Ranking of ATF Fluids?

[4329]

Have you ever cleaned the magnet(s) in your transmission? Does your transmission have a removable pan? This is much more important than the type of fluid you are using. The magnets will remove magnetic material from the fluid, 24 hours a day, that will easily go through the mechanical filters. Magnets work best when they are clean and won't work at all once they are loaded.

Pan is plastic and only has magnetic drain plug and will be cleaned on removal. The transmission does not have any other magnets and the filter on this transmission as per workshop manual in only able to be removed during rebuild as the retaining bolts can only be removed when transmission is fully stripped down.

 

[martinq]

Pan is plastic and only has magnetic drain plug and will be cleaned on removal. The transmission does not have any other magnets and the filter on this transmission as per workshop manual in only able to be removed during rebuild as the retaining bolts can only be removed when transmission is fully stripped down.

Perhaps the other magnets are internal and not easily serviced, such a shame.

 

[4329]

Perhaps the other magnets are internal and not easily serviced, such a shame.

There are no other magnets anywhere in the transmission. This is a very good reason for frequent ATF changes to prevent excess build up on the drain plug magnet.

 

[Pablo]

Not following what you are on about. What is a correct flush, are you saying that a flush on an old or neglected transmission will not cause issues bearing in mind it may cause restrictions in the valve body and may only partly clean a transmission filter.

My transmission does not have any issues so changing the fluid will not expose any issues.

Not sure exactly what you are asking, but if the fresh fluid causes "crud" to break free and cause restriction - the root cause is not fresh fluid or the flush, it's the build up of crud. It's what some people call an "old wife's tale" IOW "I changed my ATF and my transmission died" "Had to have been that change/fluid".

Indeed this doesn't address your situation in the least but sometimes we need to take some things - even from mechanics - with a grain of salt.

 

[4329]

Not sure exactly what you are asking, but if the fresh fluid causes "crud" to break free and cause restriction - the root cause is not fresh fluid or the flush, it's the build up of crud. It's what some people call an "old wife's tale" IOW "I changed my ATF and my transmission died" "Had to have been that change/fluid".

Indeed this doesn't address your situation in the least but sometimes we need to take some things - even from mechanics - with a grain of salt.

I am making the point that a flush on a transmission that has not been serviced may as you stated cause crud to break off and cause restrictions and of course has nothing to do with new fluid.

The two-transmission people have informed me of this and also inform their customers of the risk given the condition of the ATF in their transmission. Of course, you are free to take that with a pinch of salt, perhaps you have been dealing with mechanics that got their qualification off the back of a cereal pack or simply choosing not to inform costumers of the risk.

 

[Pablo]

I am making the point that a flush on a transmission that has not been serviced may as you stated cause crud to break off and cause restrictions and of course has nothing to do with new fluid.

The two-transmission people have informed me of this and also inform their customers of the risk given the condition of the ATF in their transmission. Of course, you are free to take that with a pinch of salt, perhaps you have been dealing with mechanics that got their qualification off the back of a cereal pack or simply choosing not to inform costumers of the risk.

Again indeed - referring to the whole NEVER do a FLUSH type recommendation.

 

[martinq]

There are no other magnets anywhere in the transmission. This is a very good reason for frequent ATF changes to prevent excess build up on the drain plug magnet.

I find that extremely unlikely. Many mfgs have been adding magnets the transmissions in the last few decades. The older Ford F150 AT used to have a donut magnet in the pan, our 2014 AT has two, then in 2016 or so they upgraded to three. Same with the CVT in Nissan, most have at least three now where in the past they had one or two.

 

[CleanSump]

There were magnets in the transmission of my 1969 Lemans and everything I've owned since then. Standard practice, not a new thing. Plastic pan with magnetic drain-plug - OE's solution. Just clean the magnet drain plug when you do a spill and fill. Overthinking this stuff.

 

[daniel327]

I am making the point that a flush on a transmission that has not been serviced may as you stated cause crud to break off and cause restrictions

What is the alleged source of this alleged crud and how is it large enough to cause a restriction while also being small enough to pass through the ATF strainer/filter?

 

[4329]

I find that extremely unlikely. Many mfgs have been adding magnets the transmissions in the last few decades. The older Ford F150 AT used to have a donut magnet in the pan, our 2014 AT has two, then in 2016 or so they upgraded to three. Same with the CVT in Nissan, most have at least three now where in the past they had one or two.

Please understand that the A6GF1 series transmission only have the magnetic drain plug and do not have any additional magnets. Some other transmissions will have additional magnets. It is always importation not to apply a broad brush to every situation .

 

[4329]

What is the alleged source of this alleged crud and how is it large enough to cause a restriction while also being small enough to pass through the ATF strainer/filter?

The filter /strainer does not capture all material, that is the job of the magnetic drain plug or if fitted other magnets.

The filter/strainer will not capture all clutch pack wear particles. If you have removed the pan on a transmission that has not had frequent servicing and run your finger along the fluid in the pan you may find a layer of sludge caused by crud that not been captured by the magnets or filter/strainer.

Do you really want this being flushed through your transmission in the hope all is removed and not trapped somewhere in the transmission just waiting to cause issues farther down the track.

Correct servicing involves using the correct fluid, removing and cleaning the inside of the pan, cleaning magnets and cleaning or replacing the filter/ strainer if it can be removed or as in my case only if the transmission is stripped down.

I hope the alleged source of the crud has been explained.

 

[GW.]

There is some history behind the transmission flush stories. The original transmission flush machines used a powerful onboard pump to force new fluid through the transmission. This could and did cause problems. The next generation of transmission flush machines are usually connected to the transmission cooler lines and the transmission’s own internal pump exchanges the old fluid for new fluid. This transmission fluid exchange is very safe.

 

[Astro14]

We are no longer discussing fluids, but instead, bickering, and I mean bickering, name-calling, nit-picking, about flushes.

Lock time. Please start a new thread on flushing.