Make your own ATF fluid pump on the cheap

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As if needing a special tool for filling my transmission wasn't enough of a hassle, the fluid pumps that they sell to go with it are outrageously expensive. I decided to whip one up from a cheap garden sprayer. I've included a pic of my reciept with all the part numbers you need to grab the stuff at lowes. Screw the adapter into the fill plug. Pour a gallon of ATF in the tank, pump up the pressure, crack the ball valve and let it flow.

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Very nice! That would work nicely for filling the transfer cases in both my Jeeps.
 
wow that is great little setup would be really handy with my ford ya gotta fill the trany underneath through the drain plug. Thanks for sharing this.
 
Here. I uploaded the pics instead of hotlinking them. hope that works better for you



 
well went to our local ACE hardware and picked up the stuff to put this together abit cheaper then lowe's too.
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This will come handy next weekend when doing trany fluid/filter change such a great and simple idea !
 
Nice setup MarcS.

The $6.99 fluid pump from Harbor Freight works good enough. Though it's no good for me pumping out of the auto trans fill tube because there's a spring tab at the base of that to keep foreign material out. The hose won't fit past.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Nice setup MarcS.

The $6.99 fluid pump from Harbor Freight works good enough. Though it's no good pumping out of the auto trans fill tube because there's a spring tab at the base of that to keep foreign material out. The hose won't fit past.


This is for filling cars with sealed transmissions that don't have a fill tube. Many recent vehicles including mine need to be filled through an adapter that threads into the pan
 
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In those transmissions, how do you get the sealing bolt back on? Do you unthread the adapter then quickly put in the bolt? Sounds like a pain! I'll keep my old car as long as I can..
 
Originally Posted By: EdwardC
In those transmissions, how do you get the sealing bolt back on? Do you unthread the adapter then quickly put in the bolt? Sounds like a pain! I'll keep my old car as long as I can..


My pan has two holes. The fill hole is a tube that sticks up into the pan so it is above the level of the fluid when the car is running. You get the fluid to the specified temperature, pull the adapter and excess fluid will leak out. when it slows to a drip you're at the proper level and reinstall the bolt
 
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I'd be worried about the oil attacking the sprayer's one-way valve and any soft rubber seal. I've used this guy to fill a "sealed" Toyota tranny, slow but it works : http://www.lumax.com/lx-1341

I need to do another ATF change soon, but this time I'll make that fluid pump.
 
Originally Posted By: nthach
I'd be worried about the oil attacking the sprayer's one-way valve and any soft rubber seal. I've used this guy to fill a "sealed" Toyota tranny, slow but it works : http://www.lumax.com/lx-1341

I need to do another ATF change soon, but this time I'll make that fluid pump.


I considered it, but garden sprayers are used with some pretty nasty chemicals as well. The one way seal is the only thing that could fail since all the other seals were in the sprayer wand which was chucked and replaced with the PVC hose. Since the pump just pressurizes the container rather than moving fluid, i'm not that concerned, Either way, if it isn't holding a seal the next time i do my ATF, I'll just spend $10 on a new one. The "official" pump is $250, so if i replaced the pump every time i changed the ATF, I'd break even with the OEM pump just as my car was clicking over 1.3 million miles.

Also, this pushes a gallon of fluid in about 3 minutes with a whole lot less pumping.
 
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Great idea. Walbangers has sprayers this season I seen for $5. My past sprayers usually don't make two seasons, even the ones for spraying deck treatments.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Nice setup MarcS.

The $6.99 fluid pump from Harbor Freight works good enough. Though it's no good for me pumping out of the auto trans fill tube because there's a spring tab at the base of that to keep foreign material out. The hose won't fit past.


I bought the harbor freight pump. It didn't last until the end of the first job I had planed for it. You're better off with an old shampoo bottle pump.
 
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