It is all about ease and able to make a profit. When they do a flush they use a machine that back flushes it and swaps the fluid. Doesn't do much good for the vehicle itself, however they make a huge profit because its much easier to do than dropping the pan and purging it.

 

+2 on checking for rust, mine was flaked and rusted. I ultimately went with the MAG HYTEC pan that has some features that the factory one doesnt. Namely 1. A drain plug and a fitting for temp sensor. The factory pan does not have drain plug, I am sure you dont need much imagination to visualize the mess that is created when fluid is spilled all over the place after the RTV seal is broken. I suggest not only a drain pan but a wider drip pan (about $6.00 at A/Z)

 

Hey bobman, really nice info man. Appreciate it! I hear ya widow. Thanks for mentioning that magic, I completely forgot that i'll most likely spill a lot of fluid lol. Hydra once said bluntly "drop the pan, make a mess and put it all back together." lol I'll definitely save this for a good Saturday or Sunday that i am free. I'm guessing this is somewhat expensive but its nice knowing when you do it yourself that its being done how YOU want it done.

Magic, the pan you said you bought with the drain plug, how much was it and where did you buy it? I might just change it if its not to expensive.

 

Good grief. Why in the world would anyone put fluid in a pan THEN bolt it on? Use the dipstick.

Trans fluid is a hydraulic fluid variant. It can be easily contaminated with particulates and the big one- humidity, mostly due to temperature change(i.e buying it from an air conditioned building then immediately dumping it in a pan to reinstall)

Tell your friend that you have a jug of milk that never goes empty because you add milk to it everytime it gets low. See if they'll drink it.

Change the fluid. No flushing b.s.

An old mechanic tip my old man taught me: get a magnet (a STRONG one, no fridge magnet crap) and slap it onto the side of the pan where its flush and won't fall off- next time you change you'll be amazed.

 

Yep, it can be a messy job. Forgot to mention the larger drip pan as well. I keep a big Rubbermaid container in the shop for doing stuff like this. That way if I drop one of the bolts it just falls into the oil & I can fish it out.

I considered changing to that pan as well but it was hard to justify the $$$ for it ($300 I think?) I was pleasantly surprised that the dealer only charged $50 for a replacement, I expected more.

Bob

 

wow this is good info.... becasue after all the money i just had to put in my truck i dont wanna have to buy a new tranny too... i am going to change my tranny fluid soon befor i go back to work again ... also i didnt know there was 2 filters for this ... so the best way to do this would be dropp the pan and change filter then the other filter ???? what is the best way to get all the fluid out? or shouldnt i do that ???should i just top it off ???

 

Check the sticky's on top of the forum, there's one relating to purging all of the fluid. I've always done regular maintenance on mine so I just drop the pan & filters and replace the fluids. If yours has never been changed then a purge might be a good idea. Just a partial swap and a filter change would be an improvement though.

Number of filters may depend on the tranny, I can only speak for the 545 which has two. One that looks like a normal flat filter and one that's like a small spin on oil filter.

Bob

 

$300 for the MAG-HYTEC PAN and about $50 for dealer..that was 2009 prices but they should still be pretty close.

However you do it make sure you have everything on hand in the beginning...oil filter wrench sockets, universals, extensions, fluid, RTV, rags, nothing worse than running out halfway through...this is my only transportation so I leave nothing to chance. Even doing brake inspections I get the new pads first...If I dont need them I can return. If I do then I am only taking the wheel apart once.

AutoZone, Napa, O reillys should be able to dispose of the old fluid for no charge, just bring it to them in a sealed container. If you use the drip pan make sure you get it back.

 

What do you do about the fluid in the torque converter?

 

When you purge the fluid out of the lines it removes fluid from the torque converter.