Another Strawberry Milkshake....

[4runnerWiniarski23]

Hey guys, So ive had my 4runner about a month or so. I had my first post just over the weekend.

This morning felt the truck shifting different immediately. Drove a few miles but decided i should stop and take a look. Sure enough saw the creamy red fluid on my tranny dipstick. The truck did start running warm and heating up. I made it home creeping along.

My fear is the tranny is damaged beyond salvage.

Plan on ordering the Koyo A1998, Toyo Red, and tranny fluid.

Whats the best procedure for flushing the transmission. I know to drop the pan and replace the filter. I will want to run alot of fluid through it until only atf is coming out correct>?? Same goes for flushing the engine but with water.(95 today in NY) =)

Any input greatly appreciated. I have done some searching and will search some more. I havent found many success stories on saving the transmission but theres always hope.

1 more question I plan on doing the work myself but if anyone has a ballpark figure on what a dealer/indep shop would charge for all this work>

Thanks

 

[AntleredRuin]

With the engine, replace the radiator. Top off (to the tip of the radiator) with distilled water, and a bottle of radiator cleaner. Run the engine till hot, then let cool down. Drain radiator. refill with distilled and do it again. Do this honestly 10 times. The last time, refill the radiator with Toyo Red and top off with distilled water. This should be close enough to 50/50.
I would suggest disconnecting the tranny first before this so it does not run when attached to the engine.

I would suggest using WalMart brand ATF for the flushes. Vastly cheaper and good enough for the flushes. Not sure for after a milkshake, but normally, the safe way to do a flush is to pull the input line to the tranny cooler on the radiator and drain about a quart at a time (by starting/stopping the engine) and replacing at the dipstick with fresh fluid. If this is still applicable, do this well after it looks 'clean' to be sure.
Because the radiator is new, I'd say simply run the input/output line from the tranny to itself. Let it cycle/flush that way; don't contaminate the new radiator.


Note; if someone can confirm that the engine won't suffer serious immediate damage by running with tranny fluid in it, then maybe it'll be ok to not disconnect the tranny. Just make sure to flush IT first (and replace the radiator also, obviously, and make sure to flush it well with distilled afterwards)

 

[nissanh]

I clean the engine this way:
(If you didn't use the heater)

remove the radiator
Remove the thermostat and but back everything and connect the lower hose
From the top radiator hose, add water (municipal water is fine at this state). Close the lower radiator hose and fill the engine block with water and then open the lower radiator hose. Do this 2-3 times.
Final run: add distilled water through the top hose and and let is drain. Then close the lower radiator hose and fill the block with distilled water and then drain it too.

That is it. This avoids the need to run the engine to working temp and cooling before drain.

 

[4runnerWiniarski23]

Thanks for all the advice.

Plan on getting the parts this weekend and tackling this. Hope the transmission makes it but thats life.

Thanks again will post update when complete.

 

[thegipper]

The key to whether your transmission survives was how long you drove it with the coolant in it and how good of a job you do in removing the coolant afterwards.

Definitely buy the cheapest compatible ATF you can find, and LOTS of it.

When it happened to my 4R (when it was still my brothers) he flushed nearly 5 gallons through it until the fluid that was coming out looked brand new. He drove it like that for approximately 3k miles and assumed it was fine. When he gave it to me the first thing I did was change the fluid again (simple drain and fill).

What I found was fluid that definitely still had fluid it in (light pinkish in color and the fluid was cloudy). Over the next couple months of owning it I did 8 more drain and refills. Every time I did it, the fluid became clearer and clearer and started to look "normal" again.

Another thing I noticed was when I did that first drain, my collection pan had black chunks of clutch plate pieces in it (not a good thing). Some were the diameter of a pea and there was a fair amount of them. Over time, with more and more fluid changes, not only did the fluid begin to look normal again, but the amount and size of the pieces diminished.

I just did one more fluid change this weekend after about 1k miles since the last change. The fluid that came out looked virtually brand new. It was not dark, black or cloudy at all. Out of 4 quarts of fluid in a perfectly clean pan, I only found 3 tiny particles of clutch material (a great sign). It appears that the degradation of the clutches has stopped (the coolant causes the clutch material to break apart).

I refilled like normal and also added a bottle of Lucas tranny additive for safe measure.

The transmission continues to work perfectly and (knock on wood) shows no signs of imminent failure.

The moral of the story is, flush the SHIT out of it. And within 50 miles of driving it, flush the shit out of it again.

A few hundred miles more, flush it again.

The coolant manages to get in all sorts of places and over time, shows back up. I believe the biggest factor in whether a tranny can survive a pink milkshake is not only the initial flushes, but how well you take care of it in the months to come.

Good luck

 

[thegipper]

Top dot is brand new fluid, bottom is the fluid I just took out after 1k miles. You can hardly tell the difference.

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[thegipper]

This was the fluid I took out of it when I first got it from my brother. As you can see, after it sat for a couple months, the coolant settles to the top. Again, he initially flushed it with over 7 gallons of fluid until the fluid that was coming out looked brand new.

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[4runnerWiniarski23]

Gipper,

Thanks for the input. I will definitely buy alot of atf fluid and flush it weekly for the first 4 weeks. Than monthly for a few months after.

Its crazy to think like you said the coolant manages to get into places you would never imagine.

glad to hear that your transmission survived. I really only drove a few miles after i figured out something wasnt right. Hoping I can salvage it.

Thanks again,

 

[thegipper]

Sounds like you got a good plan in place. The condition of the tranny before the milkshake is also a factor. If it was already on its way out, the milkshake will just be the death blow but if it was taken care of, it should be fine if you do it right.

Keep us posted.

 

[MStudt]

While there are people who have not had to replace the transmission others do.

I had it happen to me about 18 months ago. I caught it with in 5 miles, and had a flush done with 24 hours. Still 6 months later I replaced the transmission. The longer the bad ATF sits there the more harm it's doing. You might as well replace thermostat while you're at it. I'd also consider replacing your coolant hoses.

 

[thegipper]

Here is a picture of the first changes I did. The one all the way on the right is brand new atf.

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[thegipper]

While there are people who have not had to replace the transmission others do.

I had it happen to me about 18 months ago. I caught it with in 5 miles, and had a flush done with 24 hours. Still 6 months later I replaced the transmission. The longer the bad ATF sits there the more harm it's doing. You might as well replace thermostat while you're at it. I'd also consider replacing your coolant hoses.

I agree. OP, just keep in the back of your mind the possibility that the tranny may still die. Do everything you can to save it but in the end, it may be a lost cause. There really is no way to tell. I am fairly confident that mine will last but I also realize it could all of a sudden take a dump..

Some people spent hundreds of dollars to have it flushed at a dealership which I would definitely not do. You can buy a good used one for $500ish. No reason to blow $300+ on flushes when it may still die. If you buy cheap ATF and flush yourself, it is definitely worth trying to save though.

 

[diverscale]

While there are people who have not had to replace the transmission others do.

I had it happen to me about 18 months ago. I caught it with in 5 miles, and had a flush done with 24 hours. Still 6 months later I replaced the transmission. The longer the bad ATF sits there the more harm it's doing. You might as well replace thermostat while you're at it. I'd also consider replacing your coolant hoses.

How can you know, 100% sure, that you went only 5 miles with the pink milkshake? The only way possible to know this is that you verified your transmission fluid 5 miles prior to the observed failure.

 

[MStudt]

How can you know, 100% sure, that you went only 5 miles with the pink milkshake? The only way possible to know this is that you verified your transmission fluid 5 miles prior to the observed failure.

I just finished checking all my fluid since I was heading out of town. I started heading into town, and notice something wasn't right. The pink overflow tank is what stood out to me, and then I headed home. I had it towed to a shop in town, and it got flushed the next morning.

Even after that I still had a hard shift into 3rd, and the occasional shift solenoid code that triggered the CEL. After about six months it started to lose reverse after it was at running temps, and then it start overheating in traffic. After that I replaced everything.

 

[krenaud33]

I would have a reputable tranny shop flush the tranny and replace the filter. I had pink milkshake and drove 15 mikes or so on it. Had a tranny shop flush it. Replaced my radiator and flushed it as best I could then had a reputable shop flush the cooling system. That was 4 years ago and I haven't had any issues. I believe it cost me around $300 combined for the flushes.

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[frodiesel]

Clutch material inside an auto trans is basically paper. Once water gets in there, its only a matter of time.
If you can manage to get it all out straight away, it may be ok.
That was not my luck.

 

[4runnerWiniarski23]

**Update

Hey guys,

I made some time to work on the runner this weekend. Got the old radiator out and new one in relatively easy.

Flushed the tranny using the method of removing the return hose and draining a few quarts at a time, replacing through the dipstick.


I have only driven about 40 miles, the transmission feels about the same. I do have a very slight thumb from 1-2 shift, everything above (2-3,3-4) feels smooth as butter. I plan on keeping an eye on it over the next week, driving it easy and not going to far from home. I also plan on flushing some out and adding in a new gallon in about a week.

Biggest concern is if something happens over the winter....sucks working in the cold.

Thanks for all the input and help guys! Definitely one of the best forums online.

Al

 

[thegipper]

Just keep an eye on the fluid. If you even remotely think there is any coolant in the fluid, keep flushing.

Did you also check for the black particles (clutch pack pieces) in the old fluid? Keep an eye out for that. You may see some, and that is ok. The real test is whether they go away after the next few flushes/changes.

Keep us posted.

 

[AntleredRuin]

Hey guys,

I made some time to work on the runner this weekend. Got the old radiator out and new one in relatively easy.

Flushed the tranny using the method of removing the return hose and draining a few quarts at a time, replacing through the dipstick.


I have only driven about 40 miles, the transmission feels about the same. I do have a very slight thumb from 1-2 shift, everything above (2-3,3-4) feels smooth as butter. I plan on keeping an eye on it over the next week, driving it easy and not going to far from home. I also plan on flushing some out and adding in a new gallon in about a week.

Biggest concern is if something happens over the winter....sucks working in the cold.

Thanks for all the input and help guys! Definitely one of the best forums online.

Al

Great great. For added peace of mind (and if possible) consider small partial flushes daily during your lunch break from work. Leave the skid plate off and at home so you have access to the radiator easily. Take a couple of old (and clean) water bottles (or other clear containers).
Drain into one bottle from the return line, and use the other as a premeasured refill. You can do this roughly twice a day/lunch break (so 4 16oz water bottles total) at 5 days a week with only 1 Gallon of ATF.
For like $12 a gallon from Walmart, you can do this A TON for cheap and easy.

 

[4runnerWiniarski23]

Great great. For added peace of mind (and if possible) consider small partial flushes daily during your lunch break from work. Leave the skid plate off and at home so you have access to the radiator easily. Take a couple of old (and clean) water bottles (or other clear containers).
Drain into one bottle from the return line, and use the other as a premeasured refill. You can do this roughly twice a day/lunch break (so 4 16oz water bottles total) at 5 days a week with only 1 Gallon of ATF.
For like $12 a gallon from Walmart, you can do this A TON for cheap and easy.

That's a great idea and surprised I haven't found more people doing this. Lol

Thanks again dude!

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