TheSamba.com :: View topic - I'm trying to come up with a plan to keep my 73 T3 maintaine

Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:32 pm

Last time I changed the auto trans fluid and it's due , tightening the filter's center screw the screw driver for some odd reason slipped and punched a hole in the screen . I couldn't find just the screen at the time so I left it with the small tear.

Last week digging through a few boxes of parts one with the 72 parts car trans there was a screen , no holes.

I don't have any sort of parts cleaner and from sitting the brass screen is tarnished , not a big deal . I tried with this insane idea dish soap and water would do it but then the steel part once pulled into the air started to grow a rust film so I stuck it in clean ATF of the proper type .

The issue is there are a few small areas on the brass screen away from the valve body that has some sort of black stuff on it.

Would lacquer thinner work or lighter fluid? The old screen I used to rinse under the wash bin at work and blow it out . It didn't have this black crap on it. I can't even describe what it is ./ I just don't want it to come loose and somehow get through the screen . It's little specs here and there and some a bit like sewing thread or hair . It looks like perhaps tar or plastic .

Tue Feb 16, 2016 9:25 pm

All that stuff is probably fuzz. You have to make sure no lint gets in the trans so make not to use paper towels or anything. All the lint will ball up on the screen. Maybe a lighter would work to burn it off?

I would try a can of carb cleaner or similar solvent to clean it out. Anything with propellant should work pretty good.

I haven't checked yet, but is that a part you can just replace? Ive seen screens on rockauto but have no idea if they are correct. Hope this helps

Wed Feb 17, 2016 1:10 pm

icelancer wrote: All that stuff is probably fuzz. You have to make sure no lint gets in the trans so make not to use paper towels or anything. All the lint will ball up on the screen. Maybe a lighter would work to burn it off?

I would try a can of carb cleaner or similar solvent to clean it out. Anything with propellant should work pretty good.

I haven't checked yet, but is that a part you can just replace? Ive seen screens on rockauto but have no idea if they are correct. Hope this helps

It's not fuzz , I tried to clean it off with an on old soft tooth brush didn't use paper towels .

I know alcohol 99% wouldn't touch it and this orange degreaser wouldn't touch it. That's why I thought perhaps lacquer thinner or lighter fluid might remove it.

I've seen the ones at rock auto also NAPA sells the same filter and gasket same brand. They look like the right one. The photo is not that great to really see it yet it does look right.

I was just trying to save money since I don't have much at all to spend with everything else costing so much rent and food and electric and such.

My fear is in hot trans fluid running through it might break this crap up so it finds it's way through the screen and into the pump which I don't need.

I have WD 40 and electrical cleaner . I can't believe carb cleaner costs so much and the filter and gasket set $16 plus shipping does not sound like much , trust me it's a lot to me now days.

This filter was in the parts car 72 auto trans so whatever is on it might be just dried old trans fluid or some other stuff .

The trouble with the rock auto screen is there is no way to tell how fine the mesh screen is , it's like how VW oil screens if you get some off the wall one and not VW the mesh had twice the size of screen openings which I would not use or trust.

Wed Feb 17, 2016 1:24 pm

I just bought one from Rock Auto. The screen was exactly like the one that was in the car.