Complete Auto Trans Fluid Change

[JRMaroon]

I hate to tell ya, but the tranny is easier to deal with than the spark plugs (IMO anyway). The LT1/4 cars have plugs that are just a PITA to deal with. Good luck with everything no matter what!

Bob,

I can see the plugs are no treat and the wires don't look accessible unless the water pump is off. Is this accurate? The tranny filter is a job I have done on other vehicles but I don't currently live in a place where I can drain fluids. Everything I just had done last week I could have done myself, but not in my parking garage.

Jeff

 

[AdvancedAutoCC]

Bob,

I can see the plugs are no treat and the wires don't look accessible unless the water pump is off. Is this accurate? The tranny filter is a job I have done on other vehicles but I don't currently live in a place where I can drain fluids. Everything I just had done last week I could have done myself, but not in my parking garage.

Jeff

The water pump has to come off, yes. Plugs and wires are a snap in a Vette, compared to an F-body car (NOT fun at all!). Of course, after doing a bunch of OptiSpark campaigns back in the day, it's no big deal for me to pull off the pump. For a DIY'er, it can be a lesson in patience..

 

[barefootskier]

just some food for thought. i am a ford dealer mechanic and we have been doing trans fluid exchanges for about 3 years, i only know of one failure and it was a high mileage thunderbird, dont know the maintenance history though. people are calling it a power flush, which makes you think pressurized fluid being forced through your trans and that is not the case. the machines dont even have a pump, it uses the vehicles trans pump to move the fluid. thats why the engine has to be running. i like the previous scenarios brought up about particles in the seals and lost suspended friction material. last year when i was at a tranmission class at the ford training center, the instructor asked the class how many trans techs change their own trans fluid. everyone looks around at each other with no one speaking up. the instructor said "when the trans needs repair, right?" everyone agreed. he went further to say that years ago trans fluid viscosity would break down and the fluid would change color and smell burnt. but with todays technology in fluid composition, the viscosity doesnt break down until 350 degrees, but at 310 degrees the seals would melt. anyone heard this before? but, he said, we'll still keep changing it every 30,000 miles to make money and give the customers "that warm and fuzzy feeling"