I have a auto trans and it was rebuilt 8,000 miles ago, it has never had the trans fuild changed since the rebuild, should it be changed or when should i change it.

I ask this because at the track on my 2nd and 3rd run the trans seemed to not want to shift and hit the rev limit, and like i said it only has about 8,000 miles on it with a shift kit in it.

When i left the track and drove some it was ok and sifted fine, maybe i need a trans cooler or something.

thanks for any help

 

get a trans cooler! They are easy to install and CHEAP. Around fifty bucks will get you a cooler bigger than you will ever need. I have the B&M cooler that is rated for 24,000 lbs gross vehicle weight. I had the lazy shifting problem on my car, it had mobil 1 in it, I switched to maxxlift tranny fluid(a little thicker) and it got rid of the problem.

John

 

I don't go by miles, but I change mine, once every year...usually the same time...I don't drive it in the winter, so the miles aren't that bad.

 

Fluid can last 100,000 miles, or just a few miles, it depends on what is going on. How hot it gets, how you drive, what you use as a cooler, etc. As you see there are many variables. The best way to do this is to check the fluid once a week and get used to the smell and color. If you do something out of the ordinary (tow, go to the drags, etc.) check the fluid for changes (if any), if you notice a change in color (darker) and/or smell (burnt) then do a "complete" change immeditely. The fluid has done its job. Remember when the transmission quits (in most cases), the fluid goes away first, and depending on what degree it was burnt (if not changed immediately), the transmission can or will start to give problems if not quitting altogether. Changing fluid when it looks and smells ok, is a waste of time and money. Checking weekly or after an event (tow, go to the drags, etc.) is the best way to monitor the fluid.

 

Same as above.

 

thanks for the help , i'll check it today and see if it smells ok or not, iam going to get a cooler for soon but iam not sure where to put it on the car.

 

So, changing fluid before it's burnt is a waste of time & money? Remind me NEVER to have you work on my transmission! Are you for real?!?!? Do you change your engine oil & filter ONLY when it's black & thick? You know NOTHING about transmissions. You should keep your poor advise to yourself! You change the fluid & filter to keep it fresh & from getting burnt & loaded with friction materials & metal/brass. We suggest that you change the fluid every 2 years or 24,000 miles to KEEP you from comming into our shop for big repairs. I guess you want to have people blow their transmissions so you can club them on a rebuild! Please don't spew you incorrect babblings on here so people don't maintain their cars properly & PREVENT major repairs.....Moron.

 

I've only been driving my car with the auto for 6 weeks, and I have changed the fluid once already (all eight quarts!). Of course, I am pretty tough on it with track use, the loose converter (4,200 stall) and all. I think that in typical street use the 2y/24K that Mike suggested seems reasonable. If you race a lot, especially with a high stall, then do it more often. For high performance use, a good tranny cooler is virtually a necessity.

Rich Krause

 

The transmission wear and engine wear are not the same, and there is no comparison on this, but somehow "you" think so. Changing fluid before it's burnt is a waste of time & money, you're DAMN right. What are you accomplishing by doing this?, taking their money for an "unnecessary" service! DAMN right again. If you have metal and clutch material blocking the filter?, you have other problems. Changing fluid in this case is not going to do much if anything. If you want to change fluid every 24,000 miles or two years, thats your business. Monitoring the fluid is the best way to prevent problems bar none!!! Oh, by the way I monitor my motor oil too!

 

Wow, that was a very mature post. For the record, my dad's fleet trucks (Chevy Tahoes, 4L60Es) have well over 100K miles and never had the trans fluid changed. One just hit 150K and the fluid still looks and smells like maybe 1 year old fluid. Never had a problem with any of them. And that's a 6-truck fleet too. But mind you these trucks are just cruisers and rarely get above 2300rpm and tow nothing more than small trailers loaded with shop/crew supplies or ATVs for field use.

Trans fluid is basically hydraulic fluid..... under normal conditions it doesn't wear out or act like engine oil. Engine oil is done after many contaminants get in it or the lubricant additives/stabilizers break down and can't protect the engine anymore. Tranny fluid is different..... as long as you don't overheat it and keep the contaminants filtered out it will last longer than your car will.

 

I was going to have the fluid changed on one of my cars by the local, respected guru of transmissions in my area. But after talking to the guy I decided not to. Why you might ask? Because although my car had over 100,000 miles on it and even though it was a sports car the fluid was not showing any signs of wear. I was told that unless that was the case then just to leave it. Because as soon as I changed it, the fluid would disrupt the metal or other contaminates which had settled into the pan and get into the rest of the trans. So if it's driven really hard and doesn't have a cooler I would change it when I began to see the fluid getting pretty dark and smelling pretty bad. BTW the newer Dextrol 3 is darker and smells stronger that the old Dextrol 2 slightly. And let's not get carried away here- an engine draws in dirty air from it's enviroment no matter what air filter you use, thus you need to change engine oil on a regular basis.