Sorry I posted a question before introducing myself. I have been reading this site for several years now and have found myself learning almost everything I need to feel comfortable doing most all of my own work on my rig. (or diagnosing it anyways). I have a 2003 SXT with 130,000 miles that I have owned since 23,000. This is a great rig, and I have tried my best to maintain it well to this point. I have done the front ball joints, shocks, alignment, rear calipers and brakes all the way around, oil pressure switch, and plugs. Under warranty it got a new radiator and water pump. Plan on doing the front calipers, plugs again, differential fluids, t-case fluids, transmission filters and flush, and various other stuff. I am not a mechanically inclined guy but I am an electrician and get the concepts of the work. This site has definitely both educated and encouraged me to attempt more.
Maybe I can get this rig over 200,000 without much headache. I look forward to reading more in the future.
Zach

 

I found mine at a junk yard, it was treated like crap and is very close to 200k. Change the fluids and it will last. What motor do you have?

 

DON'T FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION! unless of course you enjoy spending a ton of money on a new one.. just change the fluid/filter(s) and be done.. A purge where they hook it to a machine and pump out the old while putting in new is okay as well but, shops don't usually change the filter(s) using that method.

 

I have the 4.7 and am pretty pleased with it. I am not quite sure if what I was planning was "flushing it". I wasn't gonna use a chemical treatment, just remove the oil from the pan, change filters, refill oil, drain the oil from the fill tube and refill several times over the next couple months. I saw some people using a suction pump line to pull from the tube.

 

I was talking about those hi pressure flushes that the transmission shop lure you into. What you are planing to do is fine.. I would reccomend installing a universal drain plug when you have the pan off. They make draining the fluid so much easier and 100 times less messy.

One thing you could do is drop the pan, change the filter(s) and fill it up again... then find a place that had a machine they hook to your cooler lines that removes the old fluid while adding new.. less chance of it going dry that way.