To Flush or Not to Flush?

I think the high mileage torque converter issues can show up in different ways, for about a year before I got the shudder it was very grabby, normal acceleration from a stop seemed to take off quick instead of a smooth gradual roll away. Then came a shudder when starting off, lasted about a second. Like yours the Lubeguard fixed my issue almost immediately and almost as noticable, the shifting feels faster and smoother through the gears. Not sure what's in the mixture but it really seems to work.

 

Just a pump to add new fluid via the fill hole or are you saying you'd use that to push new fluid in through the other ATF cooler line to complete the loop while flushing?

 

This is what I like to hear! What kind of atf fluid did you use?

 

Those systems make it easy to pump in a specific amount of ATF into the transmission in one step. Capturing the old fluid on the way out was the easy part for me, start the motor, have a clear hose going into a graduated container. Let it idle as you watch it pump out 2 qts, turn it off and use the system to pump in however much you just drained. Someone else could probably explain it better. I did it the messy way and wished I'd have bought that system. Bottle by bottle you're pumping i n12 qts and switching the pump over 12x between bottles, it's a pita and as hard as I tried I still tipped over a bottle laying on my back when swapping them out.

 

I stayed with the factory WS since I wasn't having any issues with the tranny. (my kit)

 

I'd probably do a service on it, replacing the fluid, filter, cleaning the pan. New gasket. Dropping the pan. Which gets out more fluid.

I don't have a flush machine. And having worked as a professional mechanic for a while:
1. I've never seen a trans flush machine
2. I've never seen it mentioned in repair literature

I do not think servicing it is bad.
1. imagine you had to get in there for a repair. You'd be servicing it. For example. Say someone thinks they have a bad valve body, so they swap in a good valve body that fixes it. Guess what. That came with a service. Or they're replacing something as simple and normal as a leaking pan gasket.
2. Why else is it serviceable. And has a filter. Filters are not lifetime. And potentially magnets in the pan to collect debris. Which have a max saturation point.
3. There are cases in which a manufacturer has a schedule to service every 40k, and is servicing every 40k.

 

Got it, thanks. I'm going to try to use a hose w/ a funnel and fill it from the engine bay. We'll see how that goes.

 

Did the same as this. Also replaced the transmission cooler with a Trucool 4454 and added a bottle of lubeguard platinum. This helped lower my transmission temp on hot days. I wouldn’t flush it without cleaning the pan first. I would do a drain and refill using the same fluid that is currently in there.

 

Thats how I do mine. Get largest OD hose that will fit to minimize seepage out of the transmission. I think 5/8 OD but best to measure it to be sure. You can get clear tubing at home depot fir cheaps

Now decide if you want to stick with WS or switch to a compatible formula from Valvoline or Mobil1. If WS, just start doing a drain refill every 30K. If replacing WS, trans experts recommend a full flush to avoid compatibility issues. If you do any towing or offroading, do a full flush regardless - it is in your maintenance manual to do a full flush every 60K for “special operating conditions”, that includes the mentioned activities.

 

Did you buy the Beck/Arnley kit from Rock Auto, wondering how the quality looked compared to OEM? Any gasket leaks?

 

Yeah, I used a 1/2" ID~5/8" OD tube for the gravity fill, did a full 12qt flush, pan drop, new AT filter, w/ Maxlife at 190k miles (no evidence of any prior AT service), been shifting very well since. Probably just do a simple drain & fill every 40k miles after this w/ a possible pan drop & flush at 300k mile range. Amazing how simple the full flush is w/ a gravity fill fwiw.

 

Yes I did get the kit from RA, can't remember which one though, it all looked identical to what came off. The original gasket peeled off easily and the new one sealed it up fine.

 

I got the WIX filter from Rockauto (came w/ the pan gasket), and similar experience as @ridefreak as far as fit and quality, never had a bad experience w/ WIX products. I just lightly threaded the pan bolts through the pan into the gasket to keep it all lined up and a simple install that way.

 

Installed Hayden aftercooler radiator, midstream of transmission return line.


I had trouble finding the 24mm fill port on 23 sr5. Here it is in photo indirectly on passenger side- arrow points to location not visible to camera looking upwards. Watch the sharp heat shield at cat.


Also my transmission bottom plate is different from earlier years photos. One hex head drain one Allen head recessed bolt check. No photo.

Pinned the thermostat for summer towing and for drain and fill procedures. Push the head back with a punch and work the pin in with a pliers. I used 1.3mm x 28mm long clevis.



I prefilled aftercooler and lines and the pumped a quart into transmission fill for good measure and the premise most of these trucks are underfilled by factory. First drain 4 quarts not 3 so either it was not underfilled much or my prefill from bottom up pushed more fluid into the system.

Filled another three quarts, ran it up to 100F on Scanguage and drained 3+ quarts, refilled, drained overflow port, and called it a day. Pretty clean decided not to run 12-14 quarts in for full flush at 25K miles. 20K of this was towing. At 35K next year I'll do the flush. Test drove on highway before reinstalling skid plates and front grilles.

Hardest part was getting the three-part RCI skid plates on and off. Using the jack with a piece of plywood to hold each up helped a lot. Had the truck high up on four 6-ton jack stands to level out side to side and back to front on my sloped lot. The middle plate driver side carriage bolt head is tucked up on crossframe and next to exhaust, no finger room. A real bear... next go round I will flip the bolt direction, substituting a hexcap with nut on bottom side and use some sort of tamper-proof conical security nut.

 

Stop right there!! Look at parts diagrams, look at repair manuals , consider taking it to a mechanic.

 

Loving the Hayden aftercooler on transmission return line.
Scangauge reads
194F antifreeze on highway towing.
169 to 184 transmission 2 temp and cooler on transmission 1 temp.
4th gear S mode 3200 rpm at 75 mph
Hill climbs 3rd gear 4500 rpm 65 to 70 mph.
3200 lb tow, 900 lb truck load.
Mid appalachia mountains.