Trans Magnet

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I am going to be changing out ATF on my 07 Tahoe and have heard that the magnets in these are weak?

Anyone have experience with these and if so suggest a strong replacement?

Thanks,
Tim
 
I never had any issues in my GM trucks w just the stock trans magnet. They work good because every time I dropped a pan, the magnet had some metal fuzz on them. You can always add another one in the pan if you feel it necessary. Just make sure it's thin so that it doesn't contact the trans.
 
Neodymium magnets can be bought on eBay, a bitty thing half the size of your fist will have 100lb rated magnetic pull. I'd use that in something with no drain plug.
 
Those donut magnets at any hardware store works well. There was a GM TSB where the original square magnet didn't have enough holding capacity so they advise replacing it with a donut magnet in place of the square magnet.

Using the magnets from a couple of old hard drives work extremely well too. They are strong neodymium magnets so they work well just sticking them outside of the pan. Makes cleaning the fuzzies off the pan easier too.
 
Originally Posted By: Dyusik
Neodymium magnets can be bought on eBay, a bitty thing half the size of your fist will have 100lb rated magnetic pull. I'd use that in something with no drain plug.


With no drain plug the ATF is likely to drain out unless the magnet is do strong it will prevent that??
 
Yes, GM issued a TSB which called for replacing the rectangular magnets with new, circular magnets.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/chevrolet,2007,tahoe,5.3l+v8,1433255,transmission-automatic,oil+pan+magnet,18538

There's the link to the new magnet they are recommending now. I don't know if you have the 4.8L or 5.3L, but the magnet is the same.

I also second the Magnefine inline filter.
 
Thanks guys for all the input on this, I'll take a look at the Magnefine filter.

Another quick question, is there an additive that you all would suggest to add to the replacement.
 
Lubegard Red has some pretty positive reviews on here in these GM transmissions. I have added it to my 4T65E transmission to help keep temps under control and it seems to have some effect. It's still too early to tell as I've only put a couple hundred miles on the transmission since I added it, but I've got no complaints thus far.
 
Originally Posted By: Dyusik
Neodymium magnets can be bought on eBay, a bitty thing half the size of your fist will have 100lb rated magnetic pull. I'd use that in something with no drain plug.

Careful going overboard with magnets and where you place them. You don't want them to interfere with the solenoids.
 
Google "4T65E magnet" it'll lead you to a GM doc that list several trannies using terrible weak square magnets.

NEVER put a magnet on the outside of the tranny oil pan. Why? The pan is .040 to .075" thick steel where most of the magnet's field is shunted by the thick metal, meaning it'll do little good inside the pan. On spin-on engine oil filters with steel only .010 to .020" thick they work great, because the steel is thin, as an example.

Dropping the pan and finding places with enough clearance to tranny parts and then placing magnets inside is way better! I've placed as many as 6 mags inside and it's way better then cutting a cooler line for an inline filter. Why? inside the pan magnets are exposed to a much larger flow of ATF then what goes thru the cooler line alone.
 
Originally Posted By: Plimbob
I am going to be changing out ATF on my 07 Tahoe and have heard that the magnets in these are weak?

Anyone have experience with these and if so suggest a strong replacement?

Thanks,
Tim


Check out the TSB, you will need two magnets. You have very little pan clearance so I would go with the GM ones stated in the bulletin. Rock Auto has them. These things are very strong so you don't need to play guess work finding something to fit.

TSB # 08-07-30-040B
 
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I just did this about a week ago when I did a pan drop on my 2007 Impala. Kinda wish I would have ordered the Dorman transmission pan with the drain plug for future service .
 
Thanks guys for the info, I'll get two of the recommended magnets from Rock Auto.
 
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