[Shop-talk] Auto xmission fluid change

[Karl Vacek]

FWIW...
I don't do automatic transmissions, so I was very lucky to find a
scrupulously honest and incredibly knowledgeable transmission shop owner 20
years ago.  He now has 28 bays, an equal amount of space for doing bench
overhauls for fleets, and they now manufacture their own torque converters
as well, after problems with their long-time converter supplier.  He's owned
the business nearly 40 years, having started working there as a high school
kid.  He's in the shop all day; he and one other 30-year employee do
virtually all the diagnosis, and he still works on the occasional tricky job
himself.  He knows transmissions of all kinds.

He owns 2 automatic transmission flushing machines, but won't use them on
customer's cars any more.  He says that the introduction of 100% new fluid
to an old, usually neglected transmission is too often more than the old
seals can take, and major leaks often arise soon after a complete flush.
Further, he says that some settled stuff that wasn't previously a problem
can be dissolved loose and get back into circulation during a power flush
with all fresh fluid.  His take is that the amount changed with a standard
transmission service is completely adequate and far safer, particularly for
older transmissions.  He also doesn't believe in switching to synthetic
fluid except as part of a full overhaul, for the same reasons.

Their standard transmission service is the usual - clean the pan and replace
the filter, accompanied by a valve body removal, cleaning, and inspection if
there were any symptoms or lots of stuff in the pan.  Then button it back
up, refill, and road test.

YMMV.
Karl


-----Original Message-----
From: shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Mark Andy
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:32
To: shop-talk at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Auto xmission fluid change

Howdy,


On Thu, 12 Apr 2012, John T. Blair wrote:
> say to pull the line from the cooler start engine and try to keep 
> pouring fluid in as fast as it is coming out.  I sure don't like that.
...
> So I was wondering what the consensus was.  What do most of you all do.
>
> What about these machines at the gas stations/shops that swap the fluid. 
> How much should it cost?

I take it to a shop that has one of those machines.  Off hand I don't
remember the cost.

I believe that those machines just automate the manual process you describe
though.  Basically they open one of the lines and receive the old fluid
while providing new to the other.  I've had a former trans shop owner tell
me that I can do what the exhange machine does with no issues, I just
haven't wanted to deal with it.

Mark
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