" Transmission Service"

[jcosola]

A while ago I asked a couple of questions regarding getting my transmission serviced. The one common answer seemed to be to undertake the service myself and not to trust it to a Jiffy Lube. Well I am about to undertake that task and would like to ask some questions to get some confidence. I know most of these have been asked at various times but I have forgotten most of the answers. I would appreciate getting the answers all at once. My truck is a 2001 2500,4x4,4:10, Auto. No upgrades but guages. My questions are:



1. I have 15,000 miles on it. Approx. 25% towing

a fifth wheel trailer weighing about 9000#

wet weight.

(a) Is dropping the pan and changing the filter

sufficient for it. If so how much fluid

does it take ?

(B) Some I have read disconnect a line and

drain more of the fluid. Is that necessary?

If so how much fluid does that take?

(c) The manual for the 2001 calls for ATF-4 but

some have suggested using the ATF-3 because

there is less slippage with the 3. Would

this be recommended or not?



2. I understand the manual calls for a band

adjustment with every service. Is that necess-

ary. If that is so that would keep me from doing

my own service. I dont think I would attempt

it if thats the case. If I do the normal

service,I have been told that it could

jeopardize my warranty. Could that be so?



3. I sent for a Mopar filter from Geno's, but I

have read also on the TDR that some recommend

a different kind. Is that so? and If yes where

do you get one?



4. What is the torque on the pan bolts.



5. And finally any other suggestions are apprec-

iated. I hope I did not ask too many questions

at once.



Thanks

John

 

[Fireman Dave]

John,



I'm no expert, but I'll tell you what I did. I dropped the pan and changed the filter on mine. I ended up getting about 9 qts out. Flushing the system is not a good idea according to the consensus on TDR. Crud could get broken loose in that process and cause problems. I plan to change my fluid every year - I think this will cycle all the old fluid out pretty well over time. I used +3 in mine - I didn't realize I should use +4 when I did it. I'll go with +4 next time. +3 should be fine anyway.



I used a filter from Dodge. Some guys say one filter is more desireable than another, though. I would feel comfortable with a Geno's filter - I think it's the same one Dodge sells. I used a cork gasket on mine. Some don't like them, but it worked fine for me. Cork is what was on there from the factory, and it came off just fine. Just be careful not to nick up the pan or trans when scraping it off.



I did not adjust the bands. One of the transmission guys told me this isn't necessary - the bands are much thinner nowadays, so adjusting usually isn't necessary unless there's a problem. Some of the guys on here still swear by adjusting them. One thought is adjusting won't hurt - as long as you do it correctly.



I don't see how getting ripped off by the dealer is necessary to protect your warranty. If that was the case, we shouldn't change our own oil either. I would say that the less someone else touches your truck, the less likely it is that some diesel illiterate will screw it up.



Pan bolt torque is 13 ft lbs. I rechecked mine after awhile to allow for settling.



That's my . 02 cents. I know other guys have good opinions on it too. Good luck!



Dave

 

[LSMITH]

Dave pretty well covered it. I am going to add my bit though. I do adjust the bands on every service and I think it should be done but I am no expert. It can't hurt to do it. It really is quite easy to do. Here is a link to a procedure that covers it pretty well. Give it a shot. http://dodgeram.org/tech/transmission/automatic/AT_band_adj.htm The last write up on the page is the one I used the first time.

I also use the Mopar filter kits from Geno's, price is right, it is convenient, and you get the parts that should be in it.



I do not disconnect the cooler line and pump the fluid out. To me it seems like a great opportunity to screw something up that could get very expensive. Lots of guys have reported doing it with no problems, but I won't even consider it. I drop the pan, and loosen the bolts that hold the valvebody on. There are 10 of them if I remember right and they get loosened no more than 3 turns. If you loosen them more than 3 turns you are risking parts getting loose in the VB. I am not sure what parts that would be, but have been told 3 turns and no more so I go with it. I have gotten 10. 5-11. 5 quarts out this way depending on how long I let it drain. The extra fluid you get out doing it this way is from the torque convertor.



EDIT: re-torque the VB bolts evenly to 115 in/lbs. I did mine in three steps, overkill I am sure but made me feel better. There is also a couple of wires that run around the back of the VB, make sure they don't get pinched as you snug up the VB. It sounds a lot more complicated than it really is.



I have no idea on the atf 3 or 4 question. Mine calls for 3 so that is what I use. I would use what the manual calls for unless a specific situation caused a need for something else. Doing your own service won't void your warranty. Save your reciepts for the parts, should be all you need if you have a problem with the dealer saying the maintenance was not done. Hope this helps.

 

[jimnance]

transmission service

I had Oil Can Henrys do a flush on my transmission before joining the forum. Luckily, it does not appear to have done any harm. Just had transmission kit installed by local transmission guru and he reported everything looked great on the transmission with 55,000 miles.



I have always tended to be conservative with respect to service intervals so maybe the earlier transmission oil changes kept crud from building up.



From now on I'll just drop the pan, replace the filter, and refill with oil every 15,000 miles (every third engine oil change).



Our transmission guru says band adjustment is seldom required. He likes the Dodge transmission. He feels if it's kept cool and regularly serviced it will go 200,000 in normal service (he's seen a couple go that far) and 100,000 when used towing regularly. All bets are off when Bombing the engine. He thinks I'll be OK for a while with the kit installed, but says to be very careful about heat when pulling big hills.



BTW, he's been using the WalMart heavy duty multi-use (DextronII/Mercon) transmission fluid for quite a while and likes it a lot.