Strawberry Milkshake...Atf in coolant overflowing CRAP!!
12-02-2008, 05:52 PM
#61
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Call a good transmission shop and pick their brain!
They have a machine that actualy flushes the whole system. If they don't have a flushing machine find a shop that does.
You adding ATF, running, draining and repeating isn't a real flush.
Your trans may still be fine. Take the time, spend the money and have it flushed right. It may save your tranny. Cut corners and you may fry your trans.
They have a machine that actualy flushes the whole system. If they don't have a flushing machine find a shop that does.
You adding ATF, running, draining and repeating isn't a real flush.
Your trans may still be fine. Take the time, spend the money and have it flushed right. It may save your tranny. Cut corners and you may fry your trans.
Last edited by Gerdo; 12-02-2008 at 05:53 PM.
12-02-2008, 09:24 PM
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Drain what you can from the tranny & refill. Run for 10 minutes, drain & refill. Take to Jiffy Lube or a tranny shop & have them do a power flush on the tranny. You will never get the converter flushed on your own. If the tranny still slips, then you're 
. Time for a new/ used/ rebuilt tranny.
Replace the radiator & flush with plain water. Prestone used to make a "kit" that you splice into your heater hose & you then hook up a garden hose to flush the system. Don't forget to move the heater lever to Hot. Not sure if this is still available due to environmental regs. If you weren't in Chicago in winter I'd say you could run a few days without antifreeze to flush the system. There may be some kind of cooling system flush product that would help clean the system. Jiffy Lube can also do a power flush of the cooling system. Might be worth while.
Good luck,
Paul
. Time for a new/ used/ rebuilt tranny.Replace the radiator & flush with plain water. Prestone used to make a "kit" that you splice into your heater hose & you then hook up a garden hose to flush the system. Don't forget to move the heater lever to Hot. Not sure if this is still available due to environmental regs. If you weren't in Chicago in winter I'd say you could run a few days without antifreeze to flush the system. There may be some kind of cooling system flush product that would help clean the system. Jiffy Lube can also do a power flush of the cooling system. Might be worth while.
Good luck,
Paul
12-03-2008, 03:14 AM
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All a flush machine does is connect to the cooler lines, and it uses the transmission's pump to pump the old fluid out into a reservoir on the flush machine that's seperated in half by a bladder. The other side of the bladder in the reservoir is filled with new fluid. The old fluid going in one side applies pressure to the new fluid through the bladder, which pushes the new fluid into the tranny pan through the cooler return line. The DIY flush method described in the thread above does the exact same thing, but it's a bit slower.
The other benefit of doing it at home is that you'll know the tranny pan got removed to clean the magnets and the filter. I would bet most places will not do that for you without charging a lot extra.
I've seen the flush kit for the cooling system that you're talking about. They still sell it here in Canada, but I've always wondered where to go to use this. My drinking water comes from my own well at home, so I never wanted to flush my cooling system somewhere in my yard. In the cities, I'm sure there has to be some sort of laws now that "discourage" people from flushing coolant into city drains. It's too bad... because I'm sure that kit would be the best way to flush the system.
And Icerunner: You mentioned flushing the cooling system with a mix of coolant and water. I wouldn't bother wasting money on coolant for the flush. A good flush with water only will do as good a job. Just drain the water out and refill the system with your final coolant/water mix when you're done flushing. If you don't already, make sure to use distilled water and not tap water in your final mix to ensure you'll be getting the most protection from corrosion and buildup in your system.
Also, coolant gets recycled separately from oils (engine oil, gear oil, ATF, and brake fluid can be mixed together for recycling), so you are correct... they probably won't want to take the "milkshake" off your hands. However, I'd be surprised if your "milkshake" does not separate into coolant/water at the bottom, and ATF at the top if you let it sit undisturbed for a while (I could be wrong on that). That would allow you to separate it and recycle it properly.
Last edited by GSGALLANT; 12-03-2008 at 03:26 AM.
12-03-2008, 06:39 AM
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Paul:
And Icerunner: You mentioned flushing the cooling system with a mix of coolant and water. I wouldn't bother wasting money on coolant for the flush. A good flush with water only will do as good a job. Just drain the water out and refill the system with your final coolant/water mix when you're done flushing. If you don't already, make sure to use distilled water and not tap water in your final mix to ensure you'll be getting the most protection from corrosion and buildup in your system.
Also, coolant gets recycled separately from oils (engine oil, gear oil, ATF, and brake fluid can be mixed together for recycling), so you are correct... they probably won't want to take the "milkshake" off your hands. However, I'd be surprised if your "milkshake" does not separate into coolant/water at the bottom, and ATF at the top if you let it sit undisturbed for a while (I could be wrong on that). That would allow you to separate it and recycle it properly.
And Icerunner: You mentioned flushing the cooling system with a mix of coolant and water. I wouldn't bother wasting money on coolant for the flush. A good flush with water only will do as good a job. Just drain the water out and refill the system with your final coolant/water mix when you're done flushing. If you don't already, make sure to use distilled water and not tap water in your final mix to ensure you'll be getting the most protection from corrosion and buildup in your system.
Also, coolant gets recycled separately from oils (engine oil, gear oil, ATF, and brake fluid can be mixed together for recycling), so you are correct... they probably won't want to take the "milkshake" off your hands. However, I'd be surprised if your "milkshake" does not separate into coolant/water at the bottom, and ATF at the top if you let it sit undisturbed for a while (I could be wrong on that). That would allow you to separate it and recycle it properly.
QUESTION" do you know what "getto 4wd" is...?
ANSWER: 100 Sand bags in the bed of a 4X2 pick up truck...ha
1) good point about the supply return trans lines to the radiator...I will use tap water for the initial flush and I will recycle what ever I flush as antifreeze after it seperates. (My home too is on a well) yet i would recycle the fluids anyway and then use distilled water for the final coolant mix.
I think im going to swap the current radiator with a quality aftermarket direct fit deal...
Great point about fluid recycling, im all over it and its is the right thing to do...
I wait for the 2 different liquids (ATF and antifreeze) to fully seperate and then siphon/pour the top layer off.
I hate when lazy and stupid people (and some shops) dump oil and anti freeze into to soil or down a drain... as it almost always will work its way into the water (public or well) supply eventually...
toxic crap .... HA, would you like a nice cold glass of "cancer" anyone? ha!
Last edited by icerunner; 12-03-2008 at 06:01 PM.
12-03-2008, 09:34 AM
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Does the pump for the Transmission run while in park?
Guys thanks for all the help,
Just a couple of questions: I'm trying to get all the bad ATF/Coolant mix out of the trans as much as possible with a manuall flush by taking the ATF supply line to the radiator and placing it in a bucket all the while I feed the fresh ATF into the trans dip stick line... Slow process
Does anyone know if the pump for the Transmission will run while in park?
Or in other words is it safer to manually flush out the transmission while in park with the engine running...and can trans damage occur if running and in park?
thanks
Just a couple of questions: I'm trying to get all the bad ATF/Coolant mix out of the trans as much as possible with a manuall flush by taking the ATF supply line to the radiator and placing it in a bucket all the while I feed the fresh ATF into the trans dip stick line... Slow process
Does anyone know if the pump for the Transmission will run while in park?
Or in other words is it safer to manually flush out the transmission while in park with the engine running...and can trans damage occur if running and in park?
thanks
12-03-2008, 09:55 AM
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As mt_goat said, yes the tranny pump runs when the engine is running. It is safer to do it the way I explained in that link I posted above. One quart at a time. The ATF doesn't flow down the dipstick tube very quickly, and you risk running the tranny pump dry if you fall behind too much... even with the tranny in park. During one of your "1 quart runs", cycle the transmission slowly through all the gears (pause for a second or two at each gear) to help flush out the valve body.
Are you planning on dropping the oil pan to clean it, the magnets, and the filter while you're doing this flush? If it hasn't been done that you know of, this is a good chance to do it and would be a good idea.
Are you planning on dropping the oil pan to clean it, the magnets, and the filter while you're doing this flush? If it hasn't been done that you know of, this is a good chance to do it and would be a good idea.
12-03-2008, 12:40 PM
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As mt_goat said, yes the tranny pump runs when the engine is running. It is safer to do it the way I explained in that link I posted above. One quart at a time. The ATF doesn't flow down the dipstick tube very quickly, and you risk running the tranny pump dry if you fall behind too much... even with the tranny in park. During one of your "1 quart runs", cycle the transmission slowly through all the gears (pause for a second or two at each gear) to help flush out the valve body.
Are you planning on dropping the oil pan to clean it, the magnets, and the filter while you're doing this flush? If it hasn't been done that you know of, this is a good chance to do it and would be a good idea.
Are you planning on dropping the oil pan to clean it, the magnets, and the filter while you're doing this flush? If it hasn't been done that you know of, this is a good chance to do it and would be a good idea.
Since the pan is basically empty right now, with the engine off I was planning on pre-loading the trans pan with about 5 to 6 quarts of heated fresh ATF through the dip tube. I'll heat the ATF with a blow dryer to over 100-120F so that it can mix easily with the contaminated fluid and then briefly run the engine in park for about 5 to 10 seconds to pre-start the flushing process and to make sure the fluid is flowing again through out the trans.
Yes, I was going to drop the pan yet I want to start process of flushing 1st so I don't have to drop the pan 2 times. In other words, i am going to try to run as much of the contaminated mixture out as possible on my first manual flush ( quickly, without running the engine too much) and then Do another full manual flush and then drop the pan to change/clean the fitler and the magnets before the final fill up of ATF. I was think i'll need about 36 quarts (2 full flushes) of the cheaper dex III atf to get most of the dredded coolant out of the system. After the 2nd flush I will drain a sample of atf out of the trans and watch for coolant separation (ATF will float to the top and coolant/water on bottom) for any residual coolant left over...Im hoping it wont be a lot after 2 full flushes...I'll repeat untill I have removed 99% of the contaminated fluid and then I may drive and have it power flushed again at a shop with better quality DEX III (toyota ATF or similar.)
now the cooling system flush is so much easier than this process...
so Im really looking at using a minimum of 48 quarts or 12 gallons of Dex III ATF (2 full flushes and 1 fill up)...
so my question is, can ATF be bought by the barrel?
Last edited by icerunner; 12-03-2008 at 01:27 PM.
12-03-2008, 01:40 PM
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Sounds like you're on the right track, but I'd like to suggest the following:
After adding the ATF in the pan for the first time, disconnect your cooler line, and start the flush right then. I wouldn't circulate the new fluid in with the contaminated stuff. If you start the flush right away, you'll minimize the circulation of contaminated stuff, and you'll minimize how long you operate the vehicle with the contaminated stuff in there. The quicker you get it out, the better. As long as you add your 6 to 7 quarts before you begin, you'll be fine.
Start the truck a couple of times for the 15 to 20 seconds that it takes to pump out 1 quart, adding a new quart between each time. You can leave the tranny in park for the first few times you do this. Like I mentioned above, at some point, when you do one of the 15-20 second runs, cycle through the gears.
The rest of what you're saying is OK, though I wouldn't bother pre-heating the fluid. I'm not sure it would promote the mixing of old with new, but in any case, you don't want that. You want the new fluid to push out the old fluid as quickly as possible. Keep it simple.
After adding the ATF in the pan for the first time, disconnect your cooler line, and start the flush right then. I wouldn't circulate the new fluid in with the contaminated stuff. If you start the flush right away, you'll minimize the circulation of contaminated stuff, and you'll minimize how long you operate the vehicle with the contaminated stuff in there. The quicker you get it out, the better. As long as you add your 6 to 7 quarts before you begin, you'll be fine.
Start the truck a couple of times for the 15 to 20 seconds that it takes to pump out 1 quart, adding a new quart between each time. You can leave the tranny in park for the first few times you do this. Like I mentioned above, at some point, when you do one of the 15-20 second runs, cycle through the gears.
The rest of what you're saying is OK, though I wouldn't bother pre-heating the fluid. I'm not sure it would promote the mixing of old with new, but in any case, you don't want that. You want the new fluid to push out the old fluid as quickly as possible. Keep it simple.
12-03-2008, 01:43 PM
#70
Hmm,thats a lot of fluid,why not pull the drain plug in the pan,drain fluid from pan,fill pan through dipstick,pull the cooler line(shortest rubber line),extend that line with another hose(put hose into clear bottle..start engine...wait untill 3qrts comes out of cooler line...fill 3 quarts down dipstick....Just keep doing that untill its really red new fluid,use a clear empty washer fluid gallon bottle,thats what I use any way..should take a case-case and 1/2...you will get 98-99% out that way...
12-03-2008, 04:11 PM
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Does anyone have any pics of a bypassed cooled installed on a stock runner? Where is the best place to run the lines? The 4454 trans cooler has a 18500 gvw. Does this mean it can handle this much weight with a trailer, wouldn't this cooler be overkill for our vehicles? I was going to replace my rad as a precaution, but the oe rad is in excellent shape and is probably better quality than a aftermarket one, so mt best preventative option may be to bypass the cooler. Will the 4454 cooler fit in front of the rad easily? This milkshake problem seems to only happen on 99's
Mike
Mike
12-03-2008, 09:07 PM
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Paul: You can do as good a flush at home as they do with a flush machine in the shop, including the torque converter and the valve body... I've explained the method here.
All a flush machine does is connect to the cooler lines, and it uses the transmission's pump to pump the old fluid out into a reservoir on the flush machine that's seperated in half by a bladder. The other side of the bladder in the reservoir is filled with new fluid. The old fluid going in one side applies pressure to the new fluid through the bladder, which pushes the new fluid into the tranny pan through the cooler return line. The DIY flush method described in the thread above does the exact same thing, but it's a bit slower.
The other benefit of doing it at home is that you'll know the tranny pan got removed to clean the magnets and the filter. I would bet most places will not do that for you without charging a lot extra.
I've seen the flush kit for the cooling system that you're talking about. They still sell it here in Canada, but I've always wondered where to go to use this. My drinking water comes from my own well at home, so I never wanted to flush my cooling system somewhere in my yard. In the cities, I'm sure there has to be some sort of laws now that "discourage" people from flushing coolant into city drains. It's too bad... because I'm sure that kit would be the best way to flush the system.
And Icerunner: You mentioned flushing the cooling system with a mix of coolant and water. I wouldn't bother wasting money on coolant for the flush. A good flush with water only will do as good a job. Just drain the water out and refill the system with your final coolant/water mix when you're done flushing. If you don't already, make sure to use distilled water and not tap water in your final mix to ensure you'll be getting the most protection from corrosion and buildup in your system.
Also, coolant gets recycled separately from oils (engine oil, gear oil, ATF, and brake fluid can be mixed together for recycling), so you are correct... they probably won't want to take the "milkshake" off your hands. However, I'd be surprised if your "milkshake" does not separate into coolant/water at the bottom, and ATF at the top if you let it sit undisturbed for a while (I could be wrong on that). That would allow you to separate it and recycle it properly.
All a flush machine does is connect to the cooler lines, and it uses the transmission's pump to pump the old fluid out into a reservoir on the flush machine that's seperated in half by a bladder. The other side of the bladder in the reservoir is filled with new fluid. The old fluid going in one side applies pressure to the new fluid through the bladder, which pushes the new fluid into the tranny pan through the cooler return line. The DIY flush method described in the thread above does the exact same thing, but it's a bit slower.
The other benefit of doing it at home is that you'll know the tranny pan got removed to clean the magnets and the filter. I would bet most places will not do that for you without charging a lot extra.
I've seen the flush kit for the cooling system that you're talking about. They still sell it here in Canada, but I've always wondered where to go to use this. My drinking water comes from my own well at home, so I never wanted to flush my cooling system somewhere in my yard. In the cities, I'm sure there has to be some sort of laws now that "discourage" people from flushing coolant into city drains. It's too bad... because I'm sure that kit would be the best way to flush the system.
And Icerunner: You mentioned flushing the cooling system with a mix of coolant and water. I wouldn't bother wasting money on coolant for the flush. A good flush with water only will do as good a job. Just drain the water out and refill the system with your final coolant/water mix when you're done flushing. If you don't already, make sure to use distilled water and not tap water in your final mix to ensure you'll be getting the most protection from corrosion and buildup in your system.
Also, coolant gets recycled separately from oils (engine oil, gear oil, ATF, and brake fluid can be mixed together for recycling), so you are correct... they probably won't want to take the "milkshake" off your hands. However, I'd be surprised if your "milkshake" does not separate into coolant/water at the bottom, and ATF at the top if you let it sit undisturbed for a while (I could be wrong on that). That would allow you to separate it and recycle it properly.
I haven't checked lately, but the auto parts stores around here only wanted to accept engine oil for recycle. No gear lube or ATF accetped. This may have changed, as I find it more convenient to pay someone else to do my fluid changes now.
Paul
12-04-2008, 05:29 AM
#73
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Does anyone have any pics of a bypassed cooled installed on a stock runner? Where is the best place to run the lines? The 4454 trans cooler has a 18500 gvw. Does this mean it can handle this much weight with a trailer, wouldn't this cooler be overkill for our vehicles? I was going to replace my rad as a precaution, but the oe rad is in excellent shape and is probably better quality than a aftermarket one, so mt best preventative option may be to bypass the cooler. Will the 4454 cooler fit in front of the rad easily? This milkshake problem seems to only happen on 99's
Mike
Mike
12-04-2008, 06:06 AM
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Thanks for the info on the tranny flush, but it seems a better solution to have it flushed. With your method, every time that the engine is shut down, you add clean fluid to the contaminated fluid making it difficult to get all the coolant out. Leaving a little dirty ATF in the system is probably ok, but coolant is another problem. Not to mention the quantity of ATF he will have to purchase to do the flush may make it cheaper & easier to have someone else take care of it.
I haven't checked lately, but the auto parts stores around here only wanted to accept engine oil for recycle. No gear lube or ATF accetped. This may have changed, as I find it more convenient to pay someone else to do my fluid changes now.
Paul
I haven't checked lately, but the auto parts stores around here only wanted to accept engine oil for recycle. No gear lube or ATF accetped. This may have changed, as I find it more convenient to pay someone else to do my fluid changes now.
Paul
Plus I need to flush out the cooliing system as well and and bypass the radiator today and I am going to tackle this all today... Also I'm putting new brakes and rotors on the truck and will be replacing my dented the front crash bar and front valliance all over the next couple of weeks, in my heated garage (thank god) as its dam cold right now at 11 F .
Last edited by icerunner; 12-04-2008 at 06:16 AM.
12-04-2008, 06:06 AM
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Thanks for the info on the tranny flush, but it seems a better solution to have it flushed. With your method, every time that the engine is shut down, you add clean fluid to the contaminated fluid making it difficult to get all the coolant out. Leaving a little dirty ATF in the system is probably ok, but coolant is another problem. Not to mention the quantity of ATF he will have to purchase to do the flush may make it cheaper & easier to have someone else take care of it.
12-04-2008, 06:55 AM
#76
There is no way to get all the water out of your transmission. The clutch plates and bands will absorb water and this will dissolve the glue that holds the lining to the plate. Also, any metal parts in the transmission will rust and contaminate the fluid. The only solution to this problem is to have the unit rebuilt.
12-04-2008, 10:28 AM
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I just ordered the 4454 cooler to bypass my rad cooler in hopes to avoid the nightmare some of you have encountered. I feel better knowing I have a dedicated cooler for the trans giving me the ability to tow without worry. This cooler has temperature regulating so undercooling should not be a issue. This is like a $100 insurance policy.
12-04-2008, 10:44 AM
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There is no way to get all the water out of your transmission. The clutch plates and bands will absorb water and this will dissolve the glue that holds the lining to the plate. Also, any metal parts in the transmission will rust and contaminate the fluid. The only solution to this problem is to have the unit rebuilt.
Thanks for the optimism, might as well drive my truck off a cliff if I listened to that...
Ha,
Btw, i think you may be wrong in this case...
And YET, you may be right and I may have to replace it..Then again its a trans with 160K...and it wasent going to last forever anyway... Then again I may be able to buy some time and the good news is that I can find a used trans for about $300 to 500.00 on ebay...ROCK ON!! I may try the swap myself or I may try to hire a trans tech to come out to my house and assist in the swap out... Not sure what I would have to pay the guy though. Thinking $650.00 Cash would be a dam good day for him.
Any idea which trans line hooked to the oil cooler on the radiatior is the "supply" (atf to cooler)?
Also will I have to temporary cap the trans "return side" (atf from cooler) line while I do the flush, or just leave it open?
Last edited by icerunner; 12-04-2008 at 10:56 AM.
12-04-2008, 11:02 AM
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12-04-2008, 11:22 AM
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