Tranny fluid change!!

[HitandRunDriver]

Okay, ive hit 100k and i cant put off swapping my tranny fluid too much longer. I'm either going to use lucas or royal purple, and a buddy of mine is going to let me throw my truck on the lift so i can get easier access to the pan. I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that the transmission takes a little over 10 quarts to fill (10 3/10) and i will also need to switch out the filter while i'm at it. Is this a fairly simple task or am i asking to get my ass handed to me?

 

[Yuke2K]

Well just remember that only a few quarts actually sit down in the pan, the rest of the fluid will be suspended up in the tranny and torque converter. I have heard that if you lift the truck, start it and run it through the gears (without giving it any gas, just let it idle), you can get alot of the fluid out...but I've never done it.

If you just want to drop the pan and change the filter it's a pretty easy job, especially with a lift, but you won't get all of the old fluid out.

 

[HitandRunDriver]

hmm...maybe i'll just bring it down to jiffy lube or something make sure to bring some purple with me and have them do it....i dont like having to rely on them but they are professionals....

 

[nephite1978]

...jiffy lube...professionals...

Man, someone sure has been lying to you!!!

 

[Yuke2K]

Man, someone sure has been lying to you!!!

Big, big, BIG +1. Nephite is definitely right on that one. The techs they employee are often high school students, who don't even have to be ASE certified to get a job there. Hell, I've had them screw up a simple oil change (left the filler cap off, and I drove away, drenching my engine bay with oil...thanks, schmucks). If you're going to have ANYTHING done to the tranny, I'd recommend going to the local GM dealership. You'll pay a little more, but their techs are factory certified and know what the hell they are doing.

Don't let some 16 year old with 2 months experience touch your trans dude...not worth the potential hassle. Bring the RP with you and they will probably put it in for you...I don't know if they would guarantee the work though if they aren't using GM-spec fluid. Give them a call and see.

 

[boostaholic]

Take it to a local mom and pop shop and have them flush it with the gm fluid, the synthetic doesn't help much on these 4L60s they'll break regardless.

 

[HitandRunDriver]

I actually had my first 4L60 go out on me at 60k so i'll probably hold off on the flush for a while, but i would like the comfort of knowing that i'm running synthetic

 

[withac]

I had an email conversation with an RP rep a year or so ago regarding my Dodge Ram (yeah, I know, D word). Here is what he said. The first paragraph is my question the second his answer.

If I just do a pan drop then i'll be mixing the RP with what's left in the tranny and from the numbers you indicated, the RP will be diluted/mixed with what's still in there. Is that bad/do you see any benefits from that or does RP recommend a flush when switching to ensure the full benefits?

The pan drop is fine, our will over power what ever oil it mixes with as our film strength is 400 times stronger. With the mix we also recommend doing another pan drop at 5,000 miles to get a high concentrate of our oil in the tranny.

MY PERSONAL opinion-

A flush is like a empty glass with sugar in the bottom of it, then you pour tea into it. The sugar is stirred up and not is floating all around. What if the sugar was metal shavings in the pan and you flushed the transmission? Well the shavings will stir and go all over the transmission and could give you problems later. I know a lot of people who have never had a problem with flushes, but I myself would never have a flush done on my person car/truck. It is your call and this is my opinion not Royal Purple’s.

 

[SilverWagon2000]

From I've been told, by some mechanics, is that changing the filter is the most beneficial part of the trans oil change. Since the old filter will get clogged w/particles over time and the new filter will continue to "clean" the old oil.
On the other hand one mechanic recommended against flushing a high millage
tranny(150K-up). His reasoning was if it still shifts, don't mess with it.
Mike

 

[YukonJacks]

About a month ago 48 Hours did a show on Jiffy Lube, on tranny flushes. They actually went in and asked what a tranny flush was, the tech would actually walk them over and show them the equipment and explain it. The undercover reporter set his brief case down with a camera in it and it showed they never hooked the system up. Out of 2 dozen jiffy screws they nailed 11.
Find you a good local mechanic, buy him some donuts and let him do it. My mechanic recently drained and dropped the pan to change out filter and replaice gasket. then he flushed my tranny. $198.00 He hit me a little more than I anticipated on the labor, but I knew what he had to do so it was worth every penny.

 

[pwrstroker00]

I know when I did the tranny fluid change in our Tahoe, getting the pan out to change the filter was a big PIA. I actually had to bend a bracket on the driver's side of the transmission a little bit to allow clearance to get the pan completely out.

Maybe I'm a complete idiot, but this was the first transmission pan that I've dealt with that didn't have adequate clearance to get it out of the way. Anybody else have this issue?

 

[withac]

I know when I did the tranny fluid change in our Tahoe, getting the pan out to change the filter was a big PIA. I actually had to bend a bracket on the driver's side of the transmission a little bit to allow clearance to get the pan completely out.

Maybe I'm a complete idiot, but this was the first transmission pan that I've dealt with that didn't have adequate clearance to get it out of the way. Anybody else have this issue?

I just had my tranny rebuilt. The mechanic had to drop the exhaust pipe to drop the tranny.