Love your humor ... "letting it drip for 5 minutes and THEN CLEANING OUR FACE" (2:03). You made my day. I sure wanted to know if I could do it myself, and now (with your video), I have faith that I (as a student and low-income right now) can do it to take good care of my car. Thank you so much. Dealerships & auto places make it TOO EXPENSIVE to do this stuff, so I have to go DYI. So, thank you sincerely ...
From a transmission oil cooler installation document, an easy way to differentiate the inlet from the outlet is to start the engine when it is cold, depress the brake pedal, shift into drive for 10s (no more than 10s!), and stop the engine. Feel both transmission oil lines and the inlet will be warmer than the outlet return line.
What are you doing? You are sending all the old right into the pan through the new filter. You should be intercepting the fluid before it re-enters the transmission after the cooler(s). Nothing but new should cycle through if you have a choice.
I am commenting from Japan. I learned by watching this video. I am exchanging in the same way. The gasket is peeled off with a ceramic tooth scraper. It's very easy. I also recommend it to you. I thought this was a universal method. I also subscribed to the channel. Thank you very much.
I ended my career as an ASE Master Technician, trained at the GM Training College in Atlanta, specializing in automatic transmission repair and I would like to add a few things to maybe help you guys out. First off, automatic transmissions come nowadays with filters big enough to catch a lot of stuff: ten times the amount of metal flakes and clutch material that come off a new transmission assembly. After 100 miles or so, if an automatic transmission is still making metal, it's not going to make it to 1000 miles before it fails completely. Conclusion: that pan never needs to come off unless a repair or rebuild is being done. The filters inside modern AT's never need to be replaced, they will last the life of the transmission. Magnets are good to have, but aren't necessary, and never need to be cleaned or replaced. Second, it's the fluid that needs to be replaced often because it has detergents that keep the parts inside clean. About every 30,000 miles is usually good. However if you do a lot of towing it may degrade faster. Here is the measure of how you can tell if you are overheating the transmission. Automatic transmission fluid is red because it has a temperature sensitive red dye in it. This red dye loses its color when the fluid gets hot, the hotter the fluid, the faster it degrades. If the fluid is brown you've waited too long. My best advice is to do a simple line flush to get out all of the old fluid. The way Ratchet and Wrenches did it is ok, just get a helper and be ready to pour fast and replace all of the fluid, plus a quart or two to account for some mixing. First crank the engine and wait for the fluid to empty out the pan, don't worry you won't run the pump "dry", there will be enough fluid to lubricate it and keep from hurting it any. Then pour fluid until your bucket has the same amount of fluid in it as you've poured in. A good way is to have two identical buckets, pour the fluid you're going to use, less one quart, into one and make a mark on the other bucket to correspond to level in the one-quart low bucket. Now start the engine and as soon as the old fluid stops coming out start pouring the fresh fluid in, fast at first but then slow down to keep up with what's going out. Most automatics have between 12 and 16 quarts of fluid, I add two to what the owners manual says is inside to get out all that gets mixed during the flush. In this way you won't take a chance on pan leaks or need special RTV, you'll replace all of the old fluid and keep your transmission nice and clean inside with no chance of getting dust inside it, which can do more damage than an old magnet you forgot to clean or put back.
Would you suggest this method to the chrysler/dodge/plymouth minivan AT box a604/41TE? (Just flushing all the oil and ignoring opening the pan and replacing filter).
Yes. As I said, all automatic transmissions come with filters big enough to last the life of the transmission. They are there mostly to catch the stuff that flakes off during the first 1000 miles: pieces of flashing that break off the castings, clutch material fibers, etc. After that 1000 miles or so the transmission is broken in and won't produce any more material as long as the fluid is flushed regularly. If it's not, the fluid will make varnish that will plug up the filter. If the fluid is replaced regularly and never loses that nice pink color, the detergents will keep the filter open and working well. I've replaced filters on transmissions that were well maintained that had over 200,000 miles on them, usually fleet vehicles, and broken up the filter to see what's inside. What I find is that initial litter that comes off the parts of a new transmission, less than a teaspoon, and the filter material itself nice and clean and clear, able to pass fluid with no pressure loss, no cavitation bubbles.
@@dyoel182 Since the 80's Joel. To me old timey Automatic Transmissions are the Powerglides, Super Turbine 300's (two speeds) and TurboHydro 350's, 400's (3 speed RWD) and 425's (FWD) that had screens that filtered the fluid. Some of those even had drain plugs in the torque convertors so you could drain the fluid out of them. On those dinosaurs that magnet you're looking for was actually needed. Today, that metal isn't going to make it back out of the filter unless the engine is off and the only threat it poses is if it gets sloshed up into the valve body and sticks a valve.
Not a bad video but you could have unhooked the line at the cooler instead of the trans, it's easier to access. Also, when you are putting fluid back in the trans, it's important to put the gear selector into every gear position for a few seconds so the fluid has time to circulate everywhere, and not just into one gear.
On my 2006 Jeep Commander, it is easier to access at the transmission since i am already there. Otherwise, the front grill has to be removed to access the cooler side.
internetdude,i am a little confuse, you mean when pouring the transmission fluid in the transmission dipstick tube and switch to all gears, few seconds each gear without the engine running?????, or you meant engine running ???
INTERNET DUDE, you are awesome !!! tomorrow I will be changing my transmission fluid on my chevy Colorado 2005, all I need to do is find the output line from transmission , the one the expels the transmission fluid out to the oil cooler. thanks man!!!
Dodge has always rung the cooling circuit in neutral. This is why you check the automatic transmission fluid for most Doge / Plymouth vehicles in neutral. In most cases you want to use the return line to the transmission lubrication circuit. This way the sediment from the torque converter gets drained while adding the fresh transmission fluid. Just remember the fluid that is draining in the bucket would normally be used to lubricate the transmission. Good video.
. it seems to me when you think of a closed loop system with a pump pushing the tranny fluid thru all those parts... that the only way to be sure you are truly replacing the old stuff with new stuff is to suck the new stuff into the hose that exits the radiator the same way that you are collecting the old stuff from the hose that goes into the radiator. if you just add the new stuff into the filler tube.. .who knows where in the 'loop' that fluid is going. it might be going to the physical area close where hose to the radiator is. in which case you are sucking out the new stuff you are adding?
@@mvmcali6900I think you are overthinking this. The fluid will still go straight into the pan whether you add it through the cooler's return line or the dipstick tube. And you will never be able to change *all* the fluid without a complete teardown no matter what you do, there's just too many passages in the transmission, valve body, etc that won't get flow unless the vehicle is driven through each of the gears. So depending on the fluid's condition and the design of the transmission, you may have to repeat this process after driving the vehicle for at least few days if you want the fluid to end up bright pink.
Thank you for your well thought out advice. You're a good teacher and you presented yourself very well. Why in the world would anyone give you a thumbs down? You're doing a good thing.
Looks like a 46RH or a 46RE trans. They take 4 quarts or so when dropping the pan. When doing an overhaul with a new torque converter they can take up to 9 I’ve rebuilt many of those transmissions back in the day if it’s an RE trans it’s best to replace the pressure transducer and the pressure sensor on the valve body while you’re in there. They used to fail all the time.
I'm a plant engineer not automobile. We deal with transmission(very big size), motor and numerous machinery. My comments is not perfect for autos. But trying to help DIYers to save some money.Generally we do not allow technicians to flush the rotary machine or using air hose. It creates bubbles inside the machine. It is lot safer to change the filter and tank(oil pan) fluid. For the auto transmission, I think only changing the filter and with hand pump changing the fluid(through deep stick) are just fine. Make sure oil color is within acceptable range. Thanks for posting the video.
whenever you drop a trans pan on a 1994 - 2002 dodge ram always adjust your shift bands. that is the leading cause of those transmissions going out. improper maintenance will always hurt your vehicle.
A very good tip for preventing pan gasket leaks, is to use a gasket that is rigid plastic with the rubber ridges and metal inserts for the bolt holes. Most newer Ford trucks have this style gasket from the factory. This gasket style is the best because it prevents over tightening the bolts so the pan does not bend and leak.
I read a lot of comments in regards to torque wrench use. People will have there own take on WHY, but from my experience they do Two jobs well. 1, It stops heavy handed people / pricks from over-tightening. ( generally there is no need to know if someone has tightened it enough ???????????? ) 2, It equalizes the pressure over a given area ?? ( so the bolts or nuts are the same tight. - a more simple way to put it ).
I tow a boat and a travel trailer with my van so asked my friend who owned a transmission shop (recently retired) to service my transmission and in the process to also install a deeper finned aluminum pan (Summit racing), a trans temperature gauge and a transmission cooler. The new pan also had a convenient drain plug. I have towed in peak summer weather on steep grades and it has never gone pass 160 degrees.
Would it be better to do the flush before removing the pan. You will waist 1.5qts of fluid but the new filter doesn't get contaminated when you do the flush after installing it? Btw, great video, thank you!
I was just thinking the same thing lol Flush it then drop the pan and change the filter.... Just makes sense... Could be wrong i suppose.. I usually am... ;)
I believe this is the right way. The old oil is the one coming from the radiator to the transmission pan. This is the one that is drained out. The new oil is in the pan that is being sucked via the filter so you have a new oil going through the filter to the torque converter.
I thought the same. Here's why his way may work better: draining the pan and removing the pan wastes that amount of new fluid but not removing the pan doesn't allow for changing the gasket or checking the pan or changing the filter. If it's overdue, waste the small amount of new fluid.
the discharge line is not pumping back into the pan it is going into the bucket. he added 3 quarts of oil before it started pumping out into bucket. this is why it is not getting contaminated. he did it correctly.
I Came Back For A Tutarole Bud When I Dropped My trany pan In the same Truck You illustrated My pan Had More like 4 gts. Not Getting The 1 1/2 illustrated on your Chart But i love this Vid I Put in my Own crate Trany Fushed My Systym very well Probably Over board a little., But Ill carefully Measure what i took out And put Back in The same amount., Then im Flushing Mine To Same way You illustrated Here., Excellent video I went To Jiffy Lube Yesterday They wanted 300 To Flush With out pulling the pan And filter I said BYE I can Do It For About 50
Thank you for the down to earth tips and guide. I'm so glad not everyone has a multimillion dollar garage/workshop that they film videos in. I can actually relate. Appreciate it, my man! 👍😀😜
What you say is true about the flow rate in neutral vs park for example. But the reason is not the transmission pump, that thing is always spinning as it is mechanically connected (via the torque convertor) to the engine's flexplate. The reason there is no flow in park for example, has to do with valve body inside the transmission. On some vehicles, the valve body directs the same flow whether in park or neutral, but in the case of most dodge vehicles, it only flows throughout the entire transmission when it is in neutral.
Excellent video! Photography and attention to detail are fantastic. You also explained several issues as to why you need to flush 3 x and more detail (with links to product) for repairing the trany pan. I love the humor and there's no obnoxious music. Please make more of these - especially for a Honda CR-V (2002) if possible.
Nice presentation. After watching several of these videos, I have decided to go the change, not flush route. I am installing a drain plug and figure I'll drive a couple thousand miles after the oil change, and just change it again. Cheap insurance without running the risk of running my pump dry.
Friggin awesome, thank you man... I knew some fluid didn't get drained when changing pan and fluid, but I really never KNEW how much was still really in the states system .. thank you!!
Great video. In the 70's they had a plug in the torque converter to drain it so my question is why don't mechanics just drill and tap a hole to drain the torque converter.
Please confirm if I am wrong. I believe the fluid will splash out no matter which hose you take off. The difference is you can not get rid of the old fluid in the radiator if you take the inline instead of the outline off. I know this because I used the same method for my Ford fusion twice with different hoses off. The first time, I got 5.8 quarts out (probably the inline) before cleaning fluid discharged, but the second time I got 7.4 quarts out when I took another hose (probably the outline).
I do the same thing when changing out the radiator fluid. Just make sure you have the heater turned on to open up the heater core and get the coolant in there. I will run just plain water through to flush then add a 50/50 mix. Works like a champ
Yep the 46RE in this truck is a 12qt capacity system, and about 5-6 qts for a pan drop and filter only. Fluid level must be checked with engine running and trans in neutral as the pump does not circulate in park. And they use ATF+4 only.
Also it is a good idea to do a band adjustment while you have the pan off as you need to have pan removed to adjust the Low reverse band (recommended every 30 months or 37500 miles) also you need to have the car in Neutral to have fluid flowing . This is according to MOPAr (Since he was using a MOPAR in video.
THANK YOU for taking the time to educate your fellow men. Hope there's a special place in Heaven for guys like you who take the time to make such quality videos and help the rest of us accomplish tasks we would like to do.
real mechanic says use "Ultra black " silicone. nothing else! Lightly coat both sides of gasket for a bullet proof long term seal. Never torque your pan bolts! It is just a catch pan, not a mechanical part that endures stress. Snug all your bolts with ONLY a 3/8 drive ratchet until they touch the pan, then resnug all bolts 1/4 turn with your wrist action, not your arm muscles! Watch the seal on the side. An overtorque will cause it to squeeze out and leak fluid. Then paint the pan silver or white and along gasket edges. That will allow you to visually quick check a leak and then go drink some whiskey because brother you just did a perfect job listening to me, no mo leaks.
Really good video. but I have a question for you , if you have a drain plug on you trans pan, could you just pull the plug and drain the fluid then start the engine , put in neutral and pump the rest out till it's empty?
To get a better flush you should include the cooler. Connect the drain line going into the bucket just before it returns back to the transmission. This way the cooler and lines are flushed too.
Good point, that's how I do it. Depending on how big the cooler and the lines are, that will get about 1/2 quart more old fluid out for virtually the same effort.
@@Cheaps928 No, don't do that. The fluid flows from the transmission, through the cooler(s), and then back to the transmission. So instead of disconnecting the supply line TO the cooler, disconnect the return line FROM the cooler and put that in the bucket instead. This way, you flush the new fluid through the cooler and its lines and push out the old fluid. It won't make a huge difference, but if you are going through the effort of flushing it, you may as well flush the old fluid out of the cooler and its lines too.
I was thinking about opening the torque converter testing port or just dropping the pan and filter and then running the vehicle but this way is going to be so much cleaner and easier . Thanks a bunch .
Great Video i would actually Replace the filter again after doing the flush even though it can be expensive it is the way to go lol and when flushing use a cheap ATF then put a good Quality one in there or do the flush before you drain the pan there drain it
When I did my fluid change on my 01 Dodge Ram it was about 6 quarts, and that was a pan drop, filter and gasket. If you were going to replace all fluid I would believe it would be around 11 or 12 quarts.
This is essentially a more effective drain and fill..you don't completely flush out the system because you put in fresh fluid when you take some out via the pan or drain plug. So you get about 90-95% new fluid without doing a full flush. A little more work than a drain and fill but the results are worth IMO
Question, on a transmission with unknown history but where it is known there is coolant leaking into the fluid (i.e. you have the milky transmission fluid), is a flush absolutely necessary? Or can you do 3+ drain and fills?
I was just trying to do this on a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and no oil would come out of either line I guess I'll have to try neutral. Thanks for all your great videos
I'm glad I came across this video since I have a 96 Ram and need to do this again last time I worked at a garage and had the machine lol. but sadly mine has screw in line adapter and not these external thread lines. It was fun when it broke off but that was my fault three hours later I got it out and salvage the threads.
except if you run the pump dry even for a few seconds it will score the aluminum housing. better just to drain and fill the pan a few times some old fluid wont hurt anything but running pump dry will
Not true, the film left on the pump from the previous fluid should last more than long enough to prevent any type of damage. Unless of course you drain the the transmission and come back several weeks later to refill it.
Someone should tell Chrysler that then. Their TSB shows a very similar way just disconnected the cooler line at the cooler return and pumped the fluid through/out there for a trans flush.
Also, these trucks don't pump fluid in park from the factory. The issue be ran into that was fixed by neutral is because of this. The aftermarket sells different manual valves or any shift kit will include them to allow the vehicle to pump in park. This is also very helpful for the cooler line check valve delete and much more reliable
My car has a transmission fluid pan with a drain plug, and I am able to drain about 2 quarts just by "pulling the plug". I drain and add 2 new quarts every year. That keeps my transmission fluid clean. Transmission fluid filters are not like motor oil filters. Transmission fluid filters can easily last up to 25 years, or 250,000 miles, if the fluid is kept clean. Unless a preexisting condition makes it absolutely necessary to change all of the Transmission fluid and filter in one shot, I would recommend saving yourself the hassle and the expense of dropping the transmission pan to install a new filter. Chances are that the transmission fluid filter that you remove is still in very good to excellent working condition.
WARNING!!! If you have an older car that has never had a transmission flush........DON'T DO ONE!! While this may seem counter-intuitive and would be in a trans that has had regular flushes throughout its history. In an older transmission the particles that you wouldn't want in your fluid maybe the only thing allowing good grip at the friction plates. I have seen more than one working trans rendered useless by just flushing! A slipping trans is not a reason to "flush" it. IDC what other techs tell you, I am former tech and, they not I, make their livings selling you trans flushes and then offer to rebuild it when the car stops moving! I enjoyed this video and my comment is not in anyway a critique of the tech in it. I am only saying this for the DIYer that has an older car and thinks he should flush his 20 year old trans! In a newer car a slipping transmission is best diagnosed by a reputable tech. Newer transmissions can slip for a number of reasons unrelated to fluid.
Allen Poe what about a 07 with 140k miles? I bought the car used at 100k and I have not flushed it in my ownership and we are having slipping problems??
@@BuyTheBookLotto probably too late lol. Nope so t do it. You will free up too much debris and it will go from slipping to smoked. If ita clutch slip needs a rebuild. If seal leak causing slip some additives may help. Nothing will put clutchaterial back on the fibers. One way to tell if seal is causing is how hot trans is when slipping. Cold slip only. Most likely seal. Hot slip only most likely valve body valve sticking. All time slip. Clutches
The problem there is actually related to the condition of the fluid. If it's black as tar and it's been there since the car was new...yeah, probably best to not flush it. The clutch packs are so fucked up from that kind of neglect that it may well slip. But if the fluid isn't that bad, like it's been flushed in the past...probably fine to flush it.
Just curious, wouldn't it be better to flush it with the old filter first? That way a fresh filter would be in after? I've never done this so I have no idea and would like your opinion.
Why is every one so worried about a drain plug? Just disconnect the return line start the car and it will pump the fluid out so fast. You don't even have to drop the pan if you don't want. Just make sure to fill it up while it's draining till the fluid turns clear/cherry red. It's significantly more effective than a drain plug. Not even a 5 min job. Way faster than an oil change.
that is just a great job. When you put it in neutral you really got a lot more out. Very professional. i would trust you way more than other people. what about doing the ford 6 speed thats a sealed unit? on 2008 Explorer. its a good transmission with no way to service it. Its worth doing that one too!!!
I was going to criticize your not knowing to put the vehicle in neutral, because I've always understood that to check the fluid level, the engine needs to be hot and in neutral, not park-specifically: not park. Otherwise, the fluid isn't circulating correctly. A common DIY misconception like jump-starting a car battery terminal to battery terminal instead of correctly grounding the source car by the alternator rather than on the battery. Yet, I just went online to double-check current information before opening my mouth, like I prefer to, and the first three available sources all indicate neutral *or* park. I have no idea when this changed...maybe it's accurate for ultra-modern cars, maybe the websites are wrong, I'm not sure. One thing though: it's not a good idea to smear the RTV with your finger. Doing so creates valleys that can trap air when the pan is torqued down and make for a weak seal. Leaving it as a bead, the material can only spread from the center-out, promoting uniform contact with the entire mating surface.
One plus to this video is that it clearly demonstrates a flaw in the Torqueflite transmission, which is that it does not flow to the converter & cooler in Park. That is why fluid is checked in Neutral on these. Also, if you have run it hard, and want to let it cool, do it in Neutral, not Park. NO RTV on pan gasket. If it was meant to have it, it would have come from the factory that way. For extra points, the reason for this flaw is that this transmission originally did NOT have a Park position. It was added in 1967 (aluminum Torqueflite came out in 1960) when they removed that parking brake drum from the back of the transmission. Being Chrysler (not as much money as GM or Ford) they didn't redesign the circuits.
I have replied to a few comments so I won't repeat myself here. One note; IF you are going to try this, while the vehicle is cold, take it for a very short drive. Keep checking which of the two lines begins to warm up first. That will be the one leaving the transmission. While you can do it from either line, it will help for you to know if the oil is coming in or out of the line. Imagine if he had it on the wrong one, the incredible mess he would have had on his hands? You're welcome.
The LAST SEALANT i would ever use is "SILICONE" that stuff is flat out trash. Permatex HI-TACK gasket sealant #80062 I found to be absolutely fool proof. Been using it on my 94' Chevy Silverado truck with 235,000 original miles and have NEVER had to go back and re-seal anything.
Never use any kind of silicone. You can end up squeezing some into your transmission and cause issues. It’ll seal perfectly fine with just the gasket alone
Or it could do nothing at all... especially if you don't go crazy with it. Come on man, people always use this stuff and if the pan is warped it might be much less catastrophic than losing a bunch of fluid to a leak.
@@michaeldose2041 in my humble opinion and from my exclusive, "warped" and "flat" don't mix very well. If there's a warp, eventually there will be a leak; silicone or not.
Matt Leonard some don't change the filter. they say it is only there to catch any metal shavings from the transmission and once you examine the filter and this isn't present you don't have too. but I say do it anyway, because of the hot and cold cycling and just how the fluid breaks down with time, the materials the filter is made of also has to degrade over time and the mesh might be punctured by any possible metal shavings it might then encounter.
Matt Leonard if you drop the pan and replace the old filter, and fill what fluid you dropped, the filter (pick up) is submerged in new fluid, if you have the return line disconnected like here, there is no way for old fluid to go back through the filter.
Just had a quick lube change my transmission fluid, they just flush it through the dipstick. A few days later my truck shutters around 45 miles an hour when I barely give it gas as stops vibrating when o give more gas or just let of the gas. Apparently they clogged the fliter during the flush, going to drop the pan and drain it the right way and put a new filter on. I git robbed at the quick lube
I just tried a flush on my Dodge and NO fluid is coming out. I drained out about 7 quarts and put 7 back in. My truck is sitting up on ramps, does this make a difference ?? Or how warmed up does the transmission need to get before it pumps out fluid ?? Any help ?
I figured it out. My 2004 Durango has 2 filters and I left both out on purpose. Long story, but I put my two new filters in and it starting pumping when in neutral.
Question, I often see guys doing a flush AFTER replacing the filter. Surely the 75% of ATF left inside the gearbox will contaminate the new filter and you start off with a dirty filter... Wouldn't it be a better idea to flush the 'box first, then dismantle and change the filter?
Never flush your transmission fluid especially if the fluid looks very dark. This is a perfect way to kill your high mile transmission. The introduction of new detergents will break loose deposits throughout the trans contaminating the clutches and plugging up the valve body. Ask any experienced auto trans rebuilder they will tell you the same. Either change the fluid very frequently from new or never change it
What happened to adjusting the bands?! After reading some of the comments though I should add: If you get a quality pan gasket, several of the holes in the gasket itself will be slightly smaller than the rest. This will allow you to 'thread' in a few bolts to hold the gasket in place while putting the pan back on the transmission. I was also told by a transmission shop to never use anything (i.e. RTV, ect.) on the pan or gasket. Their procedure was to clean all remaining gasket material of the pan rail and transmission. Then, with a clean rag, wipe on a bit of fresh transmission fluid onto the pan rail. (The transmission pan mounting surface should already be soaked in fluid so you probably don't need to do it there.) Let it sit a minute and wipe it off. Allegedly, this helps the gasket 'seat' and makes it easy for the next time.
I put drain plugs on all of my transmissions that had none. It's very simple and will make ATF changes very easy. I usually drain and refill ATF every other oil change. It's cheap and my oil always stays very clean. Transmissions coolers will also extend transmission life, especially on trucks and SUVs that are used to pull trailers.
Galvanized City Yup. You can just use gasket and some gasket adhesive spray to hold it in place You can flatten out the gasket under a book or two overnight, then spray the gasket). Use RTV if mating edge of pan is messed up. RTV can be a real pain to clean up on next service.
Permatex 81180... thanks! Not everything has lubelocker gaskets available. I don't like pulling a line off and running it - loss of return is loss of lubrication. That's high risk. Instead... take a few inches of that clear tubing and install it between fittings anywhere adaptation is possible. Have a friend start the engine while watching to see which side first shows fluid supply. Beyond that, vehicles with a radiator based intercooler get best thermal efficiency with counterflow. If engine coolant moves left to right [and intercooler is horizontal on bottom], then it should plumb for right to left flow. Older style radiators with a vertical intercooler mostly benefit from transmission fluid flowing bottom to top, but nothing is hurt if reversed.
Unless your transmission was serviced the right way, at the correct intervals, flushing the fluid could do more harm than good. There are lots of very small "passages" inside. Flushing it stirs up all the crap, that wouldnt be there if it was serviced right and the gunk clogs up those tiny passages. So, unless you know your transmission was never neglected, you are better off just draining and refilling with a new filter.
Jim Bob youll still want to conduct a flush, even more so if it was neglected. If your concern is clogging the passages within the valvebody then drop the pan and clean it out first but that shouldn't matter given that the at filter sits inbetween the pan and the valvebody thus catching those particles. Personally, i would have pulled the lines at the cooler so that i could have flushed the cooler and all the other lines inbetween too.
ive heard it suggested to use a plastic scraper to remove old gasket material as metal can scrape and gouge the surface possibly causing seepage and leaks in the future.
Why? The crap on it is more protection compared to a bare dry pan. Yes it will still rust but not as fast as if it was exposed. Although I do semi agree. But if you clean it all off then may as well give it a new paint job on the outside with some durable enamel paint
Lots of bad practices here. If you didn’t already know about this “hack”, just go to a jiffy lube. they’ll do it the right way for just over $100. 1st fail. thats a closed garage, or atleast the back of it. very deadly the exhaust fumes. shouldve had the truck turned around with the tail pipe out the back and a fan to make sure fresh air is coming in. 2nd fail. why is he using brake cleaner? brake cleaner will eat up gaskets if theres any left behind. cleaners are completely unnecessary for this job. 3. Chrysler vehicles do not flow trans fluid in park. thats why it says on the stick “check in neutral”. 4. the lines feeding into the radiator are much easier to reach for this job. 5. your supposed to flush the old trans fluid and then drop the pan to change the filter. doing it this guys way runs old fluid through the new filter. If youre new to trans maint, find another video or watch a lube tech or mechanic do the job right first.
I’m considering doing this by disconnecting at the cooler and running the output line to a container while piping in a pneumatic fluid filler line to the cooler. I’ll monitor the amount coming out, and manually control the amount in with a shut off valve trying to fill at the same rate. This way, everything is flushed as an $8000 machine would do for the cost of the fluid filler and piping. It could be tricky though.
I had the idea of doing a flush by adding transmission fluid through the line that returns the oil to the transmission from the radiator, while draining simultaneously through the line that goes to the radiator, do you think its safe? and will it suck the fluid without a pump? the idea was to just place 1 empty bucket for the old fluid and 1 full bucket with the new fluid each connected to a different cooling line from the transmission
Real mechanic here, he only did this about 1/2 the right way. Please do some more research before you try this at home (I recommend that you don't do this at home at all). You are much better off to go to a shop that has a transmission flush machine so you don't risk running your pump dry, which can damage the transmission. There is a reason shops have a $4,000 machine that does what he's trying to do.
there is nothing wrong with how he did this.. I have done for 40 years this exact way.. I always put in 5 qts of ATF and run it till it comes clean.. one thing about the machine though.. its fine, I don't have any problem with it.. just make sure you indeed drop the pan to replace the filter and you can see what's inside of it as well.. but I have never had any problem flushing it this way.. just shut the engine right off when its done flushing the fluid out... don't starve the trans...
On my Dodge Ram the trans cooler is routed through the radiator, rather than having a separate transmission cooler. I've often thought of unhooking those two hoses that attach to the radiator and running new coolant into the return line, draining old from the output line at the same time. As you say, the way it is usually done is inefficient and incomplete. The fact we get away with inadequate flushing is interesting in itself. New vehicle manuals don't include trans changes at all over the warranty service life, although they of course don't care about cars that last more than 5 years.
Even on older VW and Audi the trans fluid was "Supposed" to be good for life. But I have replaced the Trans fluid on alot of them and there is a night and day difference in the way they shift afterwards. Also in some instances it cured some slipping/hard shifting issues.
My thoughts exactly. I would rather drain/refill three times than risk this technique. When there isn't a drain plug, I take a clean piece of tubing, shove it down the fill tube and start a siphon. It takes about 90 minutes per quart to drain, but I'm doing this at home so it can take as long as it needs. If I need to drop the pan, having most of the fluid siphoned out ahead of time makes the job a lot cleaner.
The fluid that runs back to the pan is spent fluid or lube fluid. Fluid in the pump circuit is maintained by a check valve. If the fluid drained out of the pump after shut down there would be a long delay on engagement when put in drive. This is especially true on a Dodge because the pump doesn't work in park.
William Kelly May I ask u another question? Does the pump only circulate fluid to the gears, valves, pistons, bands etc , and not the torque converter or also to the tc. I ask because the front seal seems to separate the two halves.
Awesome video thanks! I've got a question. I have a 2002 Camry W/ 195,000+ miles on it. I've heard it's not a good idea to flush a transmission with that high mileage, it's that true?
If the clutches ate gone, the thick oil is the only thing that makes the gears spin and engage. So it could happen your clutches will slip. Only way is to try and cry if you have to rebuild it with new clutches.
ATTENTION ALL :On the 2001 Acura CL , the transmission has no lines to and from any fluid cooling device , so to drain the torque converter , one can only do change the fluid 3 quarts at a time , 1-drain/fill/drive 2-drain/fill/drive3-drain/fill/driveAfter the 5th time , two days later , the color slowly became ruby red , that is 15 times $8 per quart , $120 later , it still starts slipping soon as it warms up...How can an automatic tranmission designer not realize that "HEAT" is "THE" major reason for automatic tranny failures , beats me...The garbage desined by HONDA/ACURA was recalled and is sill a problem , hence the warrantee extention to 109000 miles...Do not buy any vehicle that has no cooling lines... SHAME ON YOU HONDA/ACURA... ....👎👎....
2 questions, please. 1) why the OUTPUT LINE? wouldn't you get more dirty fluid from the input line after it has circulated through the whole system. Assuming you continously add fluid as it is running. And 2) why not just disconnect at the rubber hose coming off the cooler where it's easy to reach? Thanks.
The reason you can’t get any more fluid to come out the tc. Is because over half of the atf drains out when the engine is turned off. This is why when check the fluid. It’s over filled. When you start the engine. The tc is filled and the level is normal.
Do NOT flush your transmission fluid. No manufacturer recommends doing this. A drain and fill (with a new filter if applicable) is all that is required. A fluid exchange or flush is not going correct any issues. Source: I work at a transmission shop.
It's not ideal, of course, but every couple of engine oil changes, I open the drain plug on my car's trans. pan (Lexus) and allow the pan to drain completely. That's exactly 2 qts. I then replace that with fresh fluid. It's the only trans. service I do. No functional problems yet.
Benito Caspo.....yes they do. what do you consider 'american'? most fwd vehicles have drain and fill plugs. some awd do as well. with a pan like that installing one or getting an aftermarket one with a drain is easy.
great vid also a good idea to disconnect both cooler lines and blow a bit of air through the line to clear out the old fluid trapped in the trans cooler
As an added bonus, why not install a drain plug, to avoid having to drop the pan again for a drain and fill? They're cheap enough and can save you a headache/mess later. Also, replacing/cleaning off the magnet is always a good idea. Hell, even putting an extra magnet would be good. 🤣
you don't need the silicone. a nice trick is to put the bolts (about 2 on each side) at the level that of the gasket. each gasket hole will secure the bolts from falling and at the same time it will secure the gasket in place as well when installing.
Good video ... very easy to flush ... but first I'd drop the pan on W5A580 Mercedes-Benz transmission on my '06 Jeep Commander 4.7 V-8 all wheel drive two speed transfer box. O.K ... change the two filters inside the transmission pan. One is a spin-on filter for filtering the ATF going into the trans cooler. The other filter is the normal looking flat filter for the valve body. After that with the pan back together I'd disconnect the cooler lines as shown in this video ... and pump out the old ATF in [N] and fill, warm, add new and check the hot level on the stick. The trans on this thing is a VERY EXPENSIVE Mercedes Benz 'transmixer.' Again thank You for the video. The Jeep is at 108,000 and the ATF has never been changed ... Thinking this should be done. Cheap insurance.
Will this also work to empty the torque converter? My 96 Z71 4x4 V8 radiator took a shit on the transcooler side an I got water inside my transmission (4l60e) 16 bolt trans pan info, I quickly dropped the pan an drained it but haven’t tried to run it yet because I was told the torque converter probably has water also. So that’s why I’m here lol to see what I can do besides dropping transmission and buying a new torque converter. Any info will be appreciated.
