Help !! transmission fluid in radiator

[TGVET]

transmission is empty, radiator is full of milky pink transmission fluid. What has failed ?

 

[Jeff Knight]

I would say your radiator failed.

Jeff

 

[mwilson]

I'm thinking the transmission cooler on the left side of the block. I believe that is the only place where the two fluids could cross.



The cooler in front does not run through the radiator tank like a gasser does.



Mike.

 

[TGVET]

I would say your radiator failed.

Jeff

I see no interconnection to the radiator other than the heat exchanger. The trans cooler is separate from the radiator.

 

[TGVET]

Anyone know how to order from Cummin's ?

 

[Jeff Knight]

Sorry for the wrong information.

Jeff

 

[mwilson]

Anyone know how to order from Cummin's ?

Please get me the Engine Serial Number from the valve cover and I can get you the part number and approximate cost.



Also, any signs of antifreeze in the transmission???



Mike.

 

[RDeFayette]

DO NOT drive the truck! you can live with the transmission fluid in the radiator but not anti-freeze in the transmission.

When you get it replaced (or bypassed and eliminated) get the trans completely flushed to get any anti-freeze out of the trans.

Here is the part from Dodge, discounted @ 626. 00

Mopar Parts for Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep: MoparPartsAmerica

 

[mwilson]

Hopefully he has parked it for now... ...



The same cooler from Cummins should be about half of the Dodge one, will know for sure when he provides his ESN so I can look it up.



Mike.

 

[TGVET]

Hopefully he has parked it for now... ...



The same cooler from Cummins should be about half of the Dodge one, will know for sure when he provides his ESN so I can look it up.



Mike.

I do not know how far I drove it Tuesday after the failure, it was just another 200 mile round trip day for work and made it home without any indications. I started it up yesterday morning, warmed it for a few minutes, headed out the driveway, parked to lock the gate then could not get up the short grade to the road and immediately new something was bad. Opened the gate, backed it all the way 400' to the house and parked it.



No trans fluid on the stick. No sign at all of the green ES Complete radiator fluid I use, I drained the radiator of nearly 10 gallons of milky pink trans & watery fluid. Popped the cork on the trans pan and drained the rest, thick, milky pink fluid. (MagHytech pan holds an extra gallon).



Radiator reservoir is full of the same thick stuff. I tried to flush some more of the fluid out with water and had to leave.



Can't find the Ser. # on the valve cover, only numbers are the firing order, I took the black plastic cover off long ago, could it be on that ? Is there another location ? VIN not good enough ?



What about someone else Ser. # of the same year range, should there not be the same piece of equipment designed and built to cause catastrophic failure or is my lemon unique ?



Thanks Mike and guys.

 

[mwilson]

I will use my '06 as reference, I am pretty sure that they are the same. Just like to use an ESN when available.

Hold tight, will post part number and price shortly.



Also, for the mess in your engine the best thing we have found here is liquid Cascade. You are going to have to flush the dickens out of it.



The transmission acted out because of low fluid, I hope. While you were driving the trans pressure would have been higher than the coolant pressure so the transmission fluid was going into the coolant. When you shut the truck down the transmission pressure would go to zero and the residual 16lbs of coolant pressure would have pushed the antifreeze back into the transmission lines.

A good flush of the transmission may save it.

I am going to e-mail a few members right now so that they may give you some options.

Watch for replies.



Mike.

 

[mwilson]

Please read and act now if you want one.

Ok, here is the deal.



Part number is 4930582. Should sell for in the $330. 00 to $350. 00 range.

The issue is that the factory is OUT, no more due in until 03/15/2012.



Cummins NorthWest shows one on hand in Portland, Oregon.

If you want it act now, call them up and get your name on it. Otherwise another dealer could come along and snag it as quick as you can say "Rats".

You are competing for that part along with anyone else in the country that needs one.



Mike.

 

[cerberusiam]

Yep, heat exchanger failed. While driving the trans fluid pressure is higher than coolant system so it blows oil into the coolant. When you shut it off coolant pressure remains high while trans pressure drops and it bleeds coolant into the trans. Eventutally the trans runs out of fluid becuase its pressure is higher longer than the coolant.



The unfortunate thing now is you have a lot of work to do. Transmission needs to come out, be torn down and boiled to clear the sludge from it it will always be a problem. Front cooler and heat exchanger both need replaced and all the remaining lines flushed or replaced.



Radiator needs to come out and go to a radiator shop for a rodding, if they can do it on these plastic tank critters. Otherwise, new radiator. Engine will need to be flushed multiple times to clear the oil.



Don't forget the heater core either. If your lucky you may be able to flush it seperately form the engine. Otherwise, it may need replacing also.



Sorry to the bearer of bad news but once you mix the coolant and trans fluid that thouroughly it is a pain to clean up the results. About the only thing worse than the heat exchanger leaking is the oil cooler leaking. :{

 

[TGVET]

I will use my '06 as reference, I am pretty sure that they are the same. Just like to use an ESN when available.

Hold tight, will post part number and price shortly.



Also, for the mess in your engine the best thing we have found here is Calgon. You are going to have to flush the dickens out of it.



The transmission acted out because of low fluid, I hope. While you were driving the trans pressure would have been higher than the coolant pressure so the transmission fluid was going into the coolant. When you shut the truck down the transmission pressure would go to zero and the residual 16lbs of coolant pressure would have pushed the antifreeze back into the transmission lines.

A good flush of the transmission may save it.

I am going to e-mail a few members right now so that they may give you some options.

Watch for replies.



Mike.

Mike,



That was my first thought as well however, I believe it displaced nearly all if not all of the coolant out through the reservoir overflow tube and all over the fender well area. What was left coming out of the radiator drain petcock was water and trans fluid which was a bit surprising unless somehow the combining of trans fluid and coolant caused some chemical separation as there was no sign at all of green coolant.



Thanks again.

Rob

 

[cerberusiam]

the combining of trans fluid and coolant caused some chemical separation as there was no sign at all of green coolant.

Yes it did. It turned the composite into a sludge that is now in every nook and cranny in the engine, transmission, and both cooling systems.



Flushing the engine block is about the only thing you can do with any certainty. All the rest of the parts need boiled, rodded, and likely replaced.



Extensive mixing of coolant and any type of oil is a death sentence. Its a huge pain to clean up at any time.

 

[mwilson]

I am wondering if people should be advised to make the transmission cooler a required maintainence item at say 200,000 miles???



It would be a small price to pay versus the resulting carnage from a failure.



The factory had 30 something on hand last time I checked, now they are out.

Makes me wonder if quite a few are failing and we are not hearing about it.



Mike.

 

[TGVET]

I am wondering if people should be advised to make the transmission cooler a required maintainence item at say 200,000 miles???



It would be a small price to pay versus the resulting carnage from a failure.



The factory had 30 something on hand last time I checked, now they are out.

Makes me wonder if quite a few are failing and we are not hearing about it.



Mike.

Thanks Mike and Cerberusiam, I just ordered from Portland for $349. 00 UPS tomorrow.



Cerb, I pretty much figured there was going to be a LOT more involved. I'm wondering if I can do any more cooling system flushing here with hot water hose connected somewhere and another hose or just open tube for outflow purging the system prior to taking it to the shop ? If so, where would be the best location to connect the hose to and start the process and should the engine run doing it.



Two days now sitting.



I use to think that my Dodge was superior to my 95 GMC Suburban w/6. 5 TD. I managed to put 476,000 miles in ten years on that rig until the #2 cylinder intake valve failed forcing me to acquire a new rig immediately. After test driving all three new trucks (GMC,Ford then Ram) I settled for my Ram. I had very few problems with my Suburban, and in back posts have stated such as I am a maintenance freak for the vary reasons I've previously stated "keeping my machines running top notch".



I'm so disgusted with my Dodge, all the %$^#$&@!#$ issues I've had with it and now this, makes me sick. Engineered designs to fail. Never abused, meticulously maintained, all freeway miles.



What about the option of bypassing the exchanger all together ?

Anyone done that ?

What are the 4th Gens, same POS design ?



Off to work now,

Thanks again all.

Rob

 

[sag2]

Cleaning it up isn't that bad. Pull the thermostat and use dishwashing soap. Start out with a cup or more, run a couple minutes, drain (by pulling lower hose), repeat, repeat, repeat. Then flush with water a couple of times, then evaluate and add soap again as required. It will start to come clean pretty quickly. Pull the overflow tank and clean it off the truck. The hardest part is changing the cooler.

To save time, you should not need to put the clamp back on the hose each time, just don't close the cap.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Cleaning it up isn't that bad. Pull the thermostat and use dishwashing soap. Start out with a cup or more, run a couple minutes, drain (by pulling lower hose), repeat, repeat, repeat. Then flush with water a couple of times, then evaluate and add soap again as required. It will start to come clean pretty quickly. Pull the overflow tank and clean it off the truck. The hardest part is changing the cooler.

To save time, you should not need to put the clamp back on the hose each time, just don't close the cap.

We used liquid Cascade dish washer detergent in engine cooling systems contaminated with oil in our truck shop. It cleans better leaving less residue than anythig else we tried.



Bill

 

[NIsaacs]

I have had several Big truck (Cummins) engine oil coolers fail and fill the cooling system with oil. I always filled the system up with diesel, drove it around some and drained it. Diesel will clean it up quick.



Nick