Tranny Flush

[K_Josh87]

Can anyone discribe the proper way to flush the tranny on my super duty? And how many miles approx. should one go in between flushes I do a pretty fair amount of towing, and am nearing 50k since last flush... I was thinking of doing this prior to plowing season this year. If I remember correctly, the guy that did it last pulled the pan, dropped the fluid, somehow ran new fluid through it, then pulled the filter, and replaced it, the pan and plug, and filled to capacity.... But not 100% on that...

Thanks for the help...

josh

[MuleShack]

I have heard that you pull the pan and change filter and then replace and fill pan with new fluid.

Then you separate the lines before they go into the radiator and let it pump the old fluid out while adding new at the same time. Once you start seeing new red fluid it should be flushed.

Keep in mind, I have never done it, just read that someone did it that way.

I had taken mine to a shop, but I am due for a flush as well in a month or two. Last time I had them put Amsoil in for the flush, but often wondered if they kept it and just put regular in instead. If it is simple, I would probably be doing it myself as well.

[K_Josh87]

I remember watching the guy do it last time and thinking, boym that was easy... but want to make sure i have the correct process...

[Tom7227]

Google came up with this:

[Scott K]

I would remove the tranny line at the tranny cooler, and put it in a 5 gallon bucket, start the truck, and add the fluid through the dipstick tube, until you get good clean fluid coming out of the tranny line, usually about 14 quarts. After you have clean fluid, re install the line. If you plan on replacing the tranny filter, then remove the pan, replace filter, refill pan, start and top off the trans to correct level

[Whoaru99]

I've done mine twice, the "Amsoil" way. I have 204k miles on a 700R4 (4L60E?) in a 1994 K1500 that spent about the first 1/3-1/2 of its life pulling a 6,000lb trailer.

Start the engine and let it run for just a few minutes then feel the lines that go to the transmission cooler. Shut it down then disconnect the warmer one, put a hose on the end of that line and put it in a (large enough) bucket. Be SURE to secure the line going into the bucket. The fluid will come out with some force. You do NOT want it to whip around or shoot up and out the other side of the bucket. Trust me on that.

With the aid of an assistant, start the engine and let the tranny pump out the fluid until the stream just starts to spit and sputter then shut off the engine. Now your pan and torque converter are mostly empty.

Drop pan, change filter, refill fluid. Remember you can't put all that came out back in at one time. You have to put it back in a couple stages.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Google came up with this:

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[Jeremy airjer W]

I had a Toyota 4Runner with a ruptured cooler in the radiator. After replacing the radiator it took 24 quarts to get the tranny fluid back to its normal red color instead of the strawberry milkshake color that it was. I did it by leaving one of the hoses off and running it into a drain bucket. back in the day that is how it was done. The fancy machines basically do it the same way except they automatically replace the fluid.

Do yourself a favor and get some rubber hose that will fit over the ends of your lines. It will make it a lot easier to route the fluid into whatever you use for a drain bucket.

[Scott K]

I didnt even watch it, but blowing air through tranny lines is not a good idea, especially if the tranny lines are still hooked to the tranny, there are check valves in some of them, and they wont like shop air pressure to much. Along with a aluminum tranny cooler, I am sure shop air would make a couple leaks.

Also dont flush with the wrong fluid, bad idea.

So, in other words, what Airjer said

[K_Josh87]

thanks guys

[polarsusd81]

Back in about early March, hit a bump, and unknowingly the hose from the tranny to the cooler on my old Taurus popped off. Made it about a block before things went crazy. Lost 9.5 quarts on the side of the car and all over the road. Fortunately it was about 4 blocks from home so I ran lights and coasted in the driveway. Refilled that sucker with fluid and it drove, but 1st to 2nd felt like the car was going to explode, then a hard shudder from 2nd to 3rd. The old green beast was still rolling a month and a half later when I sent her to the bone yard, but just barely.

Transmissions are not fun to deal with when you have problems. Treat them right and service regularly. When you get done flushing your lines, double check every connection. You don't want to replace the tranny at the rates they get for em.

In my case, I replaced the radiator back in November of '11. All the connections were good, but because of the salt spray, one of the tranny cooler lines had corroded. Replaced it with new line via compression fittings, but the end knuckle where the line went into the flex line had an unknown failure. Every day, I drive by and see my trail of tranny fluid stained on the road. It is one heck of a good reminder to always double check stuff.

[JOHNBIGDOG]

If memory serves me right, under normal maintenance schedule, torqueshift trans. should be serviced every 60K, severe schedule every 30K. remote filter should be changed every service, pan filter should be changed every 100(?)k.

[K_Josh87]

well, I think I am right on schedule then, the first one was done at 75K after i bought it, not knowing if it had ever been done since it was new... i bought it with 64k on it... I am now rolling at around 133k... so, I am about right on it... hoping to get to it before winter for sure, if not in the next week or two if i can find time to do it, and maybe get the go ahead on using a friends hoist...