draining auto trannies - Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest

Bones · November 28th, 2005, 06:07 PM

i've heard of people disconnecting the cooler line, then running the motor. any other tricks?

bigblue2230 · November 28th, 2005, 06:10 PM

well i've never heard of that trick, but it sounds painful unless you are hooking it up to a flush machine.

Yetti · November 28th, 2005, 06:16 PM

if you get some hard plastic air line like for a air brake system in a truck you can slide it down the dip stick hole and suck the pan dry without burning up the trans. I used a salvaged hydro pump from a convertable top. works great for any oil up to engine oil. they won't move gear oil though. the other pump to use is a electric diesel lift pump from a 24 vavle cummins. it will real move some fuel or other thin liquids. it has a built in strainer so you have clean it once in a while.

Bones · November 28th, 2005, 06:20 PM

well once the pan is pulled, how do you get all the fluid out?

or just pull the pan, change the filter, reinstal, and call it good?

CHVYPWR · November 28th, 2005, 06:38 PM

I've always loosened the pan to drop one side more than the other and used a basic drain pan. Sometimes a little gets by to the floor, but thats what floor dry is for.

Bones · November 28th, 2005, 06:39 PM

so basically you guys don't fully drain the clutch packs, valve body, Torque converter, etc?

you only drain what is in the pain?

clarkstoncracker · November 28th, 2005, 06:43 PM

I would suggest tapping/plugging your pan for making life easier down the road too.

Bones · November 28th, 2005, 06:44 PM

yup, already picked up the B&M kit, although i bet this means I never change the filter lol

dirt714 · November 28th, 2005, 07:03 PM

I always think of it like this.... Why change the fluid without changing the filter? If you do routine maintenance and change your filter every 60k or so, droppin' the pan every 30k is more than enough to keep your fluid clean and operational.

Also listen to Yetti. I've got a hand pump that I use for coolant drains and trans drains. Slip it right down the dipstick tube. Or tap the pan . I like that idea.

Bones · November 28th, 2005, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirt714

Also listen to Yetti. I've got a hand pump that I use for coolant drains and trans drains. Slip it right down the dipstick tube. Or tap the pan . I like that idea.

do you do it with the trans running?

xjmichigan · November 28th, 2005, 07:53 PM

why is everyone making this so hard?

1. buy 3 or 5 gallons of fluid( or buy it in quarts and put it all in one big clean bucket
2. disconnect the lower (or what ever draws fluid back to the trans)
and place it in the bucket (you may need to extend the line)
3. disconnect the line that goes to the cooler and let that empty on the ground, your neighbors grass or anotherbucket.
4. start it up, cycle it through all gears few times, you may want another person to tell you when the bucket it almost empty, re hook up all lines.
5 drop pan, change filter, add 4-5 qts of fluid.

KILLER"B"468 · November 28th, 2005, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xjmichigan

why is everyone making this so hard?

1. buy 3 or 5 gallons of fluid( or buy it in quarts and put it all in one big clean bucket
2. disconnect the lower (or what ever draws fluid back to the trans)
and place it in the bucket (you may need to extend the line)
3. disconnect the line that goes to the cooler and let that empty on the ground, your neighbors grass or anotherbucket.
4. start it up, cycle it through all gears few times, you may want another person to tell you when the bucket it almost empty, re hook up all lines.
5 drop pan, change filter, add 4-5 qts of fluid.

Damn pretty much the jist of it. Bones unless you do a flush from the shop the above mentioned is the only way to get most of the old fluid out. There isn't a drain plug on the torque convertor like on fords.

Bones · November 28th, 2005, 09:28 PM

yah, this is my diesel though.... its already done though

dirt714 · November 29th, 2005, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xjmichigan

why is everyone making this so hard?

1. buy 3 or 5 gallons of fluid( or buy it in quarts and put it all in one big clean bucket
2. disconnect the lower (or what ever draws fluid back to the trans)
and place it in the bucket (you may need to extend the line)
3. disconnect the line that goes to the cooler and let that empty on the ground, your neighbors grass or anotherbucket.
4. start it up, cycle it through all gears few times, you may want another person to tell you when the bucket it almost empty, re hook up all lines.
5 drop pan, change filter, add 4-5 qts of fluid.

6. Smoke your tranny

Yetti · November 29th, 2005, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirt714

6. Smoke your tranny

no , not nessaraly. the idea is sound, but the mess more then makes up for the little work involved. we have big flush machines at work that do the same thing. it does it with the engine OFF. we never flush with the engine running, its just to chancy to blow up a trans that may have cost a $100,000.

do it how you see fit, but you can add an external filter to the cooler line for little money and be twice as safe.