Transmission Flush - drain/fill method vs trans cooler method?

all highway miles on mine, flushed/filled via actual flush/fill machines every 100,000K since new. I did drop the pan and clean the magnets and screen at 400,000K, I should have done that all along. Coming up on 500,000K in a few months, the pan will get dropped, new filter, and then get flushed and refilled again. I use the AMSOIL ATL trans fluid myself, for me, it's proven to be very good. I usually give the tech 20 qts worth of fluid (most in 2.5 gallon and gallon containers) to make sure they have enough. I always dbl chk the fluid level when I get home via the temp. check, only once did they actually get that part right.

 

You want to disconnect the return line at the radiator going back to the transmission. The way you determine that is with a temp gun.

The transmission should have two lines going to radiator. Send and return. Take the temp of both lines and the line that reads the coolest is the one you are looking for. Follow that line all the way from the transmission to the radiator. That is your return line.

 

Holy crap, really?

Meaning you always get overflow draining after you heat up the transmission?

What if they had under filled it?

Damn.

 

Why do you say that? So you have enough line to drain into a bucket or milk jug or whatever? Did you have some other concern in mind when you advise this?

I was thinking of doing it this way:

1) disconnect the cool line at the radiator

2) attach a polyvinyl drain hose at the radiatior and feed it into a dispose jug.

3) attach a plyvinyl feed hose and funnel into the return line leading to the tranny.

4) Run the engine for about 2 quarts of dirty fluid. Fill the return line with a raised funnel.

This is more convenient as I would not be constantly removing the fill plug with each 2 quart drain. BUT, I do have some concern whether a raised funnel would feed fully into the transmission. Maybe gravity alone would not have enough pressure to drive the new fluid into the transmission?

This guy, Edlin, is apparently doing this method (youtube), but his video is terse and not as clear and detailed as I'd like it to be.

 

You’re right , a gravity fill from the engine bay does not empty the fill plastic tube. There’s always a little left in the low spot of the tubing. A easy remedy is just remove the funnel and blow into the tubing will force the remaining fluid from the tube into the tranny. It’s only a few ounces anyway.

 

Quick question regarding consumables.

I did a cross country with my 2016 TRD Sport DCLB while towing in the winter. I'm currently at about 63k and having some rough shifts, so I plan on doing a whole drain and flush, along with rear and front diff.

Should I get a new pan gasket and transmission filter or just not? Any other consumables I should be thinking about that I'm not?

 

If you are going to drop the pan might as well replace the gasket and the filter. Cheap insurance.