auto tranny service

I'm definitely dropping both pans. I've heard before that the filters can be cleaned out and reused. I think I'm leaning that way. Any good reason not to? I think I've seen 2eye recommend reusing the filter for the main valve body. This will be my first look at the filter for the overdrive valve body - wonder if it can simply be cleaned and reused. I want to do this once! Thanks.

On the other hand, a hundred kicks for the gaskets AND filters beats a few thousand for another 4L-30E...

Search the FAQ's for some photos of what a tranny filter looks like after 80k with tranny flushes.

"What did the filter look like after 85K and yearly flushes on a 99?

It was full of contaminants... metal sludge (akin to a aluminum paste).
No chunks of metal, just sludge, again with the paste... thick and gooey, like aluminum colored mud."

Good enough. Thanks!

That was ugly. Mine has never looked like that!

Good enough. Thanks!

...

good. i was kind of dumbfounded by your thought to reuse the filter(s), especially considering your rather nitpicky:wink: maintenance preferences.

like why even take the chance?

or are you just looking for some discussion?

//bc

Change them out Surfer, BIG difference when that little pan gets dropped too.

good. i was kind of dumbfounded by your thought to reuse the filter(s), especially considering your rather nitpicky:wink: maintenance preferences.

like why even take the chance?

or are you just looking for some discussion?

//bc

Last night I started checking prices on the internet. The filter for the main pan and the gasket are about $70 now. I thought the last time I did it I paid about $40. Kinda stunned me. I thought, briefly, that if the trans is reaching the end of its life, why put $100 into it? Still makes sense to do it, though (realized by second post!).

EDIT: $123 from St. Charles. I'll post pics when I do it. Kinda curious to see the bottom of the overdrive pan...

I thought, briefly, that if the trans is reaching the end of its life, why put $100 into it?

Are you having issues with it, or are you just talking in general because of issues from other owners & the auto's?

Mine, even at 171k miles doesn't shift a day over 30k miles, from the way you've talked in the past, I'm guessing your's feels the same.

Keep driving/changing the fluid, I'm sure it'll go a few more years yet, as long as your daughter's not too rough on it.

My tranny - with living in the highcountry, running bigger tires, and pulling heavy loads most of it's life - has had it rougher then yours with living in the flat-land; you'll be fine.

Don't JINX it!!:grinno:

I'm going by other's experiences and Murphy's Law! The trans is shifting as well as the day I bought it and it was treated with kid gloves until the daughter got her license last June. 161K and counting.

.... Kinda curious to see the bottom of the overdrive pan...

yeah, post some pictures. you know, btw, those pictures amigo2k alerted you to of Tad's were from Tad's trans that was a total loss, not a normal maintenance...

edit add:: in fact, post some pictures of the setup you use to do the job without getting the whole garage floor a nice red/pink color ....

//bc

edit add:: in fact, post some pictures of the setup you use to do the job without getting the whole garage floor a nice red/pink color ....

//bc

:D Lots of rags!

Are you guys serious? The gaskets are that high. I was thinking of dropping my pan, but expensive gasket. What filters do I need?

The gaskets aren't bad, it's the filter for the main valve body. Let me see if I can get a representative link...

http://www2.partstrain.com/products/Engine/Transmission/AT_Filter_Kit/1997~ISUZU~RODEO~6~3.2~ROD-V6-002.html

You also need the gasket and filter for the overdrive. That's another $20-$25. The filter for the overdrive is just a mesh screen. Maybe that's the one that is cleanable/reuseable...

Has transmission filters-less than $30 as I recall.

I'll stick with OEM. If the moon and stars align properly, maybe I'll get my shipment from FedEx tomorrow. I've missed 2 delivery attempts. I wish St. Charles would just let them leave it at the front door.

I'm not fond of getting parts for my Isuzu's anywhere but Napa or the dealer; had too many issues with parts from everyday auto stores.

Now when it comes to the Dodge or even the Toyota (for most parts), any auto store will do.

I've used Pioneer brand filter/gasket on my tranny a couple of times now. Seem to work great, no leaks. I buy them from O'Reilly Auto Parts.

I'd like to know more about the smaller pan, tho.

Well I tracked down one of the boxes today. The inline filter is a long white slender "strainer." It goes in when the small pan is removed. I'll try to get the other box tomorrow. It has the other 3 parts I ordered... Pictures no later than this weekend.

The rest of the stuff arrived today...

Finished it early this morning. I think I changed out about 6 qts. by dropping both pans. Both gaskets were brittle and leaking a little. The front gasket was pretty well adhered to its mating surface. Fun to scrape off. Two bolts way in the back of the big pan are still a bitch. No large shavings in the large pan this time. Maybe last time it was due to the shop dropping the tranny to get to the freeze plugs. Both pans had a silvery gray paste coating them, and the magnet had a fair amount of fur. I'll post pictures after I sleep. I was super messy this time. When you crack the front pan, the ATF comes pouring out.

As far as shifting afterward, I may be paranoid, but I didn't notice an improvement. If anything, 2nd is pretty hard, and it seemed it took a little long to finish the final shift. I'll have to check again in a couple of days...

My brother-in-law just did a fluid and filter swap in a '97 Explorer at 180K. Here's hoping we both get to 200K!

Oh...I didn't swap that inline filter in the overdrive. I couldn't figure out exactly where it went. Since everything was fairly clean in there, I wouldn't even recommend dropping that pan unless the gasket is leaking.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/odpan.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/pan.jpg

If anything, 2nd is pretty hard, and it seemed it took a little long to finish the final shift. I'll have to check again in a couple of days...


I think you may still be a bit low, I only say this because when my large pan gasket kept leaking there for a while, the 2nd shift was primarily affected - not enough to damage anything, think goodness as that was 12k miles ago now, but 2nd gear was a bit rough at that time.

1 more ??; how many miles did you have on that fluid? Looks very clean in there!

Well, here's a little story for you. It will explain the late reply...

I finished up the tranny fluid change and went to bed thinking I could sleep in late Sunday morning. I woke up at 7 am with a bad stomach ache and thought it was the bug my son stayed home from school with on Friday. I posted the pictures here and went down to the local CVS for some Maalox. The pain didn't go away. When I found I couldn't even respond to Ramblin's question about how many miles were on that fluid, I decided my daughter ought to take me to the ER. Long story short, I no longer have an appendix!

The truck shifted great that morning and the old fluid had 18K on it, I think. I'll double check when she gets home from school today.

I wanted to post a picture of the inside of the old tranny filter, but forgot. The spongy filter medium was dark gray in color as in the picture in the FAQs of that poorly maintained tranny.

how many miles did you have on the old filter.

Long story short, I no longer have an appendix!


:eek: Wow! Big change of plans, eh!

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery. Don't worry about deciphering the mileage, no biggy. You get better soon

The filter was last changed at 130K, and I now have 161K, so I'm just over the planned 30K interval. I guess that puts the fluid at about 17K (partial swap). I just drove to the pharmacy and it's shifting great. And my recovery is going great! Thanks!

Gonna tag onto your post, Surfer, we finished doing the ATF partial swap on the Rodeo - I figured about 12k miles between the last swap to now.

The last one, at 159k, consisted of dropping both pans/gaskets & 6 new quarts; with 5 qts having been changed out at 152k when the big pan was dropped for a new filter - may not remember, but I had to have this all done a 2nd time (@159k) due to my mechanic not installing the pan gasket right at the 152k mile interval.

Needless to say, the 4qts dropped this time were still very clean/clear, looked like squished cherries in the bucket - could've gone longer for sure.

However, we've been doing a lot more city driving versus highway this year, and that last snow storm really gave this tranny a work out.

Next interval will be somewhere's between 12-15k again; fluid's cheap and if doing very frequent intervals gives me another 50k or so, I'm all for it.

:thumbsup: