Changing transmission oil
Question:
Reg, I got 217,000 miles on my Bonneville and I’ve changed the Trans oil maybe 6 times and have never had " Sludge " build up in my pan. I’d love to have a drain bolt in the pan to drain the oil. I also like the idea of an external oil filter like the new Silverado’s have. Harryface 1. 1973 Chevy Impala 4 door, 1980 – 83 2. 1968 Buick LeSabre Convertible, 1983-86 3. 1978 Olds Holiday 88, 1986 -91 4. 1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE, 1991 to ? ? 5. 1989 Chevy Cavalier Z- 24 Convertible, 1996 to 2000
Response:
And so does sucking it out the dipstick hole.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Reg, you missed the point. A drain plug allows you to drain the oil before > removing the pan. That way you don’t make a giant f***ing mess. > > How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? > > jw > Don’t bother. You will rarely, perhaps never, want to chage only the oil. > The pan has to come off to change the filtre. > If you ever DID want to only change the oil, get a pump for changing boat > engine oil, this will get right down to the last drop (all but three > anyway). In any case, the pan would have to come off to punch a hole and > add the drain, you might get two more drops, but you STILL can’t clean out > the sludge. Not worth it, even if you cahnge at 50K mile intervals – how > many more of THOSE do you expect to get on any particular truck ? > R
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Reg, you missed the point. A drain plug allows you to drain the oil before > removing the pan. That way you don’t make a giant f***ing mess. > > How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? > > jw > Don’t bother. You will rarely, perhaps never, want to chage only the oil. > The pan has to come off to change the filtre. > If you ever DID want to only change the oil, get a pump for changing boat > engine oil, this will get right down to the last drop (all but three > anyway). In any case, the pan would have to come off to punch a hole and > add the drain, you might get two more drops, but you STILL can’t clean out > the sludge. Not worth it, even if you cahnge at 50K mile intervals – how > many more of THOSE do you expect to get on any particular truck ? > R
If you want most parts stores but for sure napa sell a bolt kit that you drill a hole in sump pan and install real easy to do takes less than 5 minutes to install not incliding the drop the pan time.
Response:
No I didn’t. (miss the point, though you may have missed mine (-: ) A suction pump solves the problem, is simpler and more effective. A drain plug either has to go on the bottom – and is exposed, or on the side and doesn’t allow complete draining. Other hassles might be heat distortion of the pan when brazing/welding the boss in, driveway (or shop floor) dust blowing up under it while the pan is off, etc. This isn’t like changing engine oil every 3/5,000 miles, we just don’t DO IT that often. Many/most vehicles get less than ONE trannie fluid change during their lifetime (-: Three is quite unusual. R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Reg, you missed the point. A drain plug allows you to drain the oil before > removing the pan. That way you don’t make a giant f***ing mess. > > How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? > > jw > Don’t bother. You will rarely, perhaps never, want to chage only the oil. > The pan has to come off to change the filtre. > If you ever DID want to only change the oil, get a pump for changing boat > engine oil, this will get right down to the last drop (all but three > anyway). In any case, the pan would have to come off to punch a hole and > add the drain, you might get two more drops, but you STILL can’t clean out > the sludge. Not worth it, even if you cahnge at 50K mile intervals – how > many more of THOSE do you expect to get on any particular truck ? > R
Response:
> No I didn’t. (miss the point, though you may have missed mine (-: ) > A suction pump solves the problem, is simpler and more effective. > A drain plug either has to go on the bottom – and is exposed, or on the side and > doesn’t allow complete draining. Other hassles might be heat distortion of the > pan when brazing/welding the boss in, driveway (or shop floor) dust blowing up > under it while the pan is off, etc. … > R > Reg, you missed the point. A drain plug allows you to drain the oil before > removing the pan. That way you don’t make a giant f***ing mess. > > I asked: > > > How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? > > > jw
Actually I wanted to find out how other people install oiltight threaded fittings on plated sheetmetal containers. I’ve machined two-piece fittings with gaskets and welded on plates but neither is entirely appropriate here. The only gear case I own that doesn’t have a drain plug and has to be pumped out is a Dana 28 front axle. jw
Response:
One way is to use something like the brass boss that I think is brazed into the bottom of the fuel tank in mid 70’s Volvos. I happen to know about these (-: Unfortunately I didn’t trace the leak until one day when the tank was full. At first I thought it just needed tightening, it has a 1/2 inch drive recess in the plug, so it is fairly flush to the bottom of the tank. About half a turn and everything went soft, it wasn’t stripped but the boss had lost it’s adhesion to the tank. Not wishing to muck with torches around tanks and not even wanting to take the tank out of my then only running vehicle, I epoxied it back in – which worked well right up until it went to the junk yard for other reasons. R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Actually I wanted to find out how other people install oiltight > threaded fittings on plated sheetmetal containers. I’ve machined > two-piece fittings with gaskets and welded on plates but neither is > entirely appropriate here. The only gear case I own that doesn’t have > a drain plug and has to be pumped out is a Dana 28 front axle. > jw
Response:
The kind I was talking about does not require any welding. If you do a lot of towing in a full size vehicle (like the 3500HD GMC Wrecker I used to drive for a living), you will see three changes and more. The plug is absolutely priceless because you can get fluid out before dropping the pan to replace the filter without making a mess. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > No I didn’t. (miss the point, though you may have missed mine (-: ) > A suction pump solves the problem, is simpler and more effective. > A drain plug either has to go on the bottom – and is exposed, or on the side and > doesn’t allow complete draining. Other hassles might be heat distortion of the > pan when brazing/welding the boss in, driveway (or shop floor) dust blowing up > under it while the pan is off, etc. This isn’t like changing engine oil every > 3/5,000 miles, we just don’t DO IT that often. Many/most vehicles get less than > ONE trannie fluid change during their lifetime (-: > Three is quite unusual. > R > Reg, you missed the point. A drain plug allows you to drain the oil before > removing the pan. That way you don’t make a giant f***ing mess. > > > How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? > > > jw > > Don’t bother. You will rarely, perhaps never, want to chage only the oil. > > The pan has to come off to change the filtre. > > If you ever DID want to only change the oil, get a pump for changing boat > > engine oil, this will get right down to the last drop (all but three > > anyway). In any case, the pan would have to come off to punch a hole and > > add the drain, you might get two more drops, but you STILL can’t clean out > > the sludge. Not worth it, even if you cahnge at 50K mile intervals – how > > many more of THOSE do you expect to get on any particular truck ? > > R
Response:
I’ve changed mine 2 different ways, Drop the pan & change the filter or take off the trans line coming out of the radiator, start the car up & pump out about 2 gallons of oil..My uncle uses a pump to siphone the oil out the dipstick. I just did the trans line procedure last week. I had my trans rebuilt in January 01 @ 192,000 miles. With 217,000 miles now, I thought I’d flush it out. Usually when the oil starts to spurt out of the hose shut the car off. I know it sounds bad but I’ve never had any problems doing it that way and I’ve done it on every car I’ve owned. One thing about dropping the pan is most oil pans you buy are not as big as the trans pan. I boought ( K MArt ) one of those big rectangular platic storage boxes with a cover. It catches all the oil. Its about 24 X 20 in size and 5 inches deep. Harryface 1. 1973 Chevy Impala 4 door, 1980 – 83 2. 1968 Buick LeSabre Convertible, 1983-86 3. 1978 Olds Holiday 88, 1986 -91 4. 1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE, 1991 to ? ? 5. 1989 Chevy Cavalier Z- 24 Convertible, 1996 to 2000
Response:
You can do it yourself, it’s messy until you add a drain plug. If your local mechanic’s a " nice guy " have them install a drain plug, so in the future, you can do it yourself. As for flushing, once pan is down, scrub it with soap and hot water, or carb cleaner, or thinner. Changing fluid, preferably synthetic, is the best flush going. The heavy shavings and sludge can be washed from the pan, the rest of the trans stays pretty clean.
Response:
> You can do it yourself, it’s messy until you > add a drain plug. If your local mechanic’s a " nice guy " have them > install a drain plug, so in the future, you can do it yourself. > As for flushing, once pan is down, scrub it > with soap and hot water, or carb cleaner, or thinner. …
Don’t wash it in a white kitchen dishpan like I did with a differential cover. The black plastic tubs meant for mixing concrete work well. How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? jw
Response:
> > You can do it yourself, it’s messy until you > add a drain plug. If your local mechanic’s a " nice guy " have them > install a drain plug, so in the future, you can do it yourself. > As for flushing, once pan is down, scrub it > with soap and hot water, or carb cleaner, or thinner. … > Don’t wash it in a white kitchen dishpan like I did with a > differential cover. The black plastic tubs meant for mixing concrete > work well. > How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? > jw
Don’t bother. You will rarely, perhaps never, want to chage only the oil. The pan has to come off to change the filtre. If you ever DID want to only change the oil, get a pump for changing boat engine oil, this will get right down to the last drop (all but three anyway). In any case, the pan would have to come off to punch a hole and add the drain, you might get two more drops, but you STILL can’t clean out the sludge. Not worth it, even if you cahnge at 50K mile intervals – how many more of THOSE do you expect to get on any particular truck ? R
Response:
Reg, you missed the point. A drain plug allows you to drain the oil before removing the pan. That way you don’t make a giant f***ing mess. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> How do you add a drain plug? TIG or braze a nut on? > jw > Don’t bother. You will rarely, perhaps never, want to chage only the oil. > The pan has to come off to change the filtre. > If you ever DID want to only change the oil, get a pump for changing boat > engine oil, this will get right down to the last drop (all but three > anyway). In any case, the pan would have to come off to punch a hole and > add the drain, you might get two more drops, but you STILL can’t clean out > the sludge. Not worth it, even if you cahnge at 50K mile intervals – how > many more of THOSE do you expect to get on any particular truck ? > R
Response:
Sure, you can do this – assuming you can use hand tools. It can be messy, because most trannie pans don’t have a drain plug. Over the years I developed the trick of loosening the pan bolts along one side, then another, then the third, as the fourth side loosened the pan would tilt down and dump some/most of the fluid in the drain pan. A few years ago I started using the hand pump that I had bought for pumping oil out of the boat engine, GREAT now I can suck 90+% out through the dipstick hole and THEN drop the pan and change the filter. Explanation: boats generally don’t have drain plugs, or if they do there is no space under the pan to put a drain pan – and get it out again with 4 or 5 quarts of old oil in it. So they sell these little hand pumps that you can get it into a milk jug with. At 88K for the first change I wouldn’t bother flushing it, just do it again in another thousand or two. I try to change the ATF in my cars every year or two. R – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I have an ‘88 Buick Regal, and needs and tranny oil change, is this > something that should be left to the guys at the shop, or can one pull the > pan off and drain and change filter? What about flushing it out? Thanks > for your help!!
Response:
> Actually I found a way to replace the fluid with very little mess and take > about the same amount of time. > get a 1/4" plastic tube and push it down the dipstick pipe and suck the > fluid out as much as you can. I did this on my burb and the pan has less > than 1/2 quart left in it when drop.
that doesnt help if the filter needs changing tho.
Response:
It helps not make a mess. That was the point. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Actually I found a way to replace the fluid with very little mess and take > about the same amount of time. > get a 1/4" plastic tube and push it down the dipstick pipe and suck the > fluid out as much as you can. I did this on my burb and the pan has less > than 1/2 quart left in it when drop. > that doesnt help if the filter needs changing tho.
Response:
>> I have an ‘88 Buick Regal, and needs and tranny oil change, is this > something that should be left to the guys at the shop, or can one pull the > pan off and drain and change filter? What about flushing it out? Thanks > for your help!! >Why do you say it needs to be changed? Is it giving you probs or is >it just due for a change by mileage? If the latter you can probably >do it yourself although I do not know for certain about that >particular model. If the former I might look into having it flushed, >esp. if the trans fluid is visibly burnt. >nate
Nate, etc. Guys, you may think I’m nuts, but here how I do the deed on my Olds when it needs to be done. I go over to Jiffy-Lube and have them do the flush – they use a passive pump unit (by passive I mean the engine of the car does not run) attached to the cooler lines that not only replaces all the fluid in the sump but also in the torque converter, which is something you cannot do by just dropping the pan. Once I get home from Jiffy-Lube I drop the pan and replace the filter, etc. Yeh I know it’s extra work, but that way you have a totally fresh load of fliud AND a clean fresh filter. Regards, Bill Bowen Daly City, CA
Response:
I have an ‘88 Buick Regal, and needs and tranny oil change, is this something that should be left to the guys at the shop, or can one pull the pan off and drain and change filter? What about flushing it out? Thanks for your help!!
Response:
Yeah! You can do it yourself, but it has to be the messiest job ever put on Man. I would gladly leave it to the tranny guys. Often they have specials for $30.00 or so for the fluid change service. If you take your car to a tranny shop to have the service performed, just beware if they try to tell you your tranny needs repairs. Many of the less reputable shops advertise a lowball fluid change just to get their hands on your car and then try to sell you expensive repairs that may or may not be necessary. I had a tranny guy change my fluid a few years ago on a ‘79 Seville. He showed me grit in the pan that he said indicated trouble and I should have the tranny rebuilt while he had it in the shop. I told the guy to just change the fluid and filter. Still driving the car with no transmission problems three years later. If you have a mechanic you trust for car repairs, I would take it to him to change the tranny fluid. That’s my experience. Many will differ. Peter
Response:
Second the motion. If you trust your mechanic, give him the work. Having said that, next warm day we have I need to do mine…. Myron E. Williams – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Yeah! You can do it yourself, but it has to be the messiest job ever > put on Man. I would gladly leave it to the tranny guys. Often they > have specials for $30.00 or so for the fluid change service. If you > take your car to a tranny shop to have the service performed, just > beware if they try to tell you your tranny needs repairs. Many of the > less reputable shops advertise a lowball fluid change just to get > their hands on your car and then try to sell you expensive repairs > that may or may not be necessary. > I had a tranny guy change my fluid a few years ago on a ‘79 Seville. > He showed me grit in the pan that he said indicated trouble and I > should have the tranny rebuilt while he had it in the shop. I told > the guy to just change the fluid and filter. Still driving the car > with no transmission problems three years later. > If you have a mechanic you trust for car repairs, I would take it to > him to change the tranny fluid. > That’s my experience. Many will differ. > Peter
Response:
Actually I found a way to replace the fluid with very little mess and take about the same amount of time. get a 1/4" plastic tube and push it down the dipstick pipe and suck the fluid out as much as you can. I did this on my burb and the pan has less than 1/2 quart left in it when drop. No mess – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Second the motion. If you trust your mechanic, give him the work. > Having said that, next warm day we have I need to do mine…. > Myron E. Williams > Yeah! You can do it yourself, but it has to be the messiest job ever > put on Man. I would gladly leave it to the tranny guys. Often they > have specials for $30.00 or so for the fluid change service. If you > take your car to a tranny shop to have the service performed, just > beware if they try to tell you your tranny needs repairs. Many of the > less reputable shops advertise a lowball fluid change just to get > their hands on your car and then try to sell you expensive repairs > that may or may not be necessary. > I had a tranny guy change my fluid a few years ago on a ‘79 Seville. > He showed me grit in the pan that he said indicated trouble and I > should have the tranny rebuilt while he had it in the shop. I told > the guy to just change the fluid and filter. Still driving the car > with no transmission problems three years later. > If you have a mechanic you trust for car repairs, I would take it to > him to change the tranny fluid. > That’s my experience. Many will differ. > Peter
Response:
> I have an ‘88 Buick Regal, and needs and tranny oil change, is this > something that should be left to the guys at the shop, or can one pull the > pan off and drain and change filter? What about flushing it out? Thanks > for your help!!
Why do you say it needs to be changed? Is it giving you probs or is it just due for a change by mileage? If the latter you can probably do it yourself although I do not know for certain about that particular model. If the former I might look into having it flushed, esp. if the trans fluid is visibly burnt. nate
Response:
And then get the $5 drain plug kit for next time. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Actually I found a way to replace the fluid with very little mess and take > about the same amount of time. > get a 1/4" plastic tube and push it down the dipstick pipe and suck the > fluid out as much as you can. I did this on my burb and the pan has less > than 1/2 quart left in it when drop. > No mess > Second the motion. If you trust your mechanic, give him the work. > Having said that, next warm day we have I need to do mine…. > Myron E. Williams > > Yeah! You can do it yourself, but it has to be the messiest job ever > > put on Man. I would gladly leave it to the tranny guys. Often they > > have specials for $30.00 or so for the fluid change service. If you > > take your car to a tranny shop to have the service performed, just > > beware if they try to tell you your tranny needs repairs. Many of the > > less reputable shops advertise a lowball fluid change just to get > > their hands on your car and then try to sell you expensive repairs > > that may or may not be necessary. > > I had a tranny guy change my fluid a few years ago on a ‘79 Seville. > > He showed me grit in the pan that he said indicated trouble and I > > should have the tranny rebuilt while he had it in the shop. I told > > the guy to just change the fluid and filter. Still driving the car > > with no transmission problems three years later. > > If you have a mechanic you trust for car repairs, I would take it to > > him to change the tranny fluid. > > That’s my experience. Many will differ. > > Peter
