2020 Edge ST PTU fluid drain & fill

[CTEdgeST]

I am planning to drain & fill the PTU on my 2020 Edge ST. As part of my prep, I have searched this site and elsewhere for tips on how best to accomplish the fill and drain. The closest match I found was this earlier post in the Edge ST section of the forum: 

There is a link in this post that shows removal of the cooler as the best way to drain the fluid since the 2019 and up PTU's don't have a drain plug. This seems like a good approach however it raised two questions:

1) Is there a source for the two cooler mounting nuts and the cooler O-ring that are supposed to be discarded other than buying a cooler?

2) My Edge doesn't have a cooler as shown in the attached pdf, just a plug. Is this normal for an Edge ST?

 

 

 

19 edge st drain fill.pdf

[TourGuide]

I have a 2019 with the cooler.  I had the service performed with a suck out and refill strategy which is obviously not ideal - but the only way for me to source those stretch bolts you mention is to buy a kit for replacement of the entire cooler assembly JUST to get those TWO STINKING bolts!  $300 for the kit!  I was unhappy with this kind of proposition and so ended up settling for the evacuate and refill strategy.  Mon Dieu!  It is design decisions like this that are killing this brand.  

 

Is that a picture of your PTU case?  It looks like there is a spot there where the cooler sits on my 2019 PTU - but it is missing in your 20.  Curious.  The ford parts catalog shows the cooler on the edge with the 2.7 and awd:

 

 

I do not know what to make of your transfer case.

[CTEdgeST]

"Is that a picture of your PTU case?  It looks like there is a spot there where the cooler sits on my 2019 PTU - but it is missing in your 20"

 

Yes. that's why I asked. I'm wondering why my car doesn't have the cooler, particularly since it was delivered to Florida.

Edited May 26, 2023 by CTEdgeST
Add information

[handfiler]

5 hours ago, CTEdgeST said:

I am planning to drain & fill the PTU on my 2020 Edge ST. As part of my prep, I have searched this site and elsewhere for tips on how best to accomplish the fill and drain. The closest match I found was this earlier post in the Edge ST section of the forum: 

There is a link in this post that shows removal of the cooler as the best way to drain the fluid since the 2019 and up PTU's don't have a drain plug. This seems like a good approach however it raised two questions:

1) Is there a source for the two cooler mounting nuts and the cooler O-ring that are supposed to be discarded other than buying a cooler?

2) My Edge doesn't have a cooler as shown in the attached pdf, just a plug. Is this normal for an Edge ST?

 

Zinc plated class 10.9 flange nuts are readily available and cheap. Our local Canadian Tire has stock. Any hydraulic shop will stock that size O-Ring.

Edit: I reread the procedure. There's no mention of replacing the O-Rings.

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by handfiler

[TourGuide]

If you do not have to buy the $300 (retail) service kit - count yourself lucky.  It does look like on your 20 they deleted the cooler.  I scratch my head at OEM decisions like this.  It seems every manufacturer has their own version of decontenting at play.  In this case they didn't even give you BACK your drain plug!  

 

You will probably never find out why that was done.  On a side note - It looks like the bolt and nut are separate on that picture - but I believe they are a single piece that then threads into the block.  I'm not sure if this makes them a special part.

[handfiler]

47 minutes ago, TourGuide said:

If you do not have to buy the $300 (retail) service kit - count yourself lucky.  It does look like on your 20 they deleted the cooler.  I scratch my head at OEM decisions like this.  It seems every manufacturer has their own version of decontenting at play.  In this case they didn't even give you BACK your drain plug!  

 

You will probably never find out why that was done.  On a side note - It looks like the bolt and nut are separate on that picture - but I believe they are a single piece that then threads into the block.  I'm not sure if this makes them a special part.

You're probably right on that. I'd just clean them and reinstall them with a touch of blue Loctite and call it a day.

[CTEdgeST]

Quote

You're probably right on that. I'd just clean them and reinstall them with a touch of blue Loctite and call it a day.

It looks like studs and nuts to me. I can't imagine that the studs are torque to yield so they should be reusable. The nuts might be self locking but Loctite should hold them in place.

 

That leaves the O-ring. I can probably remove it without damaging it but I'd feel better if I had a spare on hand before I open things up.  I guess I have to visit the dealer parts department and try to get a part number for the o-ring out of them. 

[TourGuide]

Dealer field trip is probably the right thing to do and also to verify that the screen capture from above showing a one piece fastener is indeed wrong.  I only just looked at the kit briefly before deciding to do the evacuate and fill method - but I do believe that I saw the fasteners as a single piece - I didn't manipulate them to verify - but...

 

Anyhow - good luck and let us know what you find out.  I am glad to see that at long last the parts *may* be available at long last to perform a proper spill and fill.

[CTEdgeST]

Status update-

 

I finally made time to visit the dealer parts department and found out the following:

 The fasteners are indeed one piece.

 The O-ring and fasteners are only available as a kit with the replacement cooler (PN: K2GZ7K177A)

 The cooler port plug (PN: K2GZ7A010M) that I have in my Edge is available for about $60 but does not include the fasteners and o-ring.

 

I guess I am going to have to give it a gentle try. I will post the o-ring size once I measure it.

 

I have another question though. The owners manual states that the PTU fluid capacity is roughly 13 oz. however the PTU fill procedure associated with replacing the cooler states to fill to the bottom of the fill plug port (what I would normally expect). 

 Given the volume behind the cooler plug, I don't see how 13 oz will be sufficient to adequately fill the PTU but I don't want to overfill it either. Does anyone have any input? 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2023 by CTEdgeST
Add diagram

[CTEdgeST]

[enigma-2]

I just have my dealer do it. $80 and done. 

[CTEdgeST]

Right but they likely just sucked the fluid out which won't remove all of the metallic debris from the case.

 

Note that the PN for the cooler plug shown in the diagram is incorrect, the -B shown is actually the fill plug.

 

SMH.. 

[TourGuide]

I think the only quantity of fluid that meets spec you will find is for 1 quart - so no matter what - you have enough to fill to the bottom of the fill plug.  I have always purchased this fluid in quart jugs.

 

It is really disappointing that those stretch bolts are not sold with the plug.  $300 for the kit is too steep I think and REALLY unnecessary - sort of like the RDU fluid @ $50 per quart - what an insult - or a $2000 dollar headlight replacement.  I scratch my head at these choices by Ford.

[CTEdgeST]

I removed the cooler plug to change the PTU fluid today. I didn't encounter any issues. I was able to reuse the original o-ring as it had not taken a set.. I measured the o-ring gland on the plug as well as the o-ring and determined that is a size -127 o-ring.

 

There is no way that the "bolts" are torque to yield as they were easy to remove with a 1/4 in drive socket wrench. They came out slowly as they had a bunch of thread locking compound on them but once I cleaned the bolts and the boss threads with brake clean, it was easy to turn them by hand. I used blue Loctite when I reinstalled them.

 

One nice discovery was that the plug has a magnet in it so it was collecting shavings from the gears and  bearings.

 

The used fluid wasn't too bad but my Edge hasn't been driven really hard.

 

I used about 14 oz of fluid to refill the PTU up to the bottom of the fill port and lost an ounce or so with a minor spill so the total into the PTU was about 13 oz.

 

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by CTEdgeST

[CTEdgeST]

More pictures.

[handfiler]

Thanks for posting your findings. Looks like a straightforward procedure. I'll be doing the same next year and will reuse the bolts and O-ring as well.

[dajo2012]

On 6/16/2023 at 1:52 PM, CTEdgeST said:

Right but they likely just sucked the fluid out which won't remove all of the metallic debris from the case.

 

Note that the PN for the cooler plug shown in the diagram is incorrect, the -B shown is actually the fill plug.

 

SMH.. 

Not sure what the -B is in diagram. Can you clarify?

[kruzr1]

Think he's referring to 7A010A and 7A010B in the parts diagram above. Perhaps they're mixed up.

[CTEdgeST]

Quote

Not sure what the -B is in diagram. Can you clarify?

The 7A010B is actually the PTU fill plug. It is not shown in the diagram but is visible in my first post on this subject located to the left and above the cooler plug. It is marked with blue and green slashes.

Edited June 22, 2023 by CTEdgeST

[CTEdgeST]

I ordered a cooler plug, Ford PN: K2GZ-7A010-M last week even though the parts guy assured me that it was a single part and not a kit. 

 

It came in today and is indeed a kit containing the plug with o-ring PN: K2GP-7A747-MA as well as the "bolts", PN: W90462-S900

Edited June 22, 2023 by CTEdgeST
McMaster Carr O-rings were not correct cross section.

[TourGuide]

Thank you for posting these part numbers.  That is very helpful.  

 

That fluid does not look horrible - shows wear - but seems in reasonable shape.  Did you happen to send a sample for analysis?

[CTEdgeST]

Quote

Did you happen to send a sample for analysis?

 

I did not. It looked ok to me for 20k miles. 

 

No issues with the PTU so my objective was simply to get the initial load of break in debris out and clean fluid in.

[Outlook214]

Clear as mud..... So has anyone with the cooler actually removed the two studs and pulled the housing out and drained it (I believe this is what the Ford shop manual says)? Also, how exactly does this cooler work? Does coolant just flow thru it and dissipate heat from the gear oil? What exactly does the black plastic housing do? It would make way more sense to me if there was some sort of pump that just circulated the oil to a cooler in front of the radiator. Anyhow, I am thinking of doing this soon on my 2020 (which has the cooler). I just don't want to open a can of worms. Maybe I'll just use an extractor and remove what I can. Has to be better than nothing...

[TourGuide]

The extract and replace is obviously less than perfect - but as you say - better than nothing.  Here is a diagram from my 2019 showing the cooler - which seems to be attached to lines that run through the radiator.

 

 

The service procedure calls for using the 'service kit' that includes the bolts - the cooler and o-rings for about $300.  Since we know now - that we can get the plug kit - which includes the bolts for much less - I think that is a better option - but you may not be able to replace the o-ring if you go this way unless you are prepared to remove the cross member right behind the cooler.  I have been told that to remove the cooler - that needs to be done.  

 

It is kind of a dealers choice situation.  I opted for the extract and refill.

Edited July 14, 2023 by TourGuide

[Outlook214]

Yep, I saw the cooler on Rock Auto, so it's basically what I thought it was. I wonder if and when these things will end up corroding from the inside (coolant side) and putting coolant in our PTU? IMHO it's over engineered for service life and God only knows how much it actually helps. I'd rather have a drain plug and a larger capacity with an easier to get to fill plug and a 30k,40k ot 50k service interval. I am not sure what rout I'll take when I change it...... I'd imagine my wife will trade it before 100k, so the extract and refill will likely be my safest bet.