Automatic Transmission Filter Replacement

[psraff]

Thanks for the video. After the Timing Belt and Valve Covers, this is most likely next for me.

 

[thegipper]

Well guys, I cut open the old filter (one that I thought I had cleaned) and I'm sure glad I did.

It is Not clean even though I thought it was. Now the only caveat is that my filter was plugged with clay ish clutch material from my pink milk shake. Either way, just replace the filter!
[MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION]

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[thegipper]

The larger pieces was just metal from my cutting it open but the dark gunk was what I thought I had cleaned off.

 

[negusm]

Thanks for the vid. I did this just today. I'm slow. Took me all day

I was expecting the worst. Bought the car new. Now has 250k miles. Has NEVER had any tranny flush or fluid. Fluid was so black, I though it was motor oil.

I dropped the pan.

Nothing. Looked at the bottom. Not a single piece of debris. Looked at the magnets. Not a single shard of metal. Pulled the magnets. Nothing but metal dust, if that. :thumb3:

The fluid was definitely in the early stages of sludging up.

The filter was really clear though.

New filter, new ATF, and I did the tranny flush dance.

I dodged a bullet, I feel I did. Knowing my luck, the tranny is gunning to go out explosively.

For the sway bar, I could not get the pan out with it there. So I just disconnected it from the end links and swiveled the bar in place. Then the pan came out easy. Not need to completely remove the sway bar.

I used the Fel-Pro Gasket. I put blue thread locker on the pan bolts.

I also removed one of the hard lines from the side of the transmission. The union/connector thingy was leaking. I had watched your Transmission removal vids and you talked about how that part worked (it swivels and you lock it down with the nut so the o-ring seals). The o-ring on that was shot, so I fixed that. :thumb3:

Pretty sure I have a rear main seal leak...but oh-well. Nothing gonna touch that until the engine or the tranny blows. It might have been the head gaskets...they were leaking like mad.

-Mike

 

[mtbtim]

Thanks for the vid. I did this just today. I'm slow. Took me all day

I was expecting the worst. Bought the car new. Now has 250k miles. Has NEVER had any tranny flush or fluid. Fluid was so black, I though it was motor oil.

I dropped the pan.

Nothing. Looked at the bottom. Not a single piece of debris. Looked at the magnets. Not a single shard of metal. Pulled the magnets. Nothing but metal dust, if that. :thumb3:

The fluid was definitely in the early stages of sludging up.

The filter was really clear though.

New filter, new ATF, and I did the tranny flush dance.

I dodged a bullet, I feel I did. Knowing my luck, the tranny is gunning to go out explosively.

For the sway bar, I could not get the pan out with it there. So I just disconnected it from the end links and swiveled the bar in place. Then the pan came out easy. Not need to completely remove the sway bar.

I used the Fel-Pro Gasket. I put blue thread locker on the pan bolts.

I also removed one of the hard lines from the side of the transmission. The union/connector thingy was leaking. I had watched your Transmission removal vids and you talked about how that part worked (it swivels and you lock it down with the nut so the o-ring seals). The o-ring on that was shot, so I fixed that. :thumb3:

Pretty sure I have a rear main seal leak...but oh-well. Nothing gonna touch that until the engine or the tranny blows. It might have been the head gaskets...they were leaking like mad.

-Mike

WOW! 250k and this is the first time it got new fluid. Your fluid's effective life ended a long time ago but somehow your transmission defied the odds and kept running well.

There's two things to worry about when changing the fluid on a transmission that hasn't seen a fluid renewal ever or it's been a very long time. #1, that old fluid could be holding suspended friction material from the clutches receiving excessive wear. When you drain the old fluid out, you lose that friction material that the trans was relying upon to shift properly and not slip. #2, an abused transmission could have sludge build-up inside it. When you add in new fluid that has good detergent qualities to it, the detergents can work lose sludge particles and those particles could end up lodging in a fluid pathway in the valve body causing a blockage.

I've seen conflicting information regarding the two things I mentioned above. Some believe that there's no risk draining out the old fluid and replacing it with new fluid for a transmission that has been abused and hasn't seen regular fluid renewals. Others subscribe to what I usually tell people that there is a definite risk changing the fluid out. If your trans runs fine, it definitely supports the people who say there's no risk changing out the old fluid in an abused transmission. Definitely check back in over some time and report back how your trans is doing.

 

[brillo_76]

Thanks for the vid. I did this just today. I'm slow. Took me all day

I was expecting the worst. Bought the car new. Now has 250k miles. Has NEVER had any tranny flush or fluid. Fluid was so black, I though it was motor oil.

I dropped the pan.

Nothing. Looked at the bottom. Not a single piece of debris. Looked at the magnets. Not a single shard of metal. Pulled the magnets. Nothing but metal dust, if that. :thumb3:

The fluid was definitely in the early stages of sludging up.

The filter was really clear though.

New filter, new ATF, and I did the tranny flush dance.

I dodged a bullet, I feel I did. Knowing my luck, the tranny is gunning to go out explosively.

For the sway bar, I could not get the pan out with it there. So I just disconnected it from the end links and swiveled the bar in place. Then the pan came out easy. Not need to completely remove the sway bar.

I used the Fel-Pro Gasket. I put blue thread locker on the pan bolts.

I also removed one of the hard lines from the side of the transmission. The union/connector thingy was leaking. I had watched your Transmission removal vids and you talked about how that part worked (it swivels and you lock it down with the nut so the o-ring seals). The o-ring on that was shot, so I fixed that. :thumb3:

Pretty sure I have a rear main seal leak...but oh-well. Nothing gonna touch that until the engine or the tranny blows. It might have been the head gaskets...they were leaking like mad.

-Mike

You beat me by 35k miles. Mine was just like yours. Slight metal dust but nothing more. That was 45k miles ago still functioning properly. I Will exchange mine again at 300k. Tim's videos are always great.

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[brillo_76]

The larger pieces was just metal from my cutting it open but the dark gunk was what I thought I had cleaned off.

Looks like the screen was doing its job. Just add a inline magnetic filter too so it keeps your fluid cleaner.

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[brillo_76]

This is what I use to separate the transmission pan from the transmission when they are glued on. I use a gasket afterwards only because its easier to remove and reassemble. However, Toyota does reccomend using their gasket maker.

Stainless steel bee hive tool. Maybe it's just me. I just had very good success of removing transmission pans with this tool.

Done several this way and it removed the pan fairly easily and quickly. Maybe some others can give me some feedback of using this tool as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Mann-Lake-HD...ocphy=9006352&hvtargid=pla-307400356457&psc=1

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[Dieselchessy]

We raise bees and I use a hive scrapper for lots of gasket removal including tranny pans and oil pans.
Just have to be careful not to mar the aluminum or damage the powder coat on the pan.

I don’t own a stainless one though.

 

[3bears]

Interesting that we replace filters. Reason I say this is because when I got my 4runner in 2015 I went to the dealer to get a filter, and they did not even stock it, and at that time they wanted over 60 for it, they said they just clean it, so that is what I did (Lassen Toyota Albany Oregon). They did not even stock the trans drain gasket. Since I was new to 4runners I took they're word for it. Fortunately I do also run a magnafine filter.
Now reading that people do replace filters so maybe this summer I will do it with a fluid change, or wait another year as I did a full flush about 8 months ago.
I used the gasket maker at the time, maybe Ill go with a replaceable.
I also know that the drain plugs and the pan bolts are easy to strip...so watch the torque.


Does the torque change with a replaceable gasket ?

 

[Brian.]

Does the torque change with a replaceable gasket ?

Probably. The reason I didn't go with the replaceable gasket was 2-fold, I'll never drop the pan again for a filter replacement and I'd seen where people had deformed their pans while using the gasket. So be Extra cautious if you go that route.

 

[brillo_76]

We raise bees and I use a hive scrapper for lots of gasket removal including tranny pans and oil pans.

Just have to be careful not to mar the aluminum or damage the powder coat on the pan.



I don’t own a stainless one though.

Yes you have to be ginger but dont they work very well for that application.

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[brillo_76]

Probably. The reason I didn't go with the replaceable gasket was 2-fold, I'll never drop the pan again for a filter replacement and I'd seen where people had deformed their pans while using the gasket. So be Extra cautious if you go that route.

Wow. I never deformed my pan by using a gasket before. I guess that would happen if you dont uniformally tighten the bolts. I just use my 3/8 nub ratchet to tighten the pan down and never torque it. I probably torque it the next time. I have my pan off again and I know for sure each time I exchange my fluid it's getting a new internal filter.

Keep in mind, dealerships want to sale you a new one and never have the transmission filter in stock..

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[negusm]

There's two things to worry about when changing the fluid on a transmission that hasn't seen a fluid renewal ever or it's been a very long time. #1, that old fluid could be holding suspended friction material from the clutches receiving excessive wear. When you drain the old fluid out, you lose that friction material that the trans was relying upon to shift properly and not slip. #2, an abused transmission could have sludge build-up inside it. When you add in new fluid that has good detergent qualities to it, the detergents can work lose sludge particles and those particles could end up lodging in a fluid pathway in the valve body causing a blockage.

I will say, that the first issue, I highly suspect. I have heard the claim and I think it is bunk. They're basically saying that the ATF IMPROVES over time. Adding fresh ATF is simply going to reduce friction and can't be worse for the transmission. Damage is done.

The second point...I could agree with that. Very possible a blockage will happen I suppose.

I'm more inclined to think that it's just a lot of coincidence. Transmissions get old, they fail. Someone who has neglected their good running transmission (like me), gets scared and changes the fluid. They probably got scared because the tranny had a few hiccups indicating it was already on its way out.

-Mike

 

[brillo_76]

My theory on automatic transmissions on why they fail consists of a few things.

1] Ran out of fluid or fluid never changed.

As the fluid gets contaminated its loosing lubricating ability and turns into sandblasting fluid thus extremely speeding up wear and then the screen get plugged up starving the transmission for fluid overheating the clutches and other components thus causing failure.

2] Just component failure. Mostly people start to panic after the transmission has issues then change the fluid and the transmission fails. Let's face it. The damage was there and it was going to fail anyhow. Then I hear the phrase the transmission worked before I changed the fluid. The new fluid did it.


It's very possible that the fluid is full of clutch material and other things. Its also full of metal.

I lost a Camry transmission years ago at 200k simply because I didn't change the fluid. The clutches scattered.

Once I started exchanging fluid and replacing the screens the milage before failure went up majorly.

It's up to the owner if they change it or not. I just know from my past experiences that exchanging the fluid will help in extend the life of the transmission.

Is there a point where too many miles to bother exchanging it.. maybe.


I just know for me that if the transmission dosent have any issues. Changing the screen and exchanging the fluid along with cleaning the magnets are a good thing to do.


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[sugjavier]

Hi guys,

Might be a noob question but when installing the magnefine filter do you need to cut/modify or add a 3/8 transmission hose?

I can't tell based on the video. I have all the items in my cart except the magnefine filter. I just want to make sure my mechanic will know what to do as this is like a mod he may have never heard of. As far as replacing it, will every 30k do along with the transmission 16 quart fluid flush?

 

[mtbtim]

Hi guys,

Might be a noob question but when installing the magnefine filter do you need to cut/modify or add a 3/8 transmission hose?

I can't tell based on the video. I have all the items in my cart except the magnefine filter. I just want to make sure my mechanic will know what to do as this is like a mod he may have never heard of. As far as replacing it, will every 30k do along with the transmission 16 quart fluid flush?

All you have to do is choose where in the return line you want to install the filter, cut the return line there, and secure the filter to the return line with some provided hose clamps. The return line is the one that connects up to the driver side nipple of the trans cooler on the bottom of the radiator. The ATF runs from the transmission to the passenger side nipple, runs through the cooler at the bottom of the radiator, exits on the driver side nipple and returns back to the trans.

I did mine at the same time I added an external trans cooler so I was able to cut the hoses I required to the exact lengths I needed. If installing the filter will cause a slight kink in the return line, your mechanic will simply have to cut a short section out for the filter. The only way I can see them screwing this up is if he doesn't get the filter installed in the correct flow direction. As long as the filter is installed with the arrow pointing back to the transmission and not towards the radiator, you'll be golden.

The Magnefine filters are rated for 30k miles, so Yes, you can change it at the same time you are getting your ATF renewed.

 

[4Runner4Leon]

Hi guys,

Might be a noob question but when installing the magnefine filter do you need to cut/modify or add a 3/8 transmission hose?

I can't tell based on the video. I have all the items in my cart except the magnefine filter. I just want to make sure my mechanic will know what to do as this is like a mod he may have never heard of. As far as replacing it, will every 30k do along with the transmission 16 quart fluid flush?

Just show the mechanic this photo:

 

[sugjavier]

Just show the mechanic this photo:

Thank you guys! Appreciate it so much

 

[phil777]

Not sure if this is the right spot to post this but I recently started this job and I have to say Tims video and all the info on this thread was very helpful. Dropped the pan and found out I ordered the wrong filter but did some more research and with the help of ebay pics I managed to match the one in my truck to the correct part #. Not sure if anybody else has run into this issue but the part listed on some of these threads did not fit my 99 limited (A340F). The correct part was 35330-60020. Anyway long story short I also have a brand new OEM filter Part #35330-60030. If someone is looking to do this job and would like a hell of a deal on a filter PM me.