I'm pretty sure of the reason for this. But I figured I'd run it by some fellows with a bit more knowledge of how this works then what I know. So I have a 1999 Dodge Cummins 2500 auto trans 4wd. The other day I was driving sled and went into a ditch. The bumper was already pretty close to the trains cooler from the truck running into some trees a while back. So it didn't take much to push it into the trans cooler, so it poked a good size hole into it.I mean it looks like A SuperSoaker is blowing trans fluid out.
Well I was only maybe 2 miles from home and was able to drive it home around the last quarter mile I could feel trans lightly slip . Tonite I fire her up to pull down into the shop to work on and you could feel it move when you put it into gear that little shake vibration type deal.
But that was all that I got couldn't get it to move if I let it sit for a second and guns and threw it into drive real fast one time I was able to get it to move . It's still spraying out tons of fluid. And if I check the fluid it reads full, but I know that is incorrect because I haven't let it get up to operating temps . I'm thinking the whole is the issue I don't see the trans going out that fast . I'm thinkin it has to do with loss of pressure & kr nkt enough fluids get into the torque converter.
And PLEASE forgive my poor grammar, punctuation and such I really suck at this.

 

The wreck might not have harmed the transmission but your actions afterward probably did, though not necessarily enough to require replacement.

First things first: Stop running the thing.

Next up: Replace, or at least bypass, the cooler, and start the truck with the shifter in Neutral. Keep at the dipstick, and top it up as needed while the engine comes up to temperature. Then move the shifter through the quadrants (from Neutral to 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd, and finally Reverse, pausing about 30 seconds in each gear, with the engine at idle and the truck NOT rolling), then back to Neutral and check the level again. Do that at least three times, topping up when the dipstick reads a pint low. When the fluid level no longer drops, try driving it gently and not above 30MPH, for no more than a mile, stopping immediately if it slips or chatters, check the fluid level again and top up if it's a pint low or pretty close to that.

Once it's full up and the level no longer falls on the dipstick, give 'er a go, but again gently. If you can, the best thing is to drive it to some level highway and get it into overdrive. Don't push it hard at this point, just go a mile or two babying it, and check the fluid level again. Top up as needed, turn 'er around, and when you get back to where you can't keep it in overdrive (because the speed limit is too low for it), check the fluid level again. After all of this, you should have a transmission that's completely full.

If it acts up at that point, then the idiocy of neutral dropping the thing probably shredded some clutches. If it doesn't act up, start saving your nickels because you've probably knocked quite a lot of years off the end of the transmission's life.

Next time you have an opportunity to neutral drop an automatic transmission, don't.

 

First off thanks..next here's a few more question's,the lines are alot smaller on aftermarket cooler.I was wondering if there's something I can buy that I can use to reduce the bigger hose to the smaller? Plus as it sits the new t cooler wont reach the existing lines & since they have quick disconnect fittings on them that's another hurdle.I plan to order a cooler with the correct lines but that will do me no good today&I have no idea how to bypass the lines.So any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thx

 

Bypassing simply means to disconnect the cooler and hook the feed lines (the ones that connect back to the transmission, though one is by way of the radiator) together with a length of transmission cooler hose -- replacing the cooler with a length of hose, that is. That'll get you as far as filling the transmission and moving the truck around. You won't want to do any hauling or drag racing without the auxiliary cooler in place, but for just knocking around it'll be fine until your new cooler is available.

You really don't want to run a cooler that's plumbed with significantly smaller pipe than the original, and especially not after the abuse that transmission has just seen. Running it at terribly low pressure as you've done surely knocked a bunch of friction material off of the clutches (if it didn't destroy any of them), and probably overheated the fluid at the same time, creating transmission cement -- a deadly (to the transmission) mix of clutch friction material and varnish that's just looking for small passages to plug up. Far better would be to simply bypass the damaged cooler for the time being, and spend the money instead on a remote transmission filter to catch that crap before it plugs the cooling system.

 

Ok so here's the issue I'm having.So the quick disconnect is too short &there like 60 bucks a piece @ the parts store.They have aftermarket coolers but the line is still too short to reach it & a stock cooler is almost 300 bucks.So how can I safely extended the hose or where online can I buy the correct length hose with the quick disconnect?

 

If you're going with an aftermarket cooler it almost certainly won't have the quick disconnect couplers on it so you're going to have to cut them off of the hard lines anyway. Just do that, and use a length of 3/8" transmission cooler hose to hook the hard lines together. If you really, really don't want to cut those mufkers off, then you're stuck having to acquire their corresponding halves anyway.

If you use two hose clamps per coupling you'll be much more likely to avoid big spewy leaks. Whether using one or two per, you'll still want to readjust the clamps after the first run up to normal operating temp, and again after several such cycles.

 

I feel your pain ... lost all my trans fluid on the way to work the other day and didn't make it off my street before it came to a stop due to lack of fluid.

A previous owner had replaced the factory cooler with an aftermarket one and reused the quick connect lines from the factory cooler ...

BUT they just cut the aluminum line off with a hack saw and used some rubber transmission line and hose clamps to connect the aftermarket cooler.

This would all have been fine except the rubber line came off the metal tube on a cold morning.

Put a flare in the line to prevent the hose from coming off the metal tube. a brake line flaring kit can be purchased or rented.

rockauto.com or other online parts dealers can get you a cooler for much less than the $300 range

Best o luck

 

. what size is the stock Hose that I need?

 

3/8ths I do believe.