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Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings
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CGriz
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 3:46 pm    Post subject: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

86’ 2.1 auto here. It’s probably been 10-15 years since the ATF was replaced on our van, finally got around to it today and installed the FAS heat sink cooler while I was at it. Below is a video of the filter, it was thick and borderline sludgy with metal shavings. Should I be concerned? Reading these things is like palm reading for me. The transmission works fine besides shifting slightly heavy sometimes and being slow to get into gear after sitting all winter. I replaced the fluid with type F and it seems to be shifting a little crisper. Here’s a video of the filter, I tried to upload photos but my phone keeps shutting down: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uAmgyBXqd0xWDwQ6tIqfIyK5CEs1DrVo
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

What use do you make of your van? Are you going to be touring the breadth of the country or will you be mostly driving within a few hours of home?

If the latter I would just clean the filter cover (which you show) and the filter element and run with it until it begins to not shift right somewhere down the road.


Last edited by Wildthings on Tue Apr 13, 2021 1:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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CGriz
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

It’s a summer recreation vehicle for us - we did a long cross country road trip a couple years ago and now we probably put on between 1-3k miles/ year.
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Merian
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 1:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

the real questions are how long the filter has been in there, and how your A/T feels or sounds when driving

I could not see your video BTW only a still at the start
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MarkWard
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

I’d do a couple more fluid changes with some driving intervals. The problem is fresh ATF is likely cleaning the insides of your automatic and torque converter. The “residue” will end up in the pan.
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 4:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

MarkWard wrote:
I’d do a couple more fluid changes with some driving intervals. The problem is fresh ATF is likely cleaning the insides of your automatic and torque converter. The “residue” will end up in the pan.


I've yet to drop my pan but I've been changing the ATF. Mine was slightly burnt when I got it.
I'm gambling and flushing out all of the old. I'm up to six oil changes and 13 qts used.
It driving and shifting well.
The oil is still coming up slightly brown and slightly burnt smelling. It is far better than I started with!

The oil is now consistently clear and has an oil smell along with the light burnt smell.

I plan to drop the pan soon but I am afraid of what I may find!

I figure I will use 20-24 qts by the time it's clean. The new detergents are scrubbing things as I drive.
It is a gamble, it could scrub loose a catastrophic chunk!

Dave
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MarkWard
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

I’ve added weld in drain bungs for some of the other automatics I’ve owned. It makes draining and filling ATF almost painless. Don’t do this, but I watched on a TV show, where they drilled a hole in a torque converter to drain it and used a pop rivet with some sealer to plug it up. Crazy.
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CGriz
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 5:07 am    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

Mark - Interesting idea to add a drain plug. I had to drop the pan because I could not get off the dip stick tube. I wanted to change the filter and clean everything up anyway though. I only drove a few miles before changing again - my thoughts are to be done with it and just stay on the regular schedule of servicing every two years, although now you have me worried about the new fluid cleaning out old sludge - that’s the reason I waited so long to do this job to begin with....

Djkeev - Why not just drop pan, clean everything up and change the filter while you’re at it? Or perhaps that will be your final step once you feel your fluid is actually cleanish? I did have to wrestle a little to get the new gasket to stay in place as others have noted. I put on Type F - it could be my imagination but I believe it is shifting a bit faster and maybe smoother.
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MarkWard
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 8:24 am    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

I would not worry about "cleaning" your internals at this point. It's just one of those tales. Car goes 100,000 miles before it gets it's first ATF change. Shortly after the trans starts acting up. Not anything really documented.

I checked and got my last weld in drain plug from Amazon and they no longer show it. Summit Racing or JEGS should have a weld in plug assembly. The amazon one had straight threads and a seal. The other ones I came across were pipe thread, which seals, but not as reusable.

Don't utilize a bulkhead type. I've seen them come loose and you are pulling the pan back off to seal it.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 9:22 am    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

Assuming the nut on the filler pipe is not badly buggered up at this point, just buy a tubing wrench that fits it and then you will not have to worry so much when it comes to removing the pipe to drop the pan.

Even an open end wrench is better than a Crescent Wrench here.


Last edited by Wildthings on Mon May 10, 2021 2:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
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CGriz
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 1:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

Forgot to add I also replaced the original automatic transmission cooler with an FAS heat sink cooler while I was at it. It was an easy job after I finally got all the bolts off...need to remember to spray with penetration lubricant the day before I start these jobs.
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 4:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

The Knipex Plier/wrench is by far the best tool I've purchased in recent years!

https://www.amazon.com/KNIPEX-Tools-Small-Pliers-W...&psc=1

They are NOT cheap but they are worth twice what you pay!

They grip tightly, they do not slip.
In many ways they are superior to an open end wrench.

There are various sizes, I'm working on getting them all.

This is the ideal tool for the dipstick hex.

Dave
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Sodo
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 7:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

There are bolt-in 2peice drain plugs.
You can drill a little hole to drain it.
Then unbolt the empty pan and install the bolt-in drain plug.
Then replace the pan and it’s easier next time.
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MarkWard
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PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2021 4:51 am    Post subject: Re: Auto Transmission Filter Sludge / Shavings Reply with quote

Sodo wrote:
There are bolt-in 2peice drain plugs.
You can drill a little hole to drain it.
Then unbolt the empty pan and install the bolt-in drain plug.
Then replace the pan and it’s easier next time.


I’ve seen them loosen over time and leak. Plus they have a step that doesn’t let the pan completely drain. But if you don’t have a friend with a welder it’s an option.
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