C4 fluid change

It’s been a while since I’ve been here! Two other cars have kept me busy in the meantime :).

 

I’m looking at replacing the transmission filter and fluid in my ’77 Cougar 302. In order to minimize the mess of dropping the pan full of fluid, can anyone confirm if you can siphon fluid out through the dipstick tube first, and how much I can expect to get out this way? Are there any obstacles to inserting a tube into the pan this way?

 

Also, has anyone used the Spectre replacement pan (with drain plug!) for this transmission (the stock C4), and is it any good? It’s certainly cheap enough (~$20 at Autozone), and would make future fluid changes much easier.

don't forget to check for a converter drain plug.I'd just crack the pan bolts and let the fluid seep out letting the pan drop at an angle as you loosen/remove the bolts,when you have the last few bolts to remove hold the pan up with one hand while removing the bolts with the other hand.then ease the pan down with both hands while keeping the pan level.

I believe Art Carr would disagree with that, LOL.

You can build a C4 that will handle most anything you can throw at it. Lots of tested durability on the strip, plentiful aftermarket support, one of the best transmissions Ford built - comparable to the GM Turbo 350.

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but both FMX transmissions I have run were horror stories that would cause a man to go insane.