G/box: 2WD: ATM flushing latest prices and which pipe is which?

[Rover Saloon]

First of all - an update on ATF prices. As noted in an earlier thread, the Vauxhall part number is 93160393. Sure enough it does not mention 3309 on the bottle but the cardboard box it has come in has this part number plus ''Opel ATF 3309'. I got 9lt for £5.83 plus vat so £6.85 inc. per litre. Seems pretty reasonable.

My Volvo S80 2000 2.4 SE with the 5 speed Aisin AW 55 - 50 has plumbing unlike the pictures I have found so far. There are two pipes from the gearbox to the cooling radiator. One comes out from the undeside of the box and goes to the bottom of the rad. The other comes out near the top of the box and goes to the top of the rad. Does anyone know which one to take off when flushing?

[m3evo]

Hi, thats quite reasonable a lot better deal than i got at york toyota for the T1v fluid it cost me £90 for 10litres, regarding the pipes you can use either but to drain the oil cooler in the rad use the top pipe, if your not bothered about getting the old oil out of the cooler then you can use the bottom pipe, but i would use the top and get the lot out, cheers Dave

[Jim314]

Originally Posted by Rover Saloon

First of all - an update on ATF prices. As noted in an earlier thread, the Vauxhall part number is 93160393. Sure enough it does not mention 3309 on the bottle but the cardboard box it has come in has this part number plus ''Opel ATF 3309'. I got 9lt for £5.83 plus vat so £6.85 inc. per litre. Seems pretty reasonable.

My Volvo S80 2000 2.4 SE with the 5 speed Aisin AW 55 - 50 has plumbing unlike the pictures I have found so far. There are two pipes from the gearbox to the cooling radiator. One comes out from the underside of the box and goes to the bottom of the rad. The other comes out near the top of the box and goes to the top of the rad. Does anyone know which one to take off when flushing?

In a customer feedback form I queried IPD on whether the fluid flows out of the tranny (and into the cooler)through the upper tranny to cooler hose or the lower one. They replied that their instructions explain that their outflow hose leading to a collection can for used ATF is to be connected to the upper hose for my 2004 V70. However, elsewhere I have seen that it should be the lower hose. The matter is in doubt in my mind.

ipdUSA Customer Feedback Form

Name: Jim Stewart
Concerning flushing the auto trans on my 2004 base model V70 2.4L with 5-spd auto:

Do I disconnect both the upper and lower ATF lines at the cooler in the radiator? If yes, why must both lines be disconnected?

Does the fluid being pumped out of the transmission come out of the upper tranny hose or out of the lower one? To make it perfectly clear, which hose does the flush line attach to?

Their reply was

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the email. The lower hose is disconnected with our kit. Here is a link to the instruction sheet for the kit outlining the procedure: http://www.ipdusa.com/uploads/sku_files/7945_INST.PDF.
Thanks,
Customer Service Representative

[m3evo]

The flow direction is from the bottom hose to the radiator cooler fact! then from the top of the radiator back to the box fact! it just depends whether or not you want to clean the oil cooler out in the rad, so the best way is how i said drain from the top hose, if you drain from the bottom hose then you leave all the old gunge in the cooler, cheers Dave

[Jim314]

Originally Posted by m3evo

The flow direction is from the bottom hose to the radiator cooler fact! then from the top of the radiator back to the box fact! it just depends whether or not you want to clean the oil cooler out in the rad, so the best way is how i said drain from the top hose, if you drain from the bottom hose then you leave all the old gunge in the cooler, cheers Dave

So are you proposing to disconnect the upper tranny cooler hose and then attach a drain tube to the outlet (upper fitting) of the ATF cooler? This would pump fluid through the ATF cooler and would do some cleaning of it.

[m3evo]

Yes Jim, thats right attach your drain tube to the outlet on the top of the rad, tieing the top hose out of the way, cheers Dave

[Rover Saloon]

Many thanks to m3evo and Jim314 for sorting this one out. Just to confirm that I plan to disconnect the top hose and to attach my flushing tube to the outlet from the top of the rad. This should allow the fluid in the cooler to come out first followed by the gearbox contents.

One last question - is there anything to be gained by taking the sump plug out and dropping that first and if so, do I need to replace this fluid before I start flushing or will I just pump staight out what I've just put in. Even at £6 a litre this doesn't sound particularly clever.

Or would I be better just to let the pumping action of the gearbox to flush everything out?

[Jim314]

I can understand why you might think the best flush would be accomplished by first draining out as much as will come out through the tranny drain, measuring the amount and replacing this through the dipstick hole with new fluid, then starting the flush procedure. That's what I would think, but I don't trust my knowledge of the details of the fluid paths and reservoir. The IPD instructions don't say to do it. I wouldn't do it unless some authoritative source recommended it.

According to the IPD instructions you would not want to pour in any new tranny fluid at the start. First you start the engine and pump out 2 qtUS = 1.9 L ~ scant 2L, then stop the engine and add scant 2 L via a funnel in the tranny dipstick hole. Then start the engine and pump out another 2 L, and so forth until the flow out the tranny is clear bright red.

Disclaimer: I have never performed this flush and I am only repeating what I think is correct info from the web.

[Redtwin]

Over on the Saab forums (not saying it is the same transmission or the better technique) they suggest draining the pan, changing the filter and refilling to correct level before starting the flushing procedure.

I would assume that is so the pump in the body of the transmission would use fresh fluid to push the dirty fluid through, before more fresh fluid is added to the trans.

If this is skipped then it stands to reason that you would be pouring fresh fluid into the transmission which still has a fouled filter and dirty fluid in it's sump, and you would need more (greater than total capacity) fresh fluid to dispel the old fluid in the sump.

I have never done this, don't even have an autobox (yet), but the fluid and filter first method is what I would employ unless it could be shown that flushing only was sufficient to clear the filter.

having said that, I do think we may be over thinking this just a bit.

[chieftiff]

Hi all,

I know this link has been posted before and is on here somewhere but this is a fool proof way of getting rid of all the old oil and with pictures.

I have done this and 60k later my oil is just starting to change colour again so I will do it again soon.

Be careful with the blue clips!!!

2 litre milk bottles are good to use as you can see the level rising and switch off quick!

There is so little mix between old and new that the flow goes from dirty to bright red in one definate step so no confusion as when to stop.

In answer to one of your questions, yes you must drain all the sump first and top up with clean or you will either run the pump dry or keep mixing old and new in the sump and not get a nice divide between old and new.

Have fun

Dave

http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5668