the way to the ZF Lifeguard 6. I was prepared to buy the ZF Lifeguard (Let's face it, it's a $10,000 tranny) and went with this stuff. It shifts perfectly, and I'll change it again at 90k to get more new fluid in there..

Mike
 

JWA33

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I saw that and have used RM European for years with great results. I just wasn't sure what to think about the fluid.

So, for the purpose of this thread, there appears to be three types of fluid that at least some vendors identify as Land Rover part number LRN1375:

Febi Bilstein, ~$10/liter, such as: http://www.rmeuropean.com/Products/LRN13754-MFG36.aspx

ZF LifeGuard: ~$21/liter, such as: http://www.roverparts.com/nxt/?keywords=LRN13754

Land Rover labelled: ~$31/liter, such as: http://www.ebay.com/itm/262816635036 (I've seen it mentioned that the retail price on this is $57/liter but have no link)

The factory service manual specifies Shell M1375.4 as shown in post 10 in this thread (http://www.landroverworld.org/posts/172619/). This is an oil spec and from what I can tell Shell themselves do not market an oil meeting that spec, .

Clearly Land Rover doesn't have an oil refinery in Germany, so someone else makes it for them. The question is if the Febi Bilstein or ZF is the exact same formulation. The Febi says it's made in Germany too, and ZF makes the transmission, but then neither of them claim that their fluid is what LR specifies other than meeting the spec and none of the suppliers who are claiming that these are equivalent will be on the hook if your tranny gives out. Then there are other cheaper brands that also say they meet the Shell M1375.4 spec. So, who knows. The only safe bet would be to buy the LR labelled stuff. From there it's up to your tolerance for risk, I guess.
 

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