Flush?

[Knipps]

Transmission fluid is reported to be not good, should i go ahead with the flush?
(according to the shop my car's at...)

[WildBillyT]

Not enough info.

Regarding the car and trans:

Year, mileage, previous maintanence schedule, any known problems, etc?

If the trans is good a flush can be ok, if it's not it can be disastrous.

[Knipps]

1995 Camaro v6
Auto, 95k miles
unsure of previous maintenance
all i know is that the garage where my car is now suggested the flush but i don't know if that's because they're hoping to have to replace it in the future

[WildBillyT]

No Flush.

[V]

just have then take off the pan, drain the fluid, and put a new filter in and new fluid.
i wouldnt recommend a flush.

[Savage_Messiah]

just have then take off the pan, drain the fluid, and put a new filter in and new fluid.
i wouldnt recommend a flush.

that is so driveway-doable

[Knipps]

that is so driveway-doable

just gotta wait til i get home
unless you wanna do this all for me :lol:

[johnjzjz]

Trans fluid is not that different than motor oil it was designed to take out material left over from use --- our dura max chevy has an allison and every other motor oil change we do a trans plug pull 7 quarts of oil -- and the truck always feel like it shifts back to when we got it --- we use SYN in the race cars trans and 100 passes we change that oil -- pan drop -- if it has a smell to it or the color on a clean paper towell is a redish brown in color --- the pan gasket filter kit is 20 / 30 bucks and 1/2 doz quarts of oil and an hour of your time -- jz

[alamantia]

Depending on how old the vehical is, sometimes a flush in a higher mileage unit will cause problems. I dont even change the fluid and filter after 100k unless it appears real dirty. I have had experiance with Power Glides, Turbo 350's 400's and 700 R4's and I can tell you that If you do decide to change it, just make sure that 100% of the old "O" ring which goes around the filter tube gets removed from the valve body, they have a tendancy to come apart and stick to the wall of the valve body and if the new filter doesnt seal properly you can dammage the trans.

[Iroc-z86]

i would agree that the older the trans, over 100k, if the fluid has not been changed before, dont. ive heard horror stories of people changing fluids and boom. no more trans. but if you do decide to do it, take it to aamco. $99 for a lifetime of trans flushes.

or you could just go manual and never have to worry about it :)

[johnjzjz]

WOw than i guess suggesting changing the power steering fluid as well should be changed is really out of the question here wOW -- i guess my 40 years of experience in the car business taught me not to dis agree --jz

[Knipps]

WOw than i guess suggesting changing the power steering fluid as well should be changed is really out of the question here wOW -- i guess my 40 years of experience in the car business taught me not to dis agree --jz

i think thats gonna happen anyway jz the pump i have needs to be replaced

[WildBillyT]

WOw than i guess suggesting changing the power steering fluid as well should be changed is really out of the question here wOW -- i guess my 40 years of experience in the car business taught me not to dis agree --jz

John, if the trans was dutifully maintained and the fluid was in good shape I'd tell him to go ahead and change it.

You may already know this stuff, but:

As you mentioned, ATF is made to suspend particles and such. Sometimes these particles act like a friction modifier and allow a slipping trans to remain servicible. This is how Lucas and some of those additives work, kind of like a (clutch type) limited slip rear end additive. If you flush out all the old trans fluid and the particles, the friction coefficient is back up to normal and the trans will slip away.

If you disagree, please don't hesitate to post up. I'd like to hear what you have to say.

[Knipps]

So bill can i do a manual change or shoud i leave it be all together?

[WildBillyT]

So bill can i do a manual change or shoud i leave it be all together?

That is really a hard question to answer without seeing the fluid, but I'd say to do a pan drop/filter change and inspect the fluid for any shavings/metal particles that are visible. Some pans have a magnet on the inside (the one on my GTP does) which you should clean off.

[Knipps]

That is really a hard question to answer without seeing the fluid, but I'd say to do a pan drop/filter change and inspect the fluid for any shavings/metal particles that are visible. Some pans have a magnet on the inside (the one on my GTP does) which you should clean off.

check it when i get home... too bad that's in 3 weeks

[johnjzjz]

Ok ( wild bill T ) when i was wayfasts age i had the privilege of getting a job in a auto ? trans shop in the 1950s and the the main man in the shop was ( jimmie lee ) a black guy who just happened to be the lee in lee miles -- miles the snake as he was known buy those who knew him -- was a unreal business man and jimmie had 6 girls friends and 3 x wifes hahahahhaha -- any way i stayed their till i went into the service in 1967 and some of what that man taught me has stayed with me my entire life -- it would take me hours to type out only some of what i was taught but the thing about suspended material is very true and in a way lucas -- yea kind of i see your point -- VERY GOOD BTW -- is true but trans oil has a use life just like motor oil and gas ( reason for stabil ) and all fluids ---BUT -- at some point if you want to think of IT as full of material -- it starts going the other way it creates a drag on the seals ( scuffing ) I know you have seen the seal edges -- if its not the suspended material that did that - than what -- the clutches to steel distances are actually reduced buy the friction from oil with an over burden of material -- causes excessive heat reason it burnt out in their first place -- well as you already know if you are not the one determine what has happened to a particular unit their is no way to tell what has caused anything -- at the time people have changed oil that have come to my shop the trans has no second or it wont back up already ???/// ya know -- you sound like you do this for not only a living but u enjoy it -- its a life style in some respects hahahahahha -- i hope i made sense when i first came to the board i got beat up pretty good for me engriss grammar and spelling hahahahhahaha jz

[WildBillyT]

Ok ( wild bill T ) when i was wayfasts age i had the privilege of getting a job in a auto ? trans shop in the 1950s and the the main man in the shop was ( jimmie lee ) a black guy who just happened to be the lee in lee miles -- miles the snake as he was known buy those who knew him -- was a unreal business man and jimmie had 6 girls friends and 3 x wifes hahahahhaha -- any way i stayed their till i went into the service in 1967 and some of what that man taught me has stayed with me my entire life -- it would take me hours to type out only some of what i was taught but the thing about suspended material is very true and in a way lucas -- yea kind of i see your point -- VERY GOOD BTW -- is true but trans oil has a use life just like motor oil and gas ( reason for stabil ) and all fluids ---BUT -- at some point if you want to think of IT as full of material -- it starts going the other way it creates a drag on the seals ( scuffing ) I know you have seen the seal edges -- if its not the suspended material that did that - than what -- the clutches to steel distances are actually reduced buy the friction from oil with an over burden of material -- causes excessive heat reason it burnt out in their first place -- well as you already know if you are not the one determine what has happened to a particular unit their is no way to tell what has caused anything -- at the time people have changed oil that have come to my shop the trans has no second or it wont back up already ???/// ya know -- you sound like you do this for not only a living but u enjoy it -- its a life style in some respects hahahahahha -- i hope i made sense when i first came to the board i got beat up pretty good for me engriss grammar and spelling hahahahhahaha jz

Don't worry about the grammar, that makes perfect sense. I hadn't thought of the case in which the fluid is "full" of material! I'm not sure what the situation of his trans is, however, it is tough to say without having a firsthand look and knowing the history. :cheers: