My Ram 1500 has 166,000 and I am sure the fluid has never been changed. I bought this truck on Oct 2 and for the most part all is running good. Trans is a little slow shifting when cold. Changed oil and filter. Changed Dist cap, rotor, plugs and wires. I am positive they were the originals. Also, spent time cleaning throttle body, it was nasty. I am thinking of just dropping the tran pan, put in new filter, adjust rear bands, clean pan and reassemble. Also adjust front bands which can be done easy enough. Then it has been mention I should go get a power flush, which I understand gets all the fluid replaced. But it seems to me it will also circulate a lot of gunk around that would normally not be traveling around in the transmission. That could cause problems. Question is should a filter, clean pan and band adjustment be enough or is there a compelling reason to have a flush done?

 

avoid the flush.
change the fluid and filter, clean the pan and magnet. inspect. use ATF+4 only. install drain plug in pan (or get a new pan w/plug). this will get out about half or a little more of the old fluid.

drive it 1 or 2 or 3 weeks and then change it again.

 

Power flush? As in letting some shop with a machine do it? Don't. Ever.

What I'd do: A new filter and a full fluid replacement. I've done those many times and never caused a problem.


Don't do the Dexron-III thing. Just do the filter, top up with ATF+4, and follow along in the process above until the fluid comes out fresh and new, then button it up and call it done.

What I always recommend: ****** out that anti-drainback valve if it's still in there, and install a remote filter in its place. Then you don't need to mess with the internal filter except to change it out after about a hundred thousand miles so it doesn't get so old that it decomposes. With the remote filter in place, the internal filter won't see anything at all to filter out, so it cannot clog with gunk. And when you want to do a full fluid replacement in the future, you can just disconnect the hose on the inlet side of the filter and hook your extension hose to that.

If you don't want to install the remote filter, at least ****** out that anti-drainback valve. There's a write-up in the forum's FAQ/DIY section.

 

I believe you mean this fitting, what kind of filter would one use? I don't believe this is really high pressure, but not sure about a filter type. This hose is really greasy, only had truck 3 weeks, but have been wondering why so greasy.

 

That's the one. Just buy a remote automatic transmission filter kit, remove that bad greasy dude, and hook the lines for the filter in there. The inlet side of the filter is the line from the transmission, the outlet goes to the radiator.

That line's probably gone porous on you, which is really a very bad thing. There's a check valve in that bit toward the front, and when it sticks it'll shut down cooling flow for the transmission. The result is a blown transmission when that happens.

 

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...ter-added.html

 

These two transmission hoses have what looks like different attachments to tubing. The top greasy one is the one with a check valve and I believe is coming from transmission and does go in bottom of radiator, the clean hose (well not greasy) comes from cooler behind A/C condenser. The top greasy connection looks like what I have seen on this forum, the bottom one looks like it would take a different tool to release. I am going to replace this hose and was going to disconnect both and use compressor to gently blow out cooler between radiator and condenser. Is this cooler an add on or is this what Dodge has from factory? There is line going in bottom of radiator, comes out top of radiator into cooler behind condenser, then back in engine compartment to transmission.

 

Got a factory two package? It includes the auxiliary transmission cooler.

Though they may exist, I've never seen an aftermarket auxiliary cooler that came with factory style fittings. They're usually either barbs or AN fittings.

 

I thought the piece on the other end (opposite where it connects to the radiator, between the hose and the hard pipe) was the check valve and the flow was towards the back of the truck through that line?

 

I don't know for sure the flow direction, but I do feel sure that you are correct, the check valve is toward the firewall.