Changing tranny fluid-no one wants to drop the pan anymore

[CATMAN]

You can pretty much do it yourself too. Drop the pan, wipe it out good. Replace the filter (easy). Replace the pan, refill.

Now there are probably quick connects for the hard lines from the cooler. Take off the return line and run a clear hose to a bucket next to the car door. Bump the starter (don't let it run) until you have 2-3 qts of fluid out. Refill the trans. Bump some more -- refill some more. When you have clean fluid out, top the trans, replace the lines and have a cold one while you wash up.

Saves 75-100 bucks takes about 30 min total time. Not quite as good as a power flush, but close.

jb

This is basically exactly how I did my Turbo 400 in my 1988 Chevy 1 ton. Works good. I added an additional cooler to it afterwards, also.

 

[Highbeam]

I have done a fluid flush once when switching to synthetic and then I replaced the filter by dropping the pan and 5 quarts of fluid several times since. The filter is not super easy to replace on the chevy half ton 4l60e pickup transmissions. There is a pressed in seal that you must remove and then pound the new one in. Then put everything back together after a good cleaning. The whole time you are working under the transmission you are getting rained on by the red atf.

At least do something. A fluid flush is better than nothing. A fluid flush and a filter change along with cleaning the pan and magnet is ideal.

So how many of you have changed the transfer case fluid? Much easier and only a few quarts.

Oh and watch out for the oil change goons that will replace your differential fluid with a vacuum as well. You need to pull the cover to clean the sludge, water, and grit off of the magnet.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I don't trust dummy lights. I don't think you'll find a sealed system used on allisons or CAT autos.

You are probably right but I am betting in the next 10 years you will see them on all cars, mini-vans, suv's, and some trucks. Just think about it, you don't have a dipstick on your transfer case, front axle, or rear axle on your standard 4x4 truck. You see a leak on your drive and thats how you know something is going on. Or you check it once a year by pulling the sight plug and stick your finger in to see where the level is.

If I remember right on the Mountaineer it had drain plug and a sight plug much like a transfer case or rear end. I believe they threaded in a hose to the drain plug and pumped in the new fluid up hill until they saw a little come out the site plug. They then put in the sight plug in and pumped a few more ounces in then removed the hose and quickly and replaced the drain plug. By the way this is how the lower unit gear oil of a boat motor is changed

Chris

 

[Eagleview]

Two times ive let a "mechanic" near my vehicles . One was when a fully qualified mechanic unscrewed my temp sender capillary line and twisted the pipe off at the nut instead of giving it a riggle and a spray to free it . That was dumb enough but after i came back for the car i found he had soldered it back together . I said "its not a wire you dork , its full of gas" he said HUH ! The second time i was on hollidays and pulled into a garage for an oil and grease . I swear when i got back he was just about to undo the brake calliper bleed screw to see why it would'nt take any grease The moral of the story , even if your only a little handy , get a manual and do it yourself .

 

[PSDStu]

Well I did have a torque convertor drain plug until I had Brian at BTS build me a trans...they use a whopping torque convertor that unfortunately has no drain plug. They also replaced the pan with the 4r100 pan with the plug. BTW that torque convertor was so huge compared to stock it added 3 qts to the capacity. I had my trans done by BTS as I was passing through ARK and had 120,000 miles..knew it would go someday with all the towing I do. He did find a few slightly burned clutch plates. The way Brian does them I expect to never have to go into that trans again even though I may shoot for 500,000 on the truck just for grins.

Thats what I have heard that Brian at BTS is the way to go for PSD Tranny work........ if I ever get to ARK I would sure like to stop at BTS.

Stu

 

[gordon21]

Iron Horse tells us:

The second time i was on hollidays and pulled into a garage for an oil and grease . I swear when i got back he was just about to undo the brake calliper bleed screw to see why it would'nt take any grease The moral of the story , even if your only a little handy , get a manual and do it yourself .


This is really scary. The brake bleed screw. You will have to give the kid credit for tyring to be thorough. It's amazing he even found it without pulling the rims. Thorough, but stupid.


I didn't know that the tranny cooler lines might be quick connect. I will check that out. If so, I will do it that way myself. Even if I miss a qt or two of old oil that gets diluted, changing out 14 qts and not touching the pan is far better than doing nothing. Thanks guys.

 

[Builder]

Thats what I have heard that Brian at BTS is the way to go for PSD Tranny work........ if I ever get to ARK I would sure like to stop at BTS.

Stu

I had BTS trannies in both my Fords because I was going thru stock Ford trannies like toilet paper. They were well built transmissions.

 

[Eagleview]

I wonder what you would do if you noticed a bit of oil leaking out of the rear seal on a sealed tranny while on hollidays ? With no dipstick to check the level you would not know how much oil you had lost . You would have no choice but to have repairs done in a strange town $$$$$ before you went any further . Where as if you could keep an eye on the level you may get back home or to your destination . gordon21// The bleed nipples on my car pointed inwards . (they will never rust out now)

 

[Builder]

I wonder what you would do if you noticed a bit of oil leaking out of the rear seal on a sealed tranny while on hollidays ? With no dipstick to check the level you would not know how much oil you had lost . You would have no choice but to have repairs done in a strange town $$$$$ before you went any further . Where as if you could keep an eye on the level you may get back home or to your destination . gordon21// The bleed nipples on my car pointed inwards . (they will never rust out now)

I agree.

How about those wonderful "sealed for life" crap ball joints you see out there. Too bad "life" to them is only like 30,000 miles.

When you buy a Mag Hytec rear cover for a pickup, it comes with a dipstick. A stock rear or a transfer case has a fill bolt that can be removed to check oil. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want anything sealed for life on my trucks or equipment.

 

[Eagleview]

When i had my repair shop , the guys i'd buy my parts from would hand me a ball joint or tierod end or a U joint with no nipple to grease it . They soon learnt not to do it again , as i would go off . They'd say it's only for a customer what are you worried about ? Yeah , it's my customer and his family is putting their lives in my hands . As for U joints , they should have a nipple in each cap . The grease takes the easiest path and one cap always misses out .