Originally Posted by brages
At this point, I'd fill it up again and hope for the best. Your borescope video looked pretty clear to me, so if you looked down the dipstick hole and in the drain hole and you can't see it, I see only two options:
1. The PVC tube fell out somewhere else around the engine
2. The PVC tube slipped down somewhere deep, deep into this transmission's guts
So either it's nothing, or it's so deep down that you would have to basically rebuild/replace the transmission (which it is probably in need of anyway, since it's acting up) to fix it. (This transmission doesn't have a "pan" as such; it must be split.)
So I say, cross your fingers, fill it up, and start saving up for a new transmission or a different car. You may want to replace the transmission filter after driving it awhile, just on the odd chance that pieces of the tube are getting stuck in it.
Can someone tell me how to remove the transmission guide tube? I am stymied by this one thing all the sudden. I didn't do it for days because my back was out again so everything's been sitting until I could at least walk out to the car again, still unmoved. Was thinking "oh by the look of it I should pull the starter first" because before my light was crap, now in daylight it's like.. oh... looks like just one bolt holding it on. (same bolt that holds part of the starter power cable) So I pull it out... and the trans dipstick doesn't want to move.
Parts #31/9/25/23 A/B there
https://dz310nzuyimx0.cloudfront.ne...6de/dcccafa1d02c5547669b085df199c65c.gif looks like just a single bolt - that bolt is out - but it's not coming out and I didn't just want to muscle it and create a whole new problem to add to the others. Removed bolt #25, on bracket #9, and I can slightly rotate the tube (so it's not stuck just under there) but it's very very firmly not going anywhere. I exerted enough force I was afraid more would break it before taking a time out.
Trying to avoid going ape____ which leads to bad things, I don't know if it's just held on by rust somehow on the side or if there's another hidden bolt somewhere. I've also google searched and looked in what was a 7200 page factory manual download and couldnt find a suggestion on removing the stupid guide tube believe it or not...
I just wanted to pull off the dipstick tube to try and get a better borescope video which i'll post for all to see - where I can aim it around more (instead of just going down) and try to get around some of the light-shine and such making it hard to see inside.
Just in case the tube IS just out of the immediate light under the stick.
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Good luck.
Start that bad-boy!
I was wanting to give one last shot at "peering at whatever could conveniently be looked at with the borescope". At least with the trans dipstick guide tube out anyways. Maybe down the 24mm normal ATF filler hole which I didn't use cuz I couldn't find a 24mm socket (i'm sure it's misplaced) in the first place, and also seemed a bit inaccessible. (to avoid doubleposting just a day later if I want to try that too, if others fill via this hole, do you remove things to get better access which aren't a huge hassle to put back on after?)
If I dont see anything after the better borehole inspection i'll probably just cross my fingers and try to drive it I suppose. If it's junk it's junk/it's more work to continue messing with than I have energy for when I need to focus on getting something else working instead.
Originally Posted by Ducked
Floating it out (if it's there) not possible? (IF it floats)
The thick PVC is denser than ATF by far, tho thanks for the idea.