whats the correct way to change tranny fluid?
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02-21-2007, 12:07 PM
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02-21-2007, 01:20 PM
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02-21-2007, 03:11 PM
#5
02-21-2007, 07:35 PM
Originally Posted by purpony
Whats the correct way to change tranny fluid including the torque converter?
from what i unstand you pull off the hose to the tranny cooler to drain the torque converter....
from what i unstand you pull off the hose to the tranny cooler to drain the torque converter....
The easiest way is to get it serviced by someone who's got a flushing machine.
#6
02-22-2007, 11:59 AM
The method of pulling a hose does work, and as to making a mess, sure, you drink a little beer, get a little clumsy and you have 2-12 quarts of tranny fluid on the floor.
As to damaging a transmission or converter, yep. Never seen a do-it-yourselfer damage a tranny that way, but given enough beer/stupidity, you could easily ruin the tranny by letting all the fluid drain come out and keep running the engine till the tranny was shot.
Assume you avoid doing this drunk or stupid, you have to determine which line leads out of the tranny and which line is the return. Cheap easy way if you have a laser temp gun or two candy thermometers in find which line is cooler, that's the return.
The old standby method was to start with a large funnel (you don't want to take time to fumble with a tiny funnel) in the tranny fluid hole (where the stick is) Then unhook the output line (yep tranny fluid will leak, expect to clean up, a lot) slip a neoprene hose (I like transparent) over the end and down into a BIG bucket. This bucket will have to catch, hold and not tip over with 12-14 quarts of warm tranny fluid. The plastic buckets will get a little soft, but don't do this with the tranny fluid heated to150+ degrees are you aren’t gonna be a happy camper.
Best method is to measure the bucket, and mark quart levels inside the bucket. Sure a shop ain't gonna do that, they just add fluid as it runs out, trying to keep sorta even. If you want to do it more precise you have your 8-12 quarts already open and ready to pour, right beside you.
You secure the output hose in the bucket, nothing like chasing a loose hose drooling tranny fluid, then have your assistant start the engine.
The fluid will start running out of the hose, into the bucket. Watch the color and speed the fluid comes out at. Keep pouring fluid into the funnel at the same rate it comes out. Aren’t you glad you numbered the quart marks on the INSIDE of the bucket?
When all the dirty fluid is out, the color of the fluid will change, as the fluid will suddenly be the new fluid pumping out of the tranny now that the old fluid is all in the bucket.
Notice you need at least one more quart of fluid than your tranny holds.
You can have your assistant shut the engine off at any time you start to get behind on adding fluid, wait till you have caught up and then restart the engine.
Small shops, (even some dealerships) use this method across the country. Lots of places don't spring for expensive tranny flush machines, which take literally thousands of flushes to pay for.
Just because a shop offers flushing doesn't mean they actually have a flush machine...
To do a very complete flush/filter change costs even more. Two schools of thought on filter changing. If you do it before the new fluid is put in, you will then pump your (maybe) 4 quarts of new fluid into the waste bucket. If you do it after, you will dump the same 4 quarts of new fluid into the waste bucket. I always prefer to do it first. I want to know if there are excessive metal fragments, etc. on the filter/in the pan before I bother to do the flush.
Sure a shop will do neater (your hands never get dirty) and hopefully safer job for a reasonable amount of money. But they usually don't change the filter/drop the pan on a flush.
My big problem with having shops do it here in California, you get an illegal alien helper doing the tranny flushes. Often their first job.
Last time I had it done 'professionally' was when my wife's rather expensive ETC went in for its 12,000 mile. The helper doing the job got tranny fluid on the seat, on the front carpet, all over the engine bay.
Then insisted that he didn't.
This is at a very expensive dealership.
So you decide. The price to have it done isn’t high, usually, and it is a lot of messy work.
Chris
As to damaging a transmission or converter, yep. Never seen a do-it-yourselfer damage a tranny that way, but given enough beer/stupidity, you could easily ruin the tranny by letting all the fluid drain come out and keep running the engine till the tranny was shot.
Assume you avoid doing this drunk or stupid, you have to determine which line leads out of the tranny and which line is the return. Cheap easy way if you have a laser temp gun or two candy thermometers in find which line is cooler, that's the return.
The old standby method was to start with a large funnel (you don't want to take time to fumble with a tiny funnel) in the tranny fluid hole (where the stick is) Then unhook the output line (yep tranny fluid will leak, expect to clean up, a lot) slip a neoprene hose (I like transparent) over the end and down into a BIG bucket. This bucket will have to catch, hold and not tip over with 12-14 quarts of warm tranny fluid. The plastic buckets will get a little soft, but don't do this with the tranny fluid heated to150+ degrees are you aren’t gonna be a happy camper.
Best method is to measure the bucket, and mark quart levels inside the bucket. Sure a shop ain't gonna do that, they just add fluid as it runs out, trying to keep sorta even. If you want to do it more precise you have your 8-12 quarts already open and ready to pour, right beside you.
You secure the output hose in the bucket, nothing like chasing a loose hose drooling tranny fluid, then have your assistant start the engine.
The fluid will start running out of the hose, into the bucket. Watch the color and speed the fluid comes out at. Keep pouring fluid into the funnel at the same rate it comes out. Aren’t you glad you numbered the quart marks on the INSIDE of the bucket?
When all the dirty fluid is out, the color of the fluid will change, as the fluid will suddenly be the new fluid pumping out of the tranny now that the old fluid is all in the bucket.
Notice you need at least one more quart of fluid than your tranny holds.
You can have your assistant shut the engine off at any time you start to get behind on adding fluid, wait till you have caught up and then restart the engine.
Small shops, (even some dealerships) use this method across the country. Lots of places don't spring for expensive tranny flush machines, which take literally thousands of flushes to pay for.
Just because a shop offers flushing doesn't mean they actually have a flush machine...
To do a very complete flush/filter change costs even more. Two schools of thought on filter changing. If you do it before the new fluid is put in, you will then pump your (maybe) 4 quarts of new fluid into the waste bucket. If you do it after, you will dump the same 4 quarts of new fluid into the waste bucket. I always prefer to do it first. I want to know if there are excessive metal fragments, etc. on the filter/in the pan before I bother to do the flush.
Sure a shop will do neater (your hands never get dirty) and hopefully safer job for a reasonable amount of money. But they usually don't change the filter/drop the pan on a flush.
My big problem with having shops do it here in California, you get an illegal alien helper doing the tranny flushes. Often their first job.
Last time I had it done 'professionally' was when my wife's rather expensive ETC went in for its 12,000 mile. The helper doing the job got tranny fluid on the seat, on the front carpet, all over the engine bay.
Then insisted that he didn't.
This is at a very expensive dealership.
So you decide. The price to have it done isn’t high, usually, and it is a lot of messy work.
Chris