DIY: Full Flush for Automatic Transmission

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I think I am going to do the drain and refill, but from the front grill, with the Lawn and Garden sprayer.

 

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I'm a bit confused. I have a 2006 TRD Sport V6, with 130K, all highway/city. No offroad or towing.

A Toyota service tech told me because its a sealed tranny, there is no fluid change required for the life of the vehicle. Can someone verify if this is correct or not?

 

It doesn't have a dip stick to check fluid level, but not a sealed trans. use the guide on hear and change the fluid.

 

If you read the Toyota Maintenance Manual it states:
inspect automatic transmission fluid @ 30k miles
inspect @ 60k miles / replace if vehicle is used to tow
inspect @ 90k miles
inspect @ 120k miles / replace if towing

while inspecting the fluid your are looking for contaminants or the smell of burnt fluid. if you or a tech comes across this the fluid must be changed.

I don't know where anyone gets the thought that because there's no dipstick, the fluid doesn't have to be changed??

For an offroad vehicle I would be checking the fluid more often as well.

 

I did mine at around 145k miles and the fluid was not too dirty or smelled burned at all. Drivability of the truck made no difference before or after the change. I do not offroad or tow either . You should atleast check the level for now because most come over filled or under filled from the factory. I used Valvoline mex/dec fluid it's compatible with the Toyota tranny fluid.

 

Hi guys. New member here. Long time lurker and satisfied customer of Bamatoy's industrial-grade wheel bearings!

Unfortunately, this is my first post here with a problem I encountered while doing this.

I have a 07 Tacoma Double-Cab Prerunner with 5-Spd ATM that I bought used with 158k miles on it and very little mechanical history other than regular oil changes and it runs fantastic. Well, I attempted to drain/refill the trans pan today as per instructions and encountered an issue. When I was untightening the drain plug, it took next to no effort to untighten. I thought "well, that was odd" but continued to follow the instructions anyway. I got out 2qts of old oil. It was very dark but didnt smell terrible or have any other oddities to it. To put the plug back in, I was using my ratchet to get the bolt down flush with the pan, then got my torque wrench out and set it to the right spec. The nut kept turning, and turning. I tried to loosen the bolt back out with the ratchet again and it will not catch on the threads.

I did look at the bolt while the pan was draining and the threads looked great, but I didn't look at the pan threads.

My truck is slowly seeping trans fluid now. Maybe 1 drop/hour or so. Is there anything I can do to stop it? Or is slapping down $100 on a new pan really the only solution?

 

Try wedging a small screwdriver under the bolthead, while turning it. It might catch. Then an oversize bolt and crush washer will be in order

 

Install a heli-coil

 

I stripped the tranny pan on a 2007 harley - installed a heli coil and worked better than stock.

Tightening a screw into stainless threads was waaaaaay better than .100g aluminum.

 

This pump caught my eye while shopping on Amazon:

$18 Milescraft 1313 DrillPump300 - Self Priming Water Transfer Pump

http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00F1ZJFTG/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1423461926&sr=1&keywords=pump

I took a gamble using it for an ATF flush because the manufacture's website seems to imply it is designed for water. Another user on the Amazon page said he moved hydraulic fluid with it. Well, today, I tested it to flush the ATF on my daughter's Corolla and it worked flawlessly, although the suction was strong that I had to keep pulling the tube out so it didn't stick to the bottom of the ATF container. With my drill set at 1700 rpm setting, it pumped 4 qts in less than 30 seconds.

The inlet/outlet size is 1/2"; so, you'll need a 1/2"-3/8" fitting (I needed a 1/2"-5/16" adapter for the Corolla).

My concern is whether the ATF will break down the materials inside the pump. I emailed the manufacture and will post an update.

Here is a part's list (adjusted for the Tacoma):
2' of 1/2" ID tubing, ATF container to pump
2' of 1/2" ID tubing, pump to 1/2"-5/16" adapter fitting
1' of 3/8" ID tubing, above adapter to 5/16" coupler fitting for tranny inlet
and 2' of 3/8" ID tubing for radiator outlet
Don't forget a set of hose clamps (1/4" +).
For the pump, you'll need two 3/8 dia 2.5" screws to secure the pump on a 2X4. I picked up clear tubing at Home Depot.
Also very handy was a 5-gallon bucket with marked liters and quart markings I got at H-D a long time ago, but I haven't seen them there lately. The manufacture is Argee Corp - which is five miles from my house!

To prevent the tubing from sticking to the ATF container due to the suction, I'm going to drill four small holes at the bottom of the hose. I'm also thinking of making a pickup tube out of pvc or copper tubing. Will see what I can find on my next trip to H-D.




http://www.argeecorp.com/index.php/consumer-products/argee-s-gold-series-calibrated-bucket.html/

$15 Tefen - 12255608053 Nylon 66 Hose Fitting, Coupling, Gray, 1/2" x 5/16" Hose ID (Pack of 10)

http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B006OO8UNA/ref=biss_dp_sa2

$9 Pro Tie 33260 SAE Size 4 Range 1/4"-5/8" Mini Key All Stainless Hose Clamp, 4-Pack

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B006IOZ55C/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

They do sell these next size self tapping oil drain plugs at the local parts store for this applications.

 

Looks like a great way to go as long as it doesn't leak ATF. I used the Pump recommended in this DIY and it worked great for the first 3-4 quarts then it started leaking and fluid get's everywhere, Nasty stuff

 

I did have a small leak, but it was because of the cheap Auto Zone clamps I bought; one did not tightened evenly. The leak was minimal and did not drip from the hose. The pump itself had no leaks.

 

Are the replacement "crush washers" really necessary? Or the old ones work fine?

I've got my lawn and garden sprayer, 15 quarts of Valvoline Max life. I just need some clear tubing and I'll be ready to go.

 

Does anyone know what the temperature for checking the level is?

I'd rather use the scanguage II to monitor temp than jumping wires across the OBD and reading dash lights.

 

Sweet, thanks

 

Thanx a lot man... Great write-up....


I had, in fact bought the drill pump after doing a basic 3.5 liter drain and fill as that was hard on the arm when on my back under the truck...(no lift)...


Now with your added info, I'll change it ALL this spring...looks like fun..


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