Easy Peasy transmission fluid exchange V6

[firebirdguy]

I'm curious to see if anyone has used the Valvoline MaxLife ATF on their 03-04's that calls for T-IV fluid. The SDS for the MaxLife shows that it is very similar to WS in terms of viscosity but I'd be hesitant to use it as a T-IV replacement since it is more viscous along with Toyota claiming that WS is not backwards compatible with T-IV. I wonder how Valvoline pulled that one off...

i have read about many people using it for T-IV... it is rated for that on the bottle too & gets just as good of reviews as using it for WS. post a new thread asking for reviews or do a search, im sure there are pleanty.

valvoline & many other companies have multi vehicle fluids & are able to because they design them that way from the beginning. toyota does not, they have another company make a specific fluid for specific cars & years etc.

its not valvoline pulling anything off, its almost every major oil company out there that has scientists & engineers that study & design lubrication fluids, & even non major companies, walmart has a very good multi vehicle fluid that is WS & T-IV rated too.

viscosity is just one part of the fluid, just like engine oil, a higher quality usually synthetic can be thinner or thicker than a normal oil & perform just as good or better. for example, a high horsepower v8 engine that calls for a 10/40 weight oil can easily use a high quality synthetic 20/50 that will flow as good as a conventional 10/40 & has better cold pour ratings. also a thinner higher quality 10/30 will also still work fine, just maybe have a little lower oil psi, but because its thinner it will get in & out of the bearings better & cool better. point being, just because maxlife is a little thinner or thicker viscosity rating does not mean it wont work perfectly well in the trans while in operation.

US_Val_ML_ATF_EN.pdf - DocuSign CLM

 

[foragg]

Dude you are a Rock Star. This worked like a champ and now it shifts perfectly and goes into 4Hi and 4low 5 times faster.

 

[firebirdguy]

Dude you are a Rock Star. This worked like a champ and now it shifts perfectly and goes into 4Hi and 4low 5 times faster.

are you saying you used maxlife in the trans? thats great it shifts good... but maxlife in the trans will have no affect on 4l & 4h, that is controlled 100% by the transfer case, which uses a 75/90 gear lube.

 

[4Runner4Runner4]

at 200k miles, regardless of fluid type, it should be changed. toyota even says to change WS at 100k miles in the owners manual & at 60k if you tow or abuse it.

doing a true flush is not the way to do it, flushes use machines to push out the old fluid under pressure & can dislodge debris etc, most dont like that on higher mile cars. doing an exhange simply uses the transmissions interal pump to pump it out of a radiator cooling line then you add more fluid via the fill hole as explained in this thread & many others here & youtube.

i would change it out asap with that many miles, & use whatever fluid you can afford & that makes you feel all warm & fuzzy... but any WS rated fluid will be fine & far better than 200k mile old fluid.

Thank you. I'll have that done immediately. Same for the rear diff fluid change?

Side note: I've noticed that I've lost 1cm of coolant in the past few months (10k miles). I hope this isn't a sign of a future head gasket failure.

 

[firebirdguy]

Thank you. I'll have that done immediately. Same for the rear diff fluid change?

Side note: I've noticed that I've lost 1cm of coolant in the past few months (10k miles). I hope this isn't a sign of a future head gasket failure.

yes, i would change the rear diff fluid too. manual calls for 80/90 if you drive in winter temps, but 80/90 or a 75/90 synthetic is what most people use regardless of temps. also change the front diff if its 4wd & the transfer case. both call for 75/90 which is a synthetic. front/rear diffs & x-fer case are very easy to do, buy a hand pump for less than $10 to make filling the fluid easier... & undo the fill plug first to be sure it will come out.

for the loss of coolant, check the radiator upper/lower corners for signs of leaking or dried pink residue, also be sure to check the level at the same temp, usually when fully cooled since hot temps show higher levels than cool. i had a slow reduction of coolant in the reservoir, turned out to be the radiator had a very slow leak that wouldn't leave any drips because the skid plate was catching it. bad head gaskets will usually have other signs like misfires, waterfall sounds behind dash or throw a code for a misfire in 1 cylinder.

hope that helps.

 

[MTn_man]

Tried this out yesterday. Setup was easy, the 3/8 id tube for on the radiator perfectly. Ended up using a 3/8 to 3/8 plastic connector for the line coming from the pump. Picked up the rig last month and it has 208k on the clock, judging by the fluid color it was still original. Luckily not burnt but a very dark cherry color.

Only thing I really have to add is that at colder temps this process takes much longer. Managed to swap 8 quarts yesterday afternoon/evening over about 4 hours. Temps were about 15 degrees F when I started. Things started moving a little quicker once it got near freezing. Also not sure if low temps are impacting the volume of fluid or if I am just low, but after pumping out around a quart and a half I get some air coming out of the line. Once I get the rest of the fluid in today I'm going to check the level see where I'm at. Might reserve two quarts incase I'm low...

 

[patkelly4370]

Tagging this for when the time comes on my 4runner.
In the mean time, our Dodge Magnum has a sealed transmission and it's throwing codes. Dealer says "rebuild valve body" (160k miles).
Might try this 'transfusion' (semi-pun). It shouldn't hurt.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[firebirdguy]

Tried this out yesterday. Setup was easy, the 3/8 id tube for on the radiator perfectly. Ended up using a 3/8 to 3/8 plastic connector for the line coming from the pump. Picked up the rig last month and it has 208k on the clock, judging by the fluid color it was still original. Luckily not burnt but a very dark cherry color.

Only thing I really have to add is that at colder temps this process takes much longer. Managed to swap 8 quarts yesterday afternoon/evening over about 4 hours. Temps were about 15 degrees F when I started. Things started moving a little quicker once it got near freezing. Also not sure if low temps are impacting the volume of fluid or if I am just low, but after pumping out around a quart and a half I get some air coming out of the line. Once I get the rest of the fluid in today I'm going to check the level see where I'm at. Might reserve two quarts incase I'm low...

yeah 15 degrees will make any fluid flow slower, i hate cold but i hate working on cars in the cold even more!

what trans fluid did you use? & how are you connecting the tube to the rad? you shouldnt need a 3/8 to 3/8 connector, just connect the 3/8 tube to the bottom port of the radiator, which is the output from the trans cooler, then run it into a container marked with qts to know when youve pumped out ~2qts. then, the other longer tube runs into the side fill hole of the trans & connect to a funnel up near the passenger fender area. that allows you to fill the trans without a hand pump, if you use a big funnel it will fill about 1qt in 2 minutes, maybe a little slower in the cold.

ive seen guys using extra connectors or adapters & trying to connect to the actual rubber trans lines, the easiest/best way is to connect the 3/8 drain tube directly to the bottom port of the radiator, about a 2ft length is all thats needed to run into the drain container.

& be sure to check the level at the proper temp, use a scan gauge or the on board trans temp light procedure, then let drain to a trickle & youre at the right level.

 

[MTn_man]

yeah 15 degrees will make any fluid flow slower, i hate cold but i hate working on cars in the cold even more!

what trans fluid did you use? & how are you connecting the tube to the rad? you shouldnt need a 3/8 to 3/8 connector, just connect the 3/8 tube to the bottom port of the radiator, which is the output from the trans cooler, then run it into a container marked with qts to know when youve pumped out ~2qts. then, the other longer tube runs into the side fill hole of the trans & connect to a funnel up near the passenger fender area. that allows you to fill the trans without a hand pump, if you use a big funnel it will fill about 1qt in 2 minutes, maybe a little slower in the cold.

ive seen guys using extra connectors or adapters & trying to connect to the actual rubber trans lines, the easiest/best way is to connect the 3/8 drain tube directly to the bottom port of the radiator, about a 2ft length is all thats needed to run into the drain container.

& be sure to check the level at the proper temp, use a scan gauge or the on board trans temp light procedure, then let drain to a trickle & youre at the right level.

[MENTION=274360]firebirdguy[/MENTION]
I'm filling through the top port going into the radiator/cooler and using the fitting to extend the rubber line from the pump to my waste jug. Seemed easier to get to since I didn't get the truck on stands. Definitely planning on checking the levels with my OBD tool/ app and appreciate the heads up.
I went with Maxlife after reading through some of the treads. Might not have been the best choice but the price was right and it seems to be working for folks.

 

[firebirdguy]

[MENTION=274360]firebirdguy[/MENTION]
I'm filling through the top port going into the radiator/cooler and using the fitting to extend the rubber line from the pump to my waste jug. Seemed easier to get to since I didn't get the truck on stands. Definitely planning on checking the levels with my OBD tool/ app and appreciate the heads up.
I went with Maxlife after reading through some of the treads. Might not have been the best choice but the price was right and it seems to be working for folks.

ok, ive heard of doing it through the top rad trans cooler port too... but that does make it a lot slower forcing it through the cooler & lines vs a strait shot into the fill hole on the trans. & you dont need the truck jacked up or on stands, there is plenty of ground clearance to lay under & put the tube in the side fill port of the trans... much faster than going through the rad trans cooler & doesnt require adapters etc. but both ways will work.

good to hear you chose maxlife & saved some money... now you know you have synthetic fluid in there that can handle heat better than WS. if the fluid was original at 200k miles, you should notice a nice improvement in shifting feel. report back when you are done so others can see another success story using maxlife.

& the air or gaps in the fluid coming out are normal, mine did that & every youtube vid shows it happening too. just refill the same amount you pump out & on the final fill, use about 1/4 to 1/2 qt more so you can see the full stream turn to the proper trickle.

 

[Drift Monkey]

Can anyone confirm that the top line that needs to be pulled on the radiator is on the passenger side on V8 models?

 

[firebirdguy]

Can anyone confirm that the top line that needs to be pulled on the radiator is on the passenger side on V8 models?

are you doing a fluid exchange? i cant confirm which line needs to be pulled on v8s, but to answer your question, both trans lines are on the passenger side of the radiator for v6 & v8's.

what are you planning to do with the top line? on v6s the botton line is the return to the trans & that is where you would pull the line to connect a hose to the outlet of the rad, not the rubber line itself. for v8's, the outlet should be the same location, but it runs to the aux cooler, then out of the cooler to the trans so you can unhook at the cooler outlet or before it at the radiator outlet port.

if you are pulling the top line to fill trans fluid like some do, its much easier & faster to run the line directly into the fill hole on the side of the trans, use a funnel connected to rubber hose to put the fluid in & let gravity work, or use a hand pump to pump it in, but the fill hole is the best way to refill the fluid.

 

[Drift Monkey]

are you doing a fluid exchange? i cant confirm which line needs to be pulled on v8s, but to answer your question, both trans lines are on the passenger side of the radiator for v6 & v8's.

what are you planning to do with the top line? on v6s the botton line is the return to the trans & that is where you would pull the line to connect a hose to the outlet of the rad, not the rubber line itself. for v8's, the outlet should be the same location, but it runs to the aux cooler, then out of the cooler to the trans so you can unhook at the cooler outlet or before it at the radiator outlet port.

if you are pulling the top line to fill trans fluid like some do, its much easier & faster to run the line directly into the fill hole on the side of the trans, use a funnel connected to rubber hose to put the fluid in & let gravity work, or use a hand pump to pump it in, but the fill hole is the best way to refill the fluid.

Yeah I’m trying to figure out how to do the fluid exchange on the V8. I believe the line I took a pic of is the top transmission fluid line since I do remember that line having transmission fluid in it when we pulled it do get the radiator out “timing belt/water pump job).

The passenger side has 2 hard lines that lead to the transmission cooler.

So you’re saying I can unplug the one leading out of the cooler at the end of the hard line and use the fill port on the side of the transmission instead of filling the line that leads into the top of the cooler?

 

[patkelly4370]

The upper line to the transmission cooler (built into the radiator) is the highest point in the system.
The highest point is where you want to pump a small quantity out, then refill EXACTLY that same amount into the "reservoir" (cooler).

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Drift Monkey]

The upper line to the transmission cooler (built into the radiator) is the highest point in the system.
The highest point is where you want to pump a small quantity out, then refill EXACTLY that same amount into the "reservoir" (cooler).

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thanks! That’s why I was asking if anyone could verify that was the right spot that I took a picture of above, it seems the V8 has it on the passenger side.

I just flushed my power steering but now I need to go find a funnel that will fit in the 3/8” ID tubing.

 

[firebirdguy]

Yeah I’m trying to figure out how to do the fluid exchange on the V8. I believe the line I took a pic of is the top transmission fluid line since I do remember that line having transmission fluid in it when we pulled it do get the radiator out “timing belt/water pump job).

The passenger side has 2 hard lines that lead to the transmission cooler.

So you’re saying I can unplug the one leading out of the cooler at the end of the hard line and use the fill port on the side of the transmission instead of filling the line that leads into the top of the cooler?

i dont own a v8 so i dont want to say for sure how the trans cooler is routed.. but, it should be the same inlet & outlet on the radiator as a v6. so the top port on the rad is the output from the trans, it then goes through the internal cooler in the rad & come out the bottom port back to the trans. you have a v8 with the aux trans cooler so it should be routed that the outlet of the bottom rad port then goes into the aux cooler & then the line coming out goes to the trans inlet.

where the v8 uses hard lines for the aux cooler im not for sure but looking at the pic, it looks like the bottom rad port is a rubber line
that goes to the cooler, so you should be able to unhook it there just like a v6.

& using either the top or the bottom line/port works the same, but when using the top line you need to buy an adapter to connect a longer tube to run into the drain bucket on the ground since the fluid is coming out the end of the hose. when using the bottom port on the rad tank itself, a short piece of 3/8 tube fits right over the outlet port where the fluid come out & can be ran to the drain bucket with a couple feet of clear 3/8 tube. & no fluid comes out of the open end of the bottom hose if you keep it upright.

then when filling from up top in the passenger side engine bay area you can run a longer tube with a funnel on the top to the fill hole on the radiator, have a friend hold the funnel or some hang it from the hood with some wire, it goes a LOT faster than trying to fill it through the radiator or aux cooler port & run through the internal cooler & all the thin lines. so yes, you can fill through the fill hole in the pass side of the trans, which is what its designed for. go to home depot or lowes & buy 10ft of clear 3/8 vinyl tube for a few bucks.

hope that makes sense.

 

[firebirdguy]

The upper line to the transmission cooler (built into the radiator) is the highest point in the system.
The highest point is where you want to pump a small quantity out, then refill EXACTLY that same amount into the "reservoir" (cooler).

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

there is no reason to have to pump out fluid from the highest point... you arent dealing with air or bleeding/burping anything.

as i mentioned above, using the top line requires an adapter to connect an extension of hose to the drain container on the ground. when using teh bottom (outlet) port on the radiator the clear 3/8 tube slides right over the port, use a short piece of line into the drain pan. just an easier way to do it & the trans is pumping out the same fluid as if it came from the top rubber line.

when filling, i agree to refill the same amount that came out, but doing it through the actual fill hole in the trans is so much faster & easier. & you do want to keep the refilled amount close to the same, but its not that important if you are a little over or under a tad, since when checking the fluid you want it a little over full so you can verify when the fluid comes to a trickle, which means its full.

doing an exchange works either way though, up to you on which way you prefer. i prefer faster & easier with same end results.

 

[Drift Monkey]

Still in the process as we speak, so I figured I’d kill some time by posting some pics. “Lifetime fluid” my ass.

Saved the best (longest job) for last. Before that I replaced my drive belt idler pulley and she purrs...I forgot how quiet this engine is supposed to be. I guess I got used to sounding like an electric tram going down the road. Flushed the power steering today as well, no symptoms but I figured might as well since it’s been an ATF sorta day.

Thanks for all the input y’all, I truly appreciate it.

 

[firebirdguy]

glad you got it done. & like i said, it can be done both ways with the same end results, the way i described is just more direct & faster.

nothing wrong with the way you did it, just takes an extra part for the adapter & probably took quite a bit longer to fill through the top rad port than a straight shot into the trans fill hole, but the funnel up high using gravity is how to do it whichever way you choose.

kudos on using maxlife too, please report back with how the trans shifts & feels, my fluid looked like yours, very dark... new max life made a noticeable improvement on mine, although im sure new WS would be an improvement over old worn out dark WS too.

 

[Drift Monkey]

glad you got it done. & like i said, it can be done both ways with the same end results, the way i described is just more direct & faster.

nothing wrong with the way you did it, just takes an extra part for the adapter & probably took quite a bit longer to fill through the top rad port than a straight shot into the trans fill hole, but the funnel up high using gravity is how to do it whichever way you choose.

kudos on using maxlife too, please report back with how the trans shifts & feels, my fluid looked like yours, very dark... new max life made a noticeable improvement on mine, although im sure new WS would be an improvement over old worn out dark WS too.

Honestly, I shoulda had a hand pump either way lol. It took longer than expected but all went well (steep driveway?). I also realize it coulda possibly have been even easier doing it from the top of the transmission cooler...ah well.

So far the MaxLife has been great, shifts seem smoother and everything seems great, no complaints. I should reset the ECU to relearn all the shifting behaviors though, probably couldn’t hurt.