8F35 Master Rebuild Kit with Filter, Frictions, Steels

This is the full teardown kit for the Ford 8F35 eight-speed transverse automatic, the unit behind 2019-2023 Ford and Lincoln front-drive and AWD applications including the Escape, Edge, Maverick, Corsair and Nautilus. It covers the parts you replace on every rebuild in one box: the friction clutch plate set, the matching steel plate set, the rubber and Teflon sealing rings, pan and case gaskets, and the internal transmission filter. Cross references JM5Z-7A098-A, 174002EP and D174004EP.

The 8F35 usually comes across the bench for shudder on light throttle, a harsh or flared 1-2 shift, or slipping that shows up hot. By the time it is apart you are almost always looking at glazed frictions, heat-marked steels and hardened bonded piston seals, and a filter loaded with clutch material. Replacing the whole friction and steel stack together matters here - mixing new frictions with the old steels leaves you the same burnt steels that cooked the frictions in the first place, and it throws off clutch pack clearance.

Bench order: strip and clean the case, lay the new frictions out and soak them in fresh fluid before assembly, build each clutch pack to the factory clearance, install the new sealing rings on the drums and pump, then set the new filter and pan gasket last. The 8F35 is fussy about fluid - it takes MERCON ULV only, and filling it with anything heavier brings the shudder straight back. Check the valve body and solenoid body separately; this kit is the soft-parts side of the job and does not include the valve body, solenoids or hard parts.