Billinsd

Does my 2002 tacoma 4x4 automatic have a tranny filter and if so does it need to be replaced every so often or just cleaned.

I've got clean tranny fluid, but I'm having the pan taken out to put a sensor for a tranny temp gauge and figured it would be a good time to replace the filter or at least clean it?

Can you all think of anything else?
Thanks
Bill

mt_goat

Yep, it has one and yeah I'd change it as long as you have the pan off anyway. Don't bother trying to clean it, most of the screen (filter) is covered with sheet metal and there really is no good way to clean it.

BTW in the pan wouldn't be my first choice for a place to put a ATF temp probe. The coolest ATF in the whole tranny is in the pan. I put it in the ATF cooler line before the ATF cooler.

Billinsd

Thanks for the info I appreciate it....

Yes, the atf line out of the tranny is hotter, but the tech of the company I am buying the gauge who sells the manifold to install in the line talked me out of it as there is more to go wrong with the manifold especially if it is not installed properly, which he said is usually the case.

Thanks again
Bill

mrdoug

I'm surprised! You'd replace it? It's supposed to be a lifetime filter. If the mesh screen is still in tact and not totally gunked, why would you?

I got the 02 auto as well, when pulling the pan for the drain/refill, I pull that filter and spray a bunch brake cleaner in it while holding it at different angles, seems to wash our a good amount of crap, including some gasket nibbles that came off from a previous change

ARB1977

I have yet to drop my pan. I ran a remote filter kit between the stock cooler and TRD cooler for 4 years. Every year i changed the spin on filter and every other year changed the fluid in the pan and every time i did this the fluid was brand new. I removed the remote filter kit and used a magnafine filter instead. Same concept instead its alot smaller.

mt_goat

Hey Doug here's my reasoning:

The filter is mostly catching stuff that isn't soluble by solvents (like brake cleaner) and these small bits of metal shavings get stuck in the screen. I've seen that stuff half way though the screen, so I was scared that it was possible for it to eventually work all the way though. That plus the fact that the filter screen is almost completey covered in a metal shell makes inspection of 90% of the screen very difficult, if not impossible. Plus the new filters can be ordered from a good online dealer for fairly reasonable price (around $30-35).

I remember Mike @ ORS said stuff as small as lint from a rag can cause problems with shift solenoids.

I decided its such a PITA to drop the pan that as long as I had it off anyway it was worth it to me to replace the filter. I'm not saying to replace it every 20,000 miles or anything, I'd feel pretty good about going 100,000 miles on an ATF filter. Actually I'm thinking the magnets need cleaning more often than the filter needs replacing. Last time I was scraping all the old RTV off the tranny pan and tranny I was really hoping the pan wouldn't be coming off again for 100,000 miles.

mrdoug

good points Dale. And I agree with you about hoping not to have to do it very often while scraping old gasket goop. what a PITA.

Maj

I concur with Mt Goat. I doubt you can see more than 25% or so of the screen mesh through the opening in the filter. So cleaning it and performing an adequate inspection is a roll of the dice.