Mark, so what you are saying is the best way to service a trans is to simply flush and replace all 20 something quarts of trans fluid and leave the filter and pan alone?

 

That's how I do mine. Every other time I do drop the pan and change the filter. I've never seen a filter that needed changing, but I do it anyway.

I have seen plugged filters, but they plugged because the transmission ate itself and sent a lot of junk into the filter.

 

I would like to throw up a couple of questions.
I was under the impression that one of the reasons to change/flush the fluid was that our fluid would "break down", if that's the right word to use, after time and that the time is different depending on how we each use our trucks...is this true?

The next question is about how often to do the change/flush...I drive mine pretty hard so in the 62k I have on my truck I have had the fluid changed/flushed about 4-5 times. I figured it couldn't hurt it and figured it was cheap insurance. Is this a waste?

Something else I want to throw in for anyone who hasn't seen their "filter", when I had mine changed the one time I saw it and it looked more like a screen than a filter.

Rocks

 

The best reason to go to the trouble to change the filter you might discover you have a problem before a more costly repair.

Trans parts are expensive filters are cheap.

Always change the filter!

 

I was thinking of changing the tranny fluid and filter on my 98 - If I just drop the pan, won't I get most of the fluid out (Except for what is in the tourque converter)? Is there a drain on the converter? How do you refill the converter? Thx!

 

Dropping the pan alone changes about 1/3 of the total fluid. There is a little more than half the total in the torque converter and the rest is in valves, servos, clutches, etc.

Some torque converters have drain plugs, some do not. If not, the flush is the only way to change the fluid.

The torque converter fills from the transmission pump.

 

Farley,

Check this site http://members.shaw.ca/pferlow/transmission_oil.htm

 

Thanks Guys - Mark, when you say that the torque converter is fed by the tranny pump, does that mean if I drain it, it runs dry until the pump fills it up? Wouldn't this cause damage? Thx again!

 

No, it doesn't run dry. 100% of the oil does not drain, and some oil will enter even while the engine is cranking. It won't transmit torque to the input shaft until it is nearly full. It won't hurt it drain and refill.