Q's about Auto-RX in a 166k old 4l60e w/ orig fluid

[Islandvic]

I have been recently posting about my new to me '95 Z-71 w/ 166k miles and 350TBI and 3.73 locking diff. Thanks very much for everyones comments! Now I have an Auto-RX question!

The 4l60e has the orig fluid. I want to put new fluid in it, and want to know about Auto-RX in my application.

FOr the first 8 years of service, truck was driven easy. Last 2 years, driven hard, but no mudding (some 4wd use, but no crazy stuff).

The transmission shifts fine, no slipping, and fluid looks dark red, with no burnt smell or particulates. It looks very used, but not black.

I was orig going to drop/clean pan, install pan drain plug and filter, refill, then drain/refill 2 more times using SuperTech DexIII and 15ozof LubeGuard at the final refill.

Now I'm worried about the "dont change the old fluid, nothing but problems" stories.

Who has used Auto-RX in their 4l60e transmissions?

I dont want to use the T-Tec flush. I dont want to disconnect the cooler lines either. Can I drop/clean pan, install new filter, refill, and dump the Auto-RX in and drive for 1500 miles?

After 1500 miles, should I drop/clean pan, install new filter, then refill and I'm good to go?

Or should I drain/refill 2 more times (4 total).

Please let me hear your Auto-RX stories in neglected 4l60e/4l80e transmissions.

If there is a better Auto-RX method I can do that does not involve T-Tec flush or disconnecting cooler lines, or is that the only way of doing it.

Thanks very much guys!!

 

[04SpecV]

Ive AutoRX'd my 4l60E it helped the hard 2nd shift. I'm only at 117,000 now tho.

quote:

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I dont want to use the T-Tec flush. I dont want to disconnect the cooler lines either. Can I drop/clean pan, install new filter, refill, and dump the Auto-RX in and drive for 1500 miles?

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No follow the instructions, do it right.
Whats the big deal about unhooking the cooler lines and exchanging all of the fluid?

 

[T-Keith]

Don't listen to those stories.

I would definatly change the fluid before adding AutoRX.

Here's what I did on my 210,000 mile 4T60:

Drop the pan and xhange the fluid and filter, drain and flush the cooler and lines.
Add autoRX and drive the recomended amount of miles.
Drop the pan and drain cooler lines, refill, start the car and run for a while, then drain everything again and change the filter.

The fluid was Black when I got it, not it's looking good and I've put on 20,000 miles since then.

-T

 

[muddawgs]

these are known for breaking the sun cluster gear after some age. my brother broke one in both of his kid hauler suburbans and were fixed by a trans tech for a local dealer on the side for less than $300 with the new "improved gear" in only a few hours of dropping them off each time. these are pretty good trans and will last a long time with some care. the fullsize forums has some goof info on odd's and ends with these trucks. check them out and good luck..

 

[Islandvic]

muddawgs, are you talking about www.fullsizechevy.com?

 

[muddawgs]

yep,thats the one. they have some good info. last i looked they even had a poll on "when your 4l60e went out". the sun cluster is also known as the planetry set also. there is not much you can do to solve that issue until it happens. reg maint will not keep this part from failing. it seems to be a pretty common issue with these. my brothers suburbans never towed anything or had any abuse and were annually maintained. they will go into a limp mode and you'll loose several forward gears and reverse usually. the dealer he worked with gets so many of these in with that they have there own trans guy on the payroll and can get these fixed for much less than a rebuilt and back on the road in just a day or so. so at least you can get it fixed if it does go out and there are plenty of upgrades available.

now if it was me i'd see how it reacts to just a pan drop and filter change. no synthetics, additives or t-tec swap and use just a good quality dino (Pennz/supertech both work fine) fluid and drain/swap it over the next 5k miles or so and maintain a change interval. i dont like to add stuff if i dont know how it will react under a normal change. if it slips with just a change then you'll have a good idea where to go from there and can add a additive if needed. regardless with its age its not gonna last forever. start with a fluid/filter change and go from there.

if/when you get the pan off you should consider adding a drain plug from summit or b&m to make your future changes easy as a oil change. i think there around $10 or so.

i'm sorry for not giving you the url earlier. some boards are pickey about giving urls out for other boards. ..good luck to you and your z-71.

regards, muddawgs

 

[Islandvic]

thanks!

I'm "IslandSilverado" over on that board.

I need to look at it more closely now that I have a truck that is very prone to break down.

 

[Ken2]

I'd drain, drop, clean the pan, refill, and run Auto-Rx for 1000 miles. Then I'd disconnect the cooler line and do a 16 quart flush with a better product than SuperTech...Chevron, Castrol, etc. I'd rather use the better product than spend the money on Lubegard. No reason no to flush through the cooler line. Disconnect the one from the cooler, add a hose from the cooler outlet into jugs, run the engine and pump out two quarts, stop the engine, add two quarts, ditto, ditto, for 16 quarts. After the flush, I'd install a Magnefine or SPX Filtran filter in the cooler line.

Don't forget to flush and renew your power steering fluid and brake fluid also.


Ken

 

[Islandvic]

ken, I just got done using a turkey baster to remove the PS fluid and refill, then drive around, then repeat, going through 2 quarts in the process. Its not a flush, but better than nothing.

I sucked out the master cylinder brake fluid also and refilled, will repeat this weekend.

Thanks guys.

I'll try the cooler line method, I just dont want to break the couplings or screw the lines up.