The 13th-gen F-150 has no transmission dipstick, so this job is less about draining and more about refilling correctly. You drain at the pan, pump new fluid in through a plug on the side of the case, then set the level by letting excess dribble out while the engine idles and the fluid sits in a specific temperature window that you read with a scan tool. The truck has to be dead level for that check to mean anything.
The big fork in the road is which transmission you have. 2015-2017 trucks and the 2018-2020 3.3L V6 use the 6R80 six-speed with Mercon LV. 2017 3.5 EcoBoost trucks and essentially all 2018-2020 2.7/3.5/5.0 trucks use the 10R80 ten-speed, which requires the thinner Mercon ULV. The mistake people make most often is grabbing the wrong one of those two fluids, or skipping the temperature-based level check and just dumping in what came out - both lead to shift complaints that get blamed on the transmission.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton or larger Lift the truck to reach the transmission pan. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 3 ton pair, minimum 4 Support the truck level on all four corners so the fluid level reads correctly. | Safety | shop |
| Drain pan 15 qt low-profile Catch 5-8 quarts of ATF without spilling. | Required | shop |
| Socket set 3/8 in drive, 8-15 mm 6-point Pan bolts are 8 mm hex head; crossmember/skid or heat shield hardware may be 13-15 mm. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet and extensions 3/8 in drive, 3 in and 6 in extensions plus swivel Reach pan bolts and the side fill plug around the exhaust and crossmember. | Required | shop |
| Hex key socket set Metric and SAE, 3/8 in drive (8 mm / 5/16 in most common) The fill/level plug and pan drain plug use an internal hex; size varies by transmission and year. | Required | shop |
| Fluid transfer pump Hand or drill pump with 3-4 ft small-diameter hose Fluid must be pumped uphill into the side fill hole; no dipstick tube to pour into. | Required | shop |
| Scan tool OBD-II tool that reads transmission fluid temperature (TFT) PID The level check is only valid inside a narrow fluid-temperature window. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-80 ft-lb, plus in-lb wrench for pan bolts Pan bolts into aluminum are low torque and easy to strip. | Required | shop |
| Gasket scraper Plastic or brass Clean the pan flange without gouging the aluminum case. | Recommended | shop |
| Shop rags and brake cleaner Non-chlorinated Clean the pan magnets, flange and any spilled fluid off the exhaust. | Consumables | shop |
| Mercon LV ATF 6R80: 6 qt for drain and fill (13.1 qt total system) Correct fluid for 2015-2017 trucks and 2018-2020 3.3L V6. | Parts | shop |
| Mercon ULV ATF 10R80: 7 qt for drain and fill (approx 13.4 qt total) Correct fluid for 10-speed trucks; ULV is thinner and required by the 10R80. | Parts | shop |
| Transmission filter and pan gasket 6R80 or 10R80 specific kit Needed if you drop the pan; the reusable rubber gasket should be replaced if damaged. | Parts | shop |
| Nitrile gloves and safety glasses Hot ATF runs down your arm during the level check. | Safety | shop |
| Funnel with flexible spout Long neck Helps top off through the fill hole if you do not have a pump tip that seals. | Recommended | shop |
Socket sizes are the same across engines; what changes is the transmission behind them. 6R80 (2015-2017 all engines, 2018-2020 3.3L V6) takes Mercon LV, about 6 qt on a pan drop; 10R80 (2017 3.5 EcoBoost/Raptor, 2018-2020 2.7/3.5/5.0) takes Mercon ULV, about 7 qt. Pan bolts on both are 8 mm hex head; the drain and fill plugs are an internal hex, commonly 8 mm or 5/16 in, so test-fit both.
| 6R80 transmission pan bolts (8 mm hex head) | approx 97 in-lb (11 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| 10R80 transmission pan bolts | verify in the service manual |
| Pan drain plug (where fitted) | verify in the service manual |
| Fluid fill/level plug | verify in the service manual |
| Crossmember / skid plate bolts | verify in the service manual |
Transmission identification, fluid types and capacities are solid; the exact hex size of the drain and fill plugs varies between 6R80 and 10R80 and even by build date (commonly 8 mm or 5/16 in), so test-fit before you drain, and confirm the pan bolt and plug torque values and the fluid-temperature check window in Ford service information for your year.
No. Both the 6R80 and 10R80 are sealed with no dipstick or fill tube. The level is set by pumping fluid into a plug on the side of the case and letting the excess run out at a specified fluid temperature with the engine idling.
Roughly 5-6 quarts on a 6R80 pan drop and 6-7 quarts on a 10R80. Total system capacity is about 13 quarts for both, so one service replaces less than half the fluid - buy two extra quarts for topping off.
6R80 six-speed (2015-2017 trucks, plus 2018-2020 3.3L V6) uses Mercon LV. 10R80 ten-speed (2017 3.5 EcoBoost, all 2018-2020 2.7/3.5/5.0) uses Mercon ULV. They are not interchangeable; check the tag on the transmission if you are unsure.
Ford lists it as a severe-duty item, often around 150,000 miles for normal use, but most techs recommend every 50,000-60,000 miles, and sooner if you tow. A drain and fill at that interval is cheap insurance on a 10R80.