Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Can u purge the transmission on a 2001

[stormrider]

I've only put about 5000 miles on my truck since I bought it, but have been concerned about the fluid change that was supposedly done. Is there a way to purge all of the old fluid out of the transmission and torque converter? Because I'm probably gonna change mine soon just for the peace of mind.

 

[scotmartin]

YES! But is requires a special machine that is very expensive. We have one at the College where I work, and we used it on my 93. We put 14 quarts into the machine and watched the fluid come out, until only new fluid came out. Call your local transmission shops and ask who has one of these transmission flushing machines.



Scot

 

[ralphr]

transmission flush

I thought if you 1. ) let it drain over night you could get most of the fluid out of the transmission and TC. or 2. )with transmission pan off bump the engine with transmission in neutral, (pump does not work in park), until fluid pumped out.



#2 does not appeal to me since you would be running transmission dry, what damage?? :--)



the flushing machines work off cooler lines and on one side pump out old fluid while on the other pump in new, but the down side is with flushing you don't drop the pan and change the filter. flushing could cause more problems since new fluid could dislodge shavings and "dirt" trapped by old filter and send them into the transmission worings where they could clog something.



best to drop pan remove old filter, and with fron up on jack stands let the fluid drain overnight, or as long as possible then replace new filter and fluid, (you probably would be left with about a quart in TC using this method. Cleaning the bottom of the pan and replacing the filter would get rid of virtually all "particles" and the "last quart" of old fluid would be dilutted with the 4 - 6 quarts of new fluid.



if your really fanatical about this at that point you could drive to transmission shop and have them flush the new fluid you just installed, expensive but about the cleanist you could get with minimal potential damage to transmission and TC.

 

[scotmartin]

Right after we flushed the transmission, we dropped the pan and changed the filter. That is the proper way to do it. The flusher uses the trannies pump to complete the flush, so it would not exert higher pressures on the filter.

 

[DPKetchum]

Filters are good for up to a 100,000 miles. Have flushed many many trans up to and including 100k many times with nothing dislodged! Its the only way to fly. Changed filter in my personal trucks once in five years with a yearly flush. Many many shops and quick lubes have been using trans flush machines for a NUMBER of years now. We recommended a filter change if towing at 60k or so and non towing at 90 to 100k. Flush every 15k towing and every 30k non towing if not using synthetic fliuds. Most dealers etc have flush machines. They work great. If filter is changed,change it first,add cheap fliud and then hook up flush machine with synthetic or the fliud of your choice not the othe way around. The flush will also dflush cooler lines and coolers ,valve body etc. Draining does NOT!

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Moving this to the 24v drivetrain forum

 

[diesel_driver]

Auto trans "flushers" can be found on the web. About $2,000. Do you love your truck?

 

[rweis]

Can you construct a flusher? What exactely is it? What kind of fluid pressures are we talking about?



Bob Weis

 

[BTanzini]

If you have a Dodge service manual check the transmission section, my 96 manual explains how to flush fluid from transmission it takes two people to do the procedure also if you have your tanny flushed once a year common sense should dictate to change the filter and adjust the bands. You will have lease transmission problems.

 

[DPKetchum]

Part of the reason of the flush is so you DON'T have to DROP the pan. Cannot even begin to explain on all MAKES how many trans leaks start at pan after being serviced. Lots of Front wheel drives the pan is at a steep angle. On lots of autos the filter is only accesable on a teardown. Some the dipstick tube runs into the pan and leaks at the o/ring afterwords. Lots of autos don't even have a trans SERVICE recommended in there maintenance guide. The filters in D. C. units and G. M. and lots of imports are not recommend to change but at 100k. I love staying on top of maintenance but too many GOOD trans techs just grinned and smiled at the ban adjust thing and THEY all love the flush system. All of the OLD fluid is purged and nothing but new comes in. I've got a 1985 Caprice Classic with 193k that the pan has been off once since 82k. Has a flush every 30k. Wife has been a service adviser at a Cad,Olds,Mazda,Isuzu dealer 11 years and 99% of the trans services are a flush. At the D. C. dealer I was at we had parts of the flush machine wear out several times over in a 4 year period. Techs used it on their own autos and parents,in laws and so on. New technology

 

[BTanzini]

On a Dodge Diesel that is used for towing the transmission filter should always be changed on a service weather it be 24,000-30,000, 36,000. Check the maintenance schedule change filter,adjust bands and do a pressure test, you can catch potential problems with a governor pressure test. A flush may be fine for autos that I do not know. I would rather spend a few $ now rather than take a gamble on spending BIG BUCKS in week, month or year for a transmission rebuild. I can remember when a transmission composed of all metal parts not plastic-metal and we never had a problem one.



I am from the old school do it right the first time and you will not have to redo it for along time, if at all.

 

[DPKetchum]

Handled lots of Diesels used for heavy towing. Sold 1 to 3 Banks Stage three kits a month. Sure saw some fail at somewhat low mileage but had many stock trans go 150k plus with no problems towing fiver's etc. Lots of failures we saw were constrution companys/plumping companys etc. Torque convertor failure with seal failuresand the same non/owner drivers over and over. On most trucks we advised a filter change at 60 to 75k. Also a lack of ever servicing them(fliud)recomended a flush every 15k with 30k being max. We discussed the pressure check and ban adjust thing. Did it on some a for a while. Never found any out of specs unless lready on their way south. Certain type of drivers biggest number 1 reason for failure non/owner drivers. There companys relized that in a Dodge/Ford/Chevy these guys had a high trans failure rate in everthing they drove. Took awhile to see this but after time it could be tracked on paper. I under stand what your saying and on personal trucks such as this forum doing a pressure test and ban adjust is fine. What I'm saying is that I dont think you will ever find these out of specs and I worry more about laypeople turning the wrong screw or leaving a an nut loose or such and causing their own failure!Its a checkand adjust that in MY mind serves no benifit/FULLy clean FRESH fliud DOES on a regular basis. They dont build these needing a ban adjust on a regular basis. What they needed all along was Good Quality torque convertors. Thats where the failureswere most. Not the drums/pumps/shafts but the torque convertor clutches coming apart. Thats also why not many first generation trucks had trans failure. They had non/lockup convertors. Used burnt fliud got the seals.

 

[ralphr]

transmission fluid change

Fluid change is important, otherwise seals will become brittle and start to leak. But one thing that is glossed over in this discussion is the fact there are wear items, (clutch packs, etc), insdie the auto transmission. Where does these particles go??? Search on pan changes, I remember one recently where someone installed a deep dish pan with only 15K miles and exclaimed that there was a "white/silver" subsatnce at the bottom of the pan.



With the transmission operating, as well as in a flush situation those particles get stopped by the filter, but are still in the transmission, eventually they will either clog the filter or get past the filter and cause major problems. Flushing your tranyy without changing the filter is like changing your oil with out changing the oil filter! How many of us would do that????

 

[DPKetchum]

The amount of STUFF in a pan is very minor in a healthy trans. and does not get by or clog a filter. Lots of autos the filter as stated before is only serviced in a overhaul situation and is good for many thousands of miles. the filter in the heavy towing trucks servicing them at 60k or so is more then adequate. I serviced the filter twice in 1993 w250 twice in 9 years with very minor amounts of anything in pan. Was flushed yearly. Wouldn't have serviced the filter the last time but cork gasket started oozing. Replaced it with a updated rubber/steel seal. My 1998 Dodge 1500 has Amsoil trans fluid and used the flush system to install it at 40k filter was done at 30k. wont open it up any sooner then 90 or 100k now. The AW4 trans used in Jeep Cherokees such as mail jeeps etc the filter is a fairly large metal screen which is a clean and reuse item at the most. Flush systems work wonders on these units as mail Jeeps the fluid is BLACK and replacing 3 or 4 qts of fluid did little for them. All i'm saying is anything more is overkill and wasted dollars. I saw what worked on a daily basis servicing 50 to 100 autos/trucks a day with the average being 80 or so. Saw trucks that had filter/fluid every 15k and when hooked to flush machine the NEW fluid was far darker then you could imangine!Machine has a sight glass. out goes the old and in comes the new. operates off the trans pump and a bladder. Flushes lines and coolers at same time.