Inline Transmission Filters

I figured an inline transmission filter for our trucks wouldn't be a bad idea, especially for the 2nd Gen, since they don't have a dipstick or an actual filter, and drain intervals tend to be longer.

This company offers inline magnetic filters which also have a traditional pleated paper element.

A friend of mine recommended it and I thought I'd see what you guys think.

Installation is simple - you just mount it in the cooler/radiator output line. You do need to use one of those "wheel" pipe cutters.

Magnafine:

http://magnefinefilters.com/?gclid=CNPpuq2G7bICFQTnnAodWEwADg

 

I have been looking into both Magnefine in-line filters and B&Ms remote filter as well. The therory behind both types of filters is sound. I found only one online mention of a filter affecting shifts and he may have had his Magnefine in backwards. My thoughts are that if company like B&M recommends a filter, I need to listen.

 

FWIW, I run a Magnafine in the Tacoma power steering, my wife and daughters Corrollas both have Magnafines in the transmission system.

Filtering the Tacoma transmission I run a remote filter setup with a TRD spin on oil filter, same as the engine oil.

I also no longer use the Toyota WS fluid for the transmission and now run Mobil 1 atf.

PK

 

The November, 2012 TRAILER LIFE magazine has a good article on the Transmission cooler line filters. Especially talks about the Magnefine.

Is their any current experience anyone cares to share about these and this subject?? I pull a 4000 lb trailer with my crap in it, and the Taco does a great job but this sounds like pretty cheap insurance, to me.

Thanks,

Keith

 

A lot of the people over on the Tundra forum use these! (Magnefine) I had a tundra befour and always had one on.

 

Do you just install it in where the rubber line is?

 

I put mine on the passenger side firewall where the Trans. cooler lines come out of the radiator cooler .
Put it on the return line to Trans.

 

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I once worked in a transmission shop in Montreal Canada. The owner believed that an added, permanent transmission "filter" added unnecessary restriction to the flow of fluid.

He did use them but here is how.

After a major failure and overhaul, he would add one of these filters which contained powerful magnets to the outlet line returning to the automatic from the radiator.

All transmission lines, etc were flushed, but while they were testing the overhauled automatic, they temporarily added that filter, primarily to attract any ferrous metal leftover when the transmission self destructed. Remember just like AC repairs, the slightest trace of anything is a disaster. Ferrous metal sticks to the magnets inside. Valve bodies can stick, governors (not used any more) can stick. Modern flow solenoids can become fouled, neccesitating pulling the pan again to fix it.

The car would come back after being driven two weeks, and the filter was removed and thrown in the garbage. (All the dirt or metal that is going to move will move during that two weeks) It had done its job.

Cleanliness is the key word. Unless you are abusing stuff, clean stuff tends to stay clean.

 

i ran a magnefine in my odyssey.
I did a timed flow test once when i was doing a drain and fill.
I ran the output line into a meauring cup and times how long it took to fill.
Then i added the magnefine and did the same test. There was no differenece.

And the trans oil cooler line is very low pressure (about 8 psi) and it just dumps the cooled fluid back into the pan, it doesn't supply fluid to any operational components of the transmission. So even if there was a slight drop in flow it would have no affect on the tranny operation and cool clean fluid is better than cool dirty fluid.

And despite being a failure prone transmission in the 2004 odyssey (burned out 3rd gear clutch is common failure) I have 100,000 miles on it and its running like new.

 

^^^^^^ This and only This
I would not chance placing a filter in line of "cooler flow" .Its the wrong place in any hydraulic circuit to install a metal cleaner/ filter .Use the bottom of the transmission pan with a few magnets to catch the steel .If you dont have any magnets in your pan , throw some in . Magnets are a pain to clean and some shops will throw them out rather than clean them for you while they service your trans .
Cooler flow is extremely important and We all know heat kills an automatic transmission . You are not going to know the filter is plugged until the trans temp dumby light pegs out at 310 degrees . You are too late by then and have cooked your trans fluid unless you have a trans temp guage that you monitor on a constant basis .
Did I use them in my transmission shop ? absolutely but only for a two week duration as described in the quote .I have seen these in line filters plugged solid wiping out the complete transmission .
With this said ,they can serve as a temporary service but I would never ever use one as a permanent added feature
The filter in the pan is designed to catch large particulates including metal . Magnets laying in the bottom of your transmission pan accumulate metal over time but there are small particles of steel that the Toyota pan filters allow to pass through . If you install a magnetic in line filter in line with " cooler flow ", sooner or later chunks of metal will accumulate on that magnetic in line filter and restrict the flow .Pop your transmission pan off and clean the magnets , clean the mesh filter and keep your fluid as clean as possible on a regular basis and you will be fine .
For the non believers in the group , call around to a few transmission shops and inquire about the Magnetic in line filter but please talk with a journeyman .
If you have one on your truck , remove it and cut it open to see whats inside .

 

I have opened several of the magnefines since I replaced them every 20000 miles. And the design is such that there is no way the metal particles it catches would ever accumulate to the point where they would restrict the flow, the particles are so fine you can rub it between your fingers and feel no abrasiveness at all.. And the paper filter section has a built in bypass just like a regular oil filter should it ever accumulate enough material to cause a blockage.


And with all the electronic solenoids in new transmissions (which use electro magnets) i would rather the magnefine catch them than the solenoids do. This is another failure point on the odyssey when the solenoids it uses get jammed up with these fine metal particles.

I certainly do not recommend adding one and then leaving in it forever, just like an engine oil filter it should be changed on a regular basis.

I do not claim to be transmission expert or work in that field but I know what I have seen for myself and read online and my choice is to use one and replace regularly.

Pulled this article based on a reference from a previous post and I consider these authors to be experts since the are both mechanical engineers and "they have tested hundreds of transmissions and analyzed thousands of oil samples."
And they authored :"1998 SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) paper, “Optimizing Automatic Transmission Filtration,”

http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-how-to/trailer-tech/tranny-filter-tech/


and this was the test results

Magnefine Test Results’05 Ford F-150HD 4×4, 4R75E Automatic
Beginning ISO Code 15/14/12
Ending ISO Code 13/12/9
Elapsed Miles 2,269

Micron Actual Particle Counts
Size >2 Begin/End 533/101
Size >5 Begin/End 197/37
Size >10 Begin/End 55/10
Size >15 Begin/End 21/4
Size >25 Begin/End 5/0
Size >50 Begin/End 0/0
Size >100 Begin/End 0/0

 

Just changed out the first magnefine filter. This one has only been running for 5000 miles (had 10,000 mile on tacoma before i installed it) but wanted to change it since being the first one i figured it would have to deal with all original material plus 10,000 miles of accumulation..

Was pleased to see that it was indeed doing its job since magnet did indeed have a coating of the very fine material it always grabs.
Photo is what i was able to clean off the magnet.

Was also glad to see that there was very little on the magnet. On other vehicles where this was the first filter there was usually 2-3 times as much build up on the magnet. Hopefully this is an indication of very low wear in the transmission plus a reasonable level of factory filtering and pan magnet collection.


Didn't see anything in the paper filter part but its really hard to see things that are 30 microns in size...

Will leave the new one on for 30,000 mile which is the recommended change frequency.

 

I just installed an external, spin-on filter (similar to the Racor one mentioned in the above article). I plumbed it in the cooler line between the transmission and radiator. I also have a magnet on the side of the filter.

I have run these on other vehicles, and have never had a problem from insufficient fluid pressure. I've been running this one for a week and a half, and so far, so good.

I will be doing a write up in my build thread.

 

Agreed and I dont know why anyone is concerned with pressure here. The oil cooler line doesn't have any affect on internal line pressure in the transmission. Once the fluid flows through the cooler and returns to the transmission its just empties into the sump.