Slug-Gunner
Senior Member
I posted these procedures as a reply to a question, but thought they would benefit more people if posted as a STAND-ALONE SUBJECT.
=======================================
Here's a "trick" I learned to change A/T Fluid & Filter WITHOUT THE MESS normally associated with it. Most A/Ts , except a few imports, don't have a drain plug on the A/T pan. The usual method was to slowly and gradually loosen the pan bolts from one side and then work towards the other side with a LARGE PAN under the vehicle to catch the a/t fluid as it seeped out from over the edge of the pan as it progressively tilted as you loosened the bolts further until the pan was fairly empty. The USUAL RESULT was a/t fluid ALL OVER YOU AND THE FLOOR!
I've developed a method for DRAINING THE A/T PAN that basically eliminates ANY MESS when doing this.... the only spillage is what "drips" from the a/t once the pan is completely removed. Here's the procedure:
DRAINING AND CHANGING A/T FLUID AND FILTER:
1. First, purchase one of the following items to SUCK THE A/T FLUID OUT THE FILLER TUBE....
a. One of the gear-lube pumps designed to pump gear oil from the container into the gear box or differential assy.
b. One of the pumps you attach to a drill chuck (the fastest) method.
2. Get a small diameter hose (about 1/4" inside diameter) that will fit into the a/t filler tube neck.... yes, you'll need to remove the a/t dip-stick first. You'll need about 5 feet of it.
3. Place this hose into the a/t filler neck as far as you can work. A good gauge for this is to drop the hose down the side of the a/t filler tube and measure from the bottom of the pan to the top of the filler tube. This will give you a good idea of how far you need to put it in to reach the bottom of the pan. Mark this length on the hose for reference purposes.... a bread twist-tie works fine.
4. You'll most likely need an "adapter" to match the diameter of this filler tube hose to the inlet hose for the pumping devise you're using. I've found that one of the coned tips that come with most Permatex Auto Silicone tubes works fine as an adapter device. Put the small hose over the coned end and then either push the larger hose into the inside of the cone firmly or cut the large end of the cone to fit inside the larger hose. Sometimes different sizes of hoses will fit inside each other - just as long as this connection is tight and won't leak or come apart easily. If unsure use a hose clamp at these adapter connections.
5. Now get a couple of empty milk or old anti-freeze one gallon jugs to pump the a/t fluid into. Rig a hose to run from the outlet of the pump to these jugs.
6. Now START PUMPING the a/t fluid out into these containers. Get as much a/t fluid out as you can - you may need to try moving the a/t filler tube hose around a little to get it all the way to the bottom.
NOTE:
You won't, and DON'T NEED TO GET ALL THE FLUID OUT OF THE PAN. The main thing you're doing is to get the a/t fluid well below the sealing lip of the a/t pan where it bolts up to the a/t body.
NOTE:
At this time, if you haven't already done so, you'll need to chock/block the wheels, set the parking brake, and jack at least the front of the car up and PLACE TWO JACK-STANDS UNDER THE FRAME and lower it off the jack. If you have them, you can also use "drive-up" ramps to get the car high enough to usually do this job. You'll need at least 16-24" of clearance to work under the car safely and comfortably. I personally prefer to have the car up evenly all the way around and get all wheels up off the ground using 4 jack stands. This way I can easily inspect the brakes, etc. during the same maintenance period.
7. Now, you can simply remove all but TWO of a/t pan bolts that are OPPOSITE EACH OTHER. Loosen these TWO BOLTS about HALF-WAY.
8. CAREFULLY, break the a/t pan seal loose from the a/t body.... being VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GOUGE THE SEALING SURFACES.
9. Place a drip pan under the a/t area to catch any fluid that might drip from the a/t body after you remove the a/t pan. Try to have a second drain pan handy to pour off any remaining a/t fluid from the pan after you remove it.
10. Holding the pan in place with one hand, remove the TWO remaining screws and, KEEPING THE PAN LEVEL, lower it away from the a/t body. Pour off any remaining fluid from the a/t pan into the drain pan.
11. You can now remove the filter assy from the bottom of the a/t body. These are usually retained by 1-2 bolts or a metal clip assy. Be sure to note if there is an adapter assy/tube that goes from the filter to the a/t body. If your new filter doesn't have this adapter tube, you'll need to clean and reuse the one you removed.
12. Wash out the a/t pan you removed using either solvent or brake cleaner fluid. Using gasoline as a cleaner is dangerous and unsafe (although some people do it.... and a few have burned down their garages doing it). Dry the pan with a clean rag/towel and wipe off as much fluid from the exposed area of the inside of the a/t body as you can. CLEAN ALL OF THE BOLTS REMOVED TOO!
13. Using a putty knife or scraper designed for this purpose, remove all traces of the old gasket material from the sealing surfaces of the a/t pan and a/t body. Wipe these areas dry with a clean solvent rag/towel.
14. Install the NEW FILTER and MAKE SURE any filter tube or adapter is properly in place and fully seated. When properly installed, the filter should sit relatively level in most cases. BE SURE all retaining bolts and clips are fitted in the same manner they were prior to removal.
NOTE:
If possible, try to purchase an a/t transmission pan gasket that is MADE OF NEOPRENE RUBBER material rather than cork material. This type of gasket is easier to work with and provides a better and longer lasting seal than cork type gaskets do. Cork gaskets can harden and shrink after several years, thus often creating a/t leaks.... they are also VERY PRONE TO DAMAGE FROM OVERTIGHTENING THE PAN BOLTS. If removed carefully, the NEOPRENE RUBBER type gaskets can often be cleaned up and reused.... providing they WEREN'T DAMAGED during removal.
15. Get your NEW A/T PAN GASKET and fit it to the pan BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO INSTALL IT. This insures that it is the correct one for your type a/t transmission. All of the holes should line up properly. Some of the better quality gaskets have 'tabs' at a few of the holes to retain the bolt during installation. These make installation much simpler and easier.
15 *. If using a CORK GASKET you may want to use one of the "High-Tack" type gasket sealers to pre-fit the cork gasket to the pan prior to bolting it up. Place this "High-Tack" sealer on both the pan itself and the SIDE OF THE GASKET THAT MATES WITH IT.
DO NOT PUT ANY GASKET SEALER ON THE "TOP-SIDE" OF THE GASKET THAT FITS AGAINST THE A/T BODY.
After putting the "High-Tack" sealer on both surfaces, WAIT 3-5 MINUTES before CAREFULLY FITTING THEM TOGETHER BY ALIGNING EACH HOLE IN THE GASKET WITH A HOLE IN THE PAN.
** (A "trick" I use is to cover the areas of the pan I'M NOT WORKING WITH with a spare rag/towel.... this keeps the adhesive area from 'accidentally' coming in contact with each other and sticking together, thus often damaging the gasket. I expose only a small area at a time as I work around the pan.)
The main reason for using this "High-Tack" adhesive sealant is to keep the gasket in place during assembly.... this also help prevent it from 'slipping' or moving as you tighten (actually 'just snug') the pan bolts down, but especially if you retighten them some months later.
16. Hold the pan in place with one hand as you install 2-4 bolts spaced equally around the pan ONLY FINGER TIGHT.
Now install all the remaining bolts, again ONLY FINGER TIGHT.
NOTE:
One of the "tricks" to installing ANY pan type gasket, or valve cover gasket so it won't leak IS TO TIGHTEN IT EVENLY.
DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THESE TYPES OF BOLTS!
17. Now, using ONLY a 6" extension bar and the proper socket, 'snug-down' about 4 bolts at various points around the pan JUST UNTIL THEY MAKE SLIGHTLY FIRM CONTACT. Working around the pan, do this same "FIRM CONTACT" with all the remaining bolts.
REPEAT AGAIN, insuring that each bolt is only a "FIRM HAND-TIGHT".
**Most "pan type" gaskets, but especially cork gaskets, are only supposed to be "torqued" to about 80-100 INCH/LBS of torque. This is BELOW the lowest setting on most FT/LB style torque wrenches = 10 FT/LBS or 120 INCH/LBS. If you were to check it with an INCH/LB torque wrench, you'd find that this is ONLY A "FIRM" HAND-TIGHT.
**See ADDED NOTE below before continuing.**
18. At this point, you'd normally be able to lower the vehicle and proceed to replace the a/t fluid, via the "dip-stick" tube using a small, long funnel (made just for this purpose) to avoid spilling the a/t fluid all over the place.
USE ONLY THE TYPE OF A/T FLUID DESIGNATED FOR YOUR MAKE OF VEHICLE. THIS OFTEN VARIES BETWEEN MAKES OF BOTH DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED VEHICLES.
Add approximately the same amount as you "sucked out" previously, short just a small amount, prior to starting the engine. The a/t transmission fluid level CAN ONLY BE ACCURATELY CHECKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING.
19. BE SURE THE PARKING BRAKE IS ON. Start the engine, and WITH YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, put the transmission selector EACH POSITION, noting if you feel it 'lurch slightly' as you go between a forward speed and reverse. Repeat this a couple of times. Place the transmission selector in PARK, with the parking brake ON, and now check the a/t fluid level. With a 'cold' engine/transmission it is NORMAL to be slightly low, but you'll want to add enough a/t fluid to bring it just slightly above the "ADD" mark, but NOT UP TO FULL.
20. Close everything up and then drive the vehicle for at least 5 miles to warm the A/T up. Check the a/t fluid level again WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. If needed, add only enough fluid to bring the a/t level up to the full mark. The distance between the 'ADD' mark and the 'FULL' mark on most A/T dip sticks usually represents ONLY ONE PINT. That's only one-half of the quart bottle most a/t fluid is sold in.
---------------------------------------------------------------
ADDED NOTE:
This is "Something to Consider" when doing an A/T FLUID & FILTER change.
Most A/T equipped vehicles utilize a "torque convertor" assy to connect the engine to the a/t transmission. This "torque convertor" is filled with a/t fluid that comes from a pump in the A/T itself. This a/t fluid circulates between the A/T and the "torque convertor". Changing the A/T FLUID & FILTER as described above actually ONLY CHANGES ABOUT HALF OF THE A/T FLUID since the "torque convertor" still contains about 6-8 quarts of the 'dirty, old a/t fluid'. Here's the dilemma in this.
The majority of "torque convertors" DO NOT HAVE A DRAIN PLUG on them. Some imports and large trucks do, but you'd need to check with your car dealer to see if your particular vehicle has a drain plug on the "torque convertor" or not.
If it is equipped with one, then I'd recommend removing the bell-housing inspection cover, removing this drain plug, and drain the "torque convertor" at the same time you change the A/T FLUID & FILTER in the transmission.
Putting fluid back into the "torque convertor" can be done in two ways.
1. Rotate the "torque convertor" to about the 3 or 9 o'clock position and add fluid using the gear lube pump described above. This will only fill the "torque convertor" about half-way, but is better than not doing it.
2. Add a/t fluid to above the FULL mark on the dip stick and start the engine and cycle the transmission as above, then check the a/t fluid level again. Repeat this procedure until the dip stick stays between the ADD and FULL marks.
** Here's why most "torque convertors" DON'T HAVE DRAIN PLUGS (and you shouldn't ADD ONE to your vehicle if not equipped from the manufacturer). It all depends on how the A/T pump is driven. With most of these style torque convertors, if there isn't fluid in the torque convertor there isn't any way to rotate the pump in the A/T itself. Thus, there would be NO WAY to refill the "torque convertor" with a/t fluid if it was drained.
Those "torque convertors" WITH DRAIN PLUGS normally have this pump located in the torque convertor assy itself, which is driven any time the engine is turning over or running.
This brings up the question: "HOW CAN I CHANGE THE MAJORITY OF MY A/T FLUID INSTEAD OF ONLY HALF?"
HERE'S HOW:
1. Change the A/T FLUID AND FILTER as described above.
2. Drive the vehicle for a few days, and then repeat the first 6 steps of the above procedure to remove the "mixed" a/t fluid from the pan. Remember, you're only getting out HALF OF IT.
3. Refill the A/T with NEW, FRESH A/T FLUID as described above.
4. Repeat these procedures above about TWO TIMES and you'll effectively accomplish about an 80-90% fluid change.
THESE "ADDED CHANGES" ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IF YOUR ORIGINAL A/T FLUID WAS "BURNED" or "EXCESSIVELY DIRTY"!
If the original a/t fluid you had drained out was still mostly "pink/red" in color (the color of most new a/t fluid) and the a/t pan didn't have excessive "metal sludge" deposits in it, THEN THESE ADDED STEPS MAY NOT BE REALLY BENEFICIAL.
***********************************************
I know this seems LONG AND DRAWN OUT, but is was written for the "novice level" person, possible doing it for the first time. It also contains info some of you older "backyard mechanics" may not have been aware of.
I hope these procedures have been helpful for most of you.
I may need to "edit" this a few times to correct any errors I may have made, or if someone with more knowledge than me catches something I may have overlooked or omitted.
=======================================
Here's a "trick" I learned to change A/T Fluid & Filter WITHOUT THE MESS normally associated with it. Most A/Ts , except a few imports, don't have a drain plug on the A/T pan. The usual method was to slowly and gradually loosen the pan bolts from one side and then work towards the other side with a LARGE PAN under the vehicle to catch the a/t fluid as it seeped out from over the edge of the pan as it progressively tilted as you loosened the bolts further until the pan was fairly empty. The USUAL RESULT was a/t fluid ALL OVER YOU AND THE FLOOR!
I've developed a method for DRAINING THE A/T PAN that basically eliminates ANY MESS when doing this.... the only spillage is what "drips" from the a/t once the pan is completely removed. Here's the procedure:
DRAINING AND CHANGING A/T FLUID AND FILTER:
1. First, purchase one of the following items to SUCK THE A/T FLUID OUT THE FILLER TUBE....
a. One of the gear-lube pumps designed to pump gear oil from the container into the gear box or differential assy.
b. One of the pumps you attach to a drill chuck (the fastest) method.
2. Get a small diameter hose (about 1/4" inside diameter) that will fit into the a/t filler tube neck.... yes, you'll need to remove the a/t dip-stick first. You'll need about 5 feet of it.
3. Place this hose into the a/t filler neck as far as you can work. A good gauge for this is to drop the hose down the side of the a/t filler tube and measure from the bottom of the pan to the top of the filler tube. This will give you a good idea of how far you need to put it in to reach the bottom of the pan. Mark this length on the hose for reference purposes.... a bread twist-tie works fine.
4. You'll most likely need an "adapter" to match the diameter of this filler tube hose to the inlet hose for the pumping devise you're using. I've found that one of the coned tips that come with most Permatex Auto Silicone tubes works fine as an adapter device. Put the small hose over the coned end and then either push the larger hose into the inside of the cone firmly or cut the large end of the cone to fit inside the larger hose. Sometimes different sizes of hoses will fit inside each other - just as long as this connection is tight and won't leak or come apart easily. If unsure use a hose clamp at these adapter connections.
5. Now get a couple of empty milk or old anti-freeze one gallon jugs to pump the a/t fluid into. Rig a hose to run from the outlet of the pump to these jugs.
6. Now START PUMPING the a/t fluid out into these containers. Get as much a/t fluid out as you can - you may need to try moving the a/t filler tube hose around a little to get it all the way to the bottom.
NOTE:
You won't, and DON'T NEED TO GET ALL THE FLUID OUT OF THE PAN. The main thing you're doing is to get the a/t fluid well below the sealing lip of the a/t pan where it bolts up to the a/t body.
NOTE:
At this time, if you haven't already done so, you'll need to chock/block the wheels, set the parking brake, and jack at least the front of the car up and PLACE TWO JACK-STANDS UNDER THE FRAME and lower it off the jack. If you have them, you can also use "drive-up" ramps to get the car high enough to usually do this job. You'll need at least 16-24" of clearance to work under the car safely and comfortably. I personally prefer to have the car up evenly all the way around and get all wheels up off the ground using 4 jack stands. This way I can easily inspect the brakes, etc. during the same maintenance period.
7. Now, you can simply remove all but TWO of a/t pan bolts that are OPPOSITE EACH OTHER. Loosen these TWO BOLTS about HALF-WAY.
8. CAREFULLY, break the a/t pan seal loose from the a/t body.... being VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GOUGE THE SEALING SURFACES.
9. Place a drip pan under the a/t area to catch any fluid that might drip from the a/t body after you remove the a/t pan. Try to have a second drain pan handy to pour off any remaining a/t fluid from the pan after you remove it.
10. Holding the pan in place with one hand, remove the TWO remaining screws and, KEEPING THE PAN LEVEL, lower it away from the a/t body. Pour off any remaining fluid from the a/t pan into the drain pan.
11. You can now remove the filter assy from the bottom of the a/t body. These are usually retained by 1-2 bolts or a metal clip assy. Be sure to note if there is an adapter assy/tube that goes from the filter to the a/t body. If your new filter doesn't have this adapter tube, you'll need to clean and reuse the one you removed.
12. Wash out the a/t pan you removed using either solvent or brake cleaner fluid. Using gasoline as a cleaner is dangerous and unsafe (although some people do it.... and a few have burned down their garages doing it). Dry the pan with a clean rag/towel and wipe off as much fluid from the exposed area of the inside of the a/t body as you can. CLEAN ALL OF THE BOLTS REMOVED TOO!
13. Using a putty knife or scraper designed for this purpose, remove all traces of the old gasket material from the sealing surfaces of the a/t pan and a/t body. Wipe these areas dry with a clean solvent rag/towel.
14. Install the NEW FILTER and MAKE SURE any filter tube or adapter is properly in place and fully seated. When properly installed, the filter should sit relatively level in most cases. BE SURE all retaining bolts and clips are fitted in the same manner they were prior to removal.
NOTE:
If possible, try to purchase an a/t transmission pan gasket that is MADE OF NEOPRENE RUBBER material rather than cork material. This type of gasket is easier to work with and provides a better and longer lasting seal than cork type gaskets do. Cork gaskets can harden and shrink after several years, thus often creating a/t leaks.... they are also VERY PRONE TO DAMAGE FROM OVERTIGHTENING THE PAN BOLTS. If removed carefully, the NEOPRENE RUBBER type gaskets can often be cleaned up and reused.... providing they WEREN'T DAMAGED during removal.
15. Get your NEW A/T PAN GASKET and fit it to the pan BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO INSTALL IT. This insures that it is the correct one for your type a/t transmission. All of the holes should line up properly. Some of the better quality gaskets have 'tabs' at a few of the holes to retain the bolt during installation. These make installation much simpler and easier.
15 *. If using a CORK GASKET you may want to use one of the "High-Tack" type gasket sealers to pre-fit the cork gasket to the pan prior to bolting it up. Place this "High-Tack" sealer on both the pan itself and the SIDE OF THE GASKET THAT MATES WITH IT.
DO NOT PUT ANY GASKET SEALER ON THE "TOP-SIDE" OF THE GASKET THAT FITS AGAINST THE A/T BODY.
After putting the "High-Tack" sealer on both surfaces, WAIT 3-5 MINUTES before CAREFULLY FITTING THEM TOGETHER BY ALIGNING EACH HOLE IN THE GASKET WITH A HOLE IN THE PAN.
** (A "trick" I use is to cover the areas of the pan I'M NOT WORKING WITH with a spare rag/towel.... this keeps the adhesive area from 'accidentally' coming in contact with each other and sticking together, thus often damaging the gasket. I expose only a small area at a time as I work around the pan.)
The main reason for using this "High-Tack" adhesive sealant is to keep the gasket in place during assembly.... this also help prevent it from 'slipping' or moving as you tighten (actually 'just snug') the pan bolts down, but especially if you retighten them some months later.
16. Hold the pan in place with one hand as you install 2-4 bolts spaced equally around the pan ONLY FINGER TIGHT.
Now install all the remaining bolts, again ONLY FINGER TIGHT.
NOTE:
One of the "tricks" to installing ANY pan type gasket, or valve cover gasket so it won't leak IS TO TIGHTEN IT EVENLY.
DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THESE TYPES OF BOLTS!
17. Now, using ONLY a 6" extension bar and the proper socket, 'snug-down' about 4 bolts at various points around the pan JUST UNTIL THEY MAKE SLIGHTLY FIRM CONTACT. Working around the pan, do this same "FIRM CONTACT" with all the remaining bolts.
REPEAT AGAIN, insuring that each bolt is only a "FIRM HAND-TIGHT".
**Most "pan type" gaskets, but especially cork gaskets, are only supposed to be "torqued" to about 80-100 INCH/LBS of torque. This is BELOW the lowest setting on most FT/LB style torque wrenches = 10 FT/LBS or 120 INCH/LBS. If you were to check it with an INCH/LB torque wrench, you'd find that this is ONLY A "FIRM" HAND-TIGHT.
**See ADDED NOTE below before continuing.**
18. At this point, you'd normally be able to lower the vehicle and proceed to replace the a/t fluid, via the "dip-stick" tube using a small, long funnel (made just for this purpose) to avoid spilling the a/t fluid all over the place.
USE ONLY THE TYPE OF A/T FLUID DESIGNATED FOR YOUR MAKE OF VEHICLE. THIS OFTEN VARIES BETWEEN MAKES OF BOTH DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED VEHICLES.
Add approximately the same amount as you "sucked out" previously, short just a small amount, prior to starting the engine. The a/t transmission fluid level CAN ONLY BE ACCURATELY CHECKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING.
19. BE SURE THE PARKING BRAKE IS ON. Start the engine, and WITH YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, put the transmission selector EACH POSITION, noting if you feel it 'lurch slightly' as you go between a forward speed and reverse. Repeat this a couple of times. Place the transmission selector in PARK, with the parking brake ON, and now check the a/t fluid level. With a 'cold' engine/transmission it is NORMAL to be slightly low, but you'll want to add enough a/t fluid to bring it just slightly above the "ADD" mark, but NOT UP TO FULL.
20. Close everything up and then drive the vehicle for at least 5 miles to warm the A/T up. Check the a/t fluid level again WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. If needed, add only enough fluid to bring the a/t level up to the full mark. The distance between the 'ADD' mark and the 'FULL' mark on most A/T dip sticks usually represents ONLY ONE PINT. That's only one-half of the quart bottle most a/t fluid is sold in.
---------------------------------------------------------------
ADDED NOTE:
This is "Something to Consider" when doing an A/T FLUID & FILTER change.
Most A/T equipped vehicles utilize a "torque convertor" assy to connect the engine to the a/t transmission. This "torque convertor" is filled with a/t fluid that comes from a pump in the A/T itself. This a/t fluid circulates between the A/T and the "torque convertor". Changing the A/T FLUID & FILTER as described above actually ONLY CHANGES ABOUT HALF OF THE A/T FLUID since the "torque convertor" still contains about 6-8 quarts of the 'dirty, old a/t fluid'. Here's the dilemma in this.
The majority of "torque convertors" DO NOT HAVE A DRAIN PLUG on them. Some imports and large trucks do, but you'd need to check with your car dealer to see if your particular vehicle has a drain plug on the "torque convertor" or not.
If it is equipped with one, then I'd recommend removing the bell-housing inspection cover, removing this drain plug, and drain the "torque convertor" at the same time you change the A/T FLUID & FILTER in the transmission.
Putting fluid back into the "torque convertor" can be done in two ways.
1. Rotate the "torque convertor" to about the 3 or 9 o'clock position and add fluid using the gear lube pump described above. This will only fill the "torque convertor" about half-way, but is better than not doing it.
2. Add a/t fluid to above the FULL mark on the dip stick and start the engine and cycle the transmission as above, then check the a/t fluid level again. Repeat this procedure until the dip stick stays between the ADD and FULL marks.
** Here's why most "torque convertors" DON'T HAVE DRAIN PLUGS (and you shouldn't ADD ONE to your vehicle if not equipped from the manufacturer). It all depends on how the A/T pump is driven. With most of these style torque convertors, if there isn't fluid in the torque convertor there isn't any way to rotate the pump in the A/T itself. Thus, there would be NO WAY to refill the "torque convertor" with a/t fluid if it was drained.
Those "torque convertors" WITH DRAIN PLUGS normally have this pump located in the torque convertor assy itself, which is driven any time the engine is turning over or running.
This brings up the question: "HOW CAN I CHANGE THE MAJORITY OF MY A/T FLUID INSTEAD OF ONLY HALF?"
HERE'S HOW:
1. Change the A/T FLUID AND FILTER as described above.
2. Drive the vehicle for a few days, and then repeat the first 6 steps of the above procedure to remove the "mixed" a/t fluid from the pan. Remember, you're only getting out HALF OF IT.
3. Refill the A/T with NEW, FRESH A/T FLUID as described above.
4. Repeat these procedures above about TWO TIMES and you'll effectively accomplish about an 80-90% fluid change.
THESE "ADDED CHANGES" ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IF YOUR ORIGINAL A/T FLUID WAS "BURNED" or "EXCESSIVELY DIRTY"!
If the original a/t fluid you had drained out was still mostly "pink/red" in color (the color of most new a/t fluid) and the a/t pan didn't have excessive "metal sludge" deposits in it, THEN THESE ADDED STEPS MAY NOT BE REALLY BENEFICIAL.
***********************************************
I know this seems LONG AND DRAWN OUT, but is was written for the "novice level" person, possible doing it for the first time. It also contains info some of you older "backyard mechanics" may not have been aware of.
I hope these procedures have been helpful for most of you.
I may need to "edit" this a few times to correct any errors I may have made, or if someone with more knowledge than me catches something I may have overlooked or omitted.
Last edited:
