This is why you want clean fluid at all times in your transmission and no transmission should be "Sealed for life" look at all the moving parts and all the metal on metal contact going on in here...
Inside an automatic transmission
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I've seen several similar videos taking apart one of these units but always amazes me the complexity packed inside. No wonder rebuilds or replacements cost so much. "Sealed for life" is such cow poo, unless one is talking about how the life of the unit means "until it fails from damage caused by fried fluid".
Makes me want to put on a spin-on extra trans filter, drain plug and quick connect lines to flush the transmission.
I like his comment at the end "Now try putting it all back together"
Some impressive engineering and manufacturing skill goes into those.
Some impressive engineering and manufacturing skill goes into those.
I could take it all apart, putting it back together correctly would be another story.
At the tech school I went to in the early '70's, the apprentices in the trans department would go to a trade show or fair, and they'd have a trans on display. The boys would strip and reassemble them blindfolded. They were rwd trans. That part is pretty simple, diagnosing and repairing more than simple failures is where the skill is.
My dad and I have done a few rebuilds, primarily on the early 4 speeds from Chrysler that were plagued with problems. He amazed me how he could take it all apart, repair it and put it all back together without writing down where things had come from. Even now when I do even less complicated repairs to things I will snap a picture with my phone just in case, or group bolts together to help remember what came from where.
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids. Sealed for life is a joke in my opinion.
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Originally Posted by demarpaint
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids.
Me too.
My BIL is a powertrain engineer, who has worked for Ford, GM, Chrysler and Borg-Warner. Among engineers, sealed for life is considered to be much lower risk. Many of the failed transmissions that they get back for analysis contain shop rag lint, which has contaminated passageways and solenoids. Mechanics introduce dirt and kill transmissions is the thinking among engineers.
Perhaps careless ones do.
But I will stick with changing fluid regularly.
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids.
Me too.
My BIL is a powertrain engineer, who has worked for Ford, GM, Chrysler and Borg-Warner. Among engineers, sealed for life is considered to be much lower risk. Many of the failed transmissions that they get back for analysis contain shop rag lint, which has contaminated passageways and solenoids. Mechanics introduce dirt and kill transmissions is the thinking among engineers.
Perhaps careless ones do.
But I will stick with changing fluid regularly.
Originally Posted by Astro14
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids.
Me too.
My BIL is a powertrain engineer, who has worked for Ford, GM, Chrysler and Borg-Warner. Among engineers, sealed for life is considered to be much lower risk. Many of the failed transmissions that they get back for analysis contain shop rag lint, which has contaminated passageways and solenoids. Mechanics introduce dirt and kill transmissions is the thinking among engineers.
Perhaps careless ones do.
But I will stick with changing fluid regularly.
I guess with all the horror stories we read here with mechanics screwing up jobs, a simple oil change being grossly overfilled, etc. the engineers might be onto something. I mean if something as simple as an oil change gets screwed up imagine what can happen to a transmission service......
One has to determine the definition of "life" and if a competition person is servicing the unit or not. I'll continue to service mine, and I will be willing to bet in doing so it will outlast a sealed for life unit, had I played along and left it alone.
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids.
Me too.
My BIL is a powertrain engineer, who has worked for Ford, GM, Chrysler and Borg-Warner. Among engineers, sealed for life is considered to be much lower risk. Many of the failed transmissions that they get back for analysis contain shop rag lint, which has contaminated passageways and solenoids. Mechanics introduce dirt and kill transmissions is the thinking among engineers.
Perhaps careless ones do.
But I will stick with changing fluid regularly.
I guess with all the horror stories we read here with mechanics screwing up jobs, a simple oil change being grossly overfilled, etc. the engineers might be onto something. I mean if something as simple as an oil change gets screwed up imagine what can happen to a transmission service......
One has to determine the definition of "life" and if a competition person is servicing the unit or not. I'll continue to service mine, and I will be willing to bet in doing so it will outlast a sealed for life unit, had I played along and left it alone.
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Originally Posted by Reddy45
I could never do it. The people who rebuild these all day long, dealing with that distinctive ATF smell and constantly red/oily hands earn every penny.
There are much worse jobs , believe me . You ever done any attic work ? Plumbing ? Concrete work ( including chipping by hand ) ? Roof work ? Ditch digging ( by hand ) . Crawling under a house ? The list goes on for ever . Watch the re-runs of Dirty Jobs .
Now , on the other hand , could I get one put back together properly & make it run ? No , but I have no training .
By the way , if you made your living working on AT's , that red fluid would smell like money !
I could never do it. The people who rebuild these all day long, dealing with that distinctive ATF smell and constantly red/oily hands earn every penny.
There are much worse jobs , believe me . You ever done any attic work ? Plumbing ? Concrete work ( including chipping by hand ) ? Roof work ? Ditch digging ( by hand ) . Crawling under a house ? The list goes on for ever . Watch the re-runs of Dirty Jobs .
Now , on the other hand , could I get one put back together properly & make it run ? No , but I have no training .
By the way , if you made your living working on AT's , that red fluid would smell like money !
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids. Sealed for life is a joke in my opinion.
I'm the same. Especially in transmissions that don't have serviceable filters.
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids. Sealed for life is a joke in my opinion.
I'm the same. Especially in transmissions that don't have serviceable filters.
Would it hurt the engineers that much to go back to putting a drain plug in the torque converter ? How about a drain plug in the pan ?
Some one else mentioned an external spin on filter , also .
I have alway heard a car is designed to last until the warranty expires and the original owner makes the final payment . Then it is time to seel him / her an new one .
Some one else mentioned an external spin on filter , also .
I have alway heard a car is designed to last until the warranty expires and the original owner makes the final payment . Then it is time to seel him / her an new one .
Originally Posted by Astro14
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids.
Me too.
My BIL is a powertrain engineer, who has worked for Ford, GM, Chrysler and Borg-Warner. Among engineers, sealed for life is considered to be much lower risk. Many of the failed transmissions that they get back for analysis contain shop rag lint, which has contaminated passageways and solenoids. Mechanics introduce dirt and kill transmissions is the thinking among engineers.
Perhaps careless ones do.
I'm in agreement with your BIL. Opening up a transmission ALWAYS carries risk of introducing foreign matter into the unit itself.
Here's a what I would call "typical" example: Owner intends to change fluid in his garage/driveway. While the pan is off a breeze blows some dust/dirt into the garage and/or underneath the car. Some of that matter could have attached itself to the exposed internals, or been deposited onto a transmission pan, in a bucket of ATF (saying he/she is doing a flush) or whatever. What if the pan has been sitting in a dirty garage for a few weeks/months and the owner just wipes it out with a rage but dust/dirt is still present?
I would never change the ATF in my garage because I always have a breeze which will swirl some dust/dirt around in the garage.
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I stick with my 30K pan drops, filter changes and line exchanges. Using only mfg. approved fluids.
Me too.
My BIL is a powertrain engineer, who has worked for Ford, GM, Chrysler and Borg-Warner. Among engineers, sealed for life is considered to be much lower risk. Many of the failed transmissions that they get back for analysis contain shop rag lint, which has contaminated passageways and solenoids. Mechanics introduce dirt and kill transmissions is the thinking among engineers.
Perhaps careless ones do.
I'm in agreement with your BIL. Opening up a transmission ALWAYS carries risk of introducing foreign matter into the unit itself.
Here's a what I would call "typical" example: Owner intends to change fluid in his garage/driveway. While the pan is off a breeze blows some dust/dirt into the garage and/or underneath the car. Some of that matter could have attached itself to the exposed internals, or been deposited onto a transmission pan, in a bucket of ATF (saying he/she is doing a flush) or whatever. What if the pan has been sitting in a dirty garage for a few weeks/months and the owner just wipes it out with a rage but dust/dirt is still present?
I would never change the ATF in my garage because I always have a breeze which will swirl some dust/dirt around in the garage.
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Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Would it hurt the engineers that much to go back to putting a drain plug in the torque converter ? How about a drain plug in the pan ?
Some one else mentioned an external spin on filter , also .
I have alway heard a car is designed to last until the warranty expires and the original owner makes the final payment . Then it is time to seel him / her an new one .
I will settle for a dipstick and a drain plug. Spill/Fill regularly is enough. My Santa Fe had no user serviceable filter and all I did was a spill/fill regularly and I drove it on the original transmission until the engine died without any issues and no slipping.
Would it hurt the engineers that much to go back to putting a drain plug in the torque converter ? How about a drain plug in the pan ?
Some one else mentioned an external spin on filter , also .
I have alway heard a car is designed to last until the warranty expires and the original owner makes the final payment . Then it is time to seel him / her an new one .
I will settle for a dipstick and a drain plug. Spill/Fill regularly is enough. My Santa Fe had no user serviceable filter and all I did was a spill/fill regularly and I drove it on the original transmission until the engine died without any issues and no slipping.
Looks like an Aisin AT.
Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Would it hurt the engineers that much to go back to putting a drain plug in the torque converter ? How about a drain plug in the pan ?
Some one else mentioned an external spin on filter , also .
I have alway heard a car is designed to last until the warranty expires and the original owner makes the final payment . Then it is time to seel him / her an new one .
The Allison transmissions used in heavy duty GM trucks have spin on oil filters. I wish this was the case on every transmission, but then you'd need to put dip sticks back on all of them so you can top up the fluid (since the old filter would have some fluid in it upon removal).
Would it hurt the engineers that much to go back to putting a drain plug in the torque converter ? How about a drain plug in the pan ?
Some one else mentioned an external spin on filter , also .
I have alway heard a car is designed to last until the warranty expires and the original owner makes the final payment . Then it is time to seel him / her an new one .
The Allison transmissions used in heavy duty GM trucks have spin on oil filters. I wish this was the case on every transmission, but then you'd need to put dip sticks back on all of them so you can top up the fluid (since the old filter would have some fluid in it upon removal).
Great video Stevie !!
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