Draining 4l60e for filter change... no mess

[Supercharged111]

yeah... I have done that before. Still doesn't help when you are trying to get the last two bolts out while balancing the pan, lol. I think I may have done this on two trucks and they both have had some spillage. I was just brainstorming for a method that may have minimized the mess.

Don't balance the pan, pin it back up to the trans with one hand and use the other to finish removing those last 2 bolts.

 

[Jared Jackson]

Don't balance the pan, pin it back up to the trans with one hand and use the other to finish removing those last 2 bolts.

I was more or less talking about balancing the pan on the way down so as to not spill what is still trapped in it. It's not that big of a deal, and if I have to do it the same way again, I will, no worries. I just wondered if anyone had ever tried siphoning the pan practically dry before unbolting it.

 

[Supercharged111]

Oh, gotcha. No, I just put one of those big silver shallow pans under an actual drain pan to contain the mess.

 

[Oldblue98]

Wouldn't something big like a metal wash tub, or a tote be the easiest? ....of course I've never done this since I have a 4L80E that comes from GM with a drain plug

I used my large drain pan with the pour spout, and laid a large garbage can lid on top of the drain pan which made the catch area bigger yet, it caught everything with no mess.

 

[94burbk1500]

I just put a normal drain pan under it and hoped for the best. I only spilled a few quarts, but ATF is mostly detergents anyway, right?

 

[Jared Jackson]

I just put a normal drain pan under it and hoped for the best. I only spilled a few quarts, but ATF is most detergents anyway, right?

Driveway was cleaner eh? lol

 

[Schurkey]

Has anyone ever used a fluid transfer pump to siphon their transmission pan before dropping it?

The transmission pump IS your fluid transfer pump. Drop the trans cooler tube on the cooler outlet. Install temporary tube that goes to drain pan.

Start engine, let the trans pump do the work for you. Shut engine off as soon as fluid output drops off (pan is nearly empty).

Leave temporary cooler tube in place until after you've installed a fresh filter, cleaned and reinstalled the pan. Fill the pan with 5 quarts of ATF. Un-cap more fluid (~10 quarts, depending on torque converter size) and have it ready to pour down the dipstick tube. Start engine, (It's best to have a helper work the ignition key while you watch the fluid going into the drain pan) start pouring fluid down dipstick tube. When fluid coming out of the temporary tube is fresh 'n' clean, stop engine. Remove temporary tube, re-connect cooler tube. Start engine, adjust fluid level as needed.

Have a beer. You've just changed filter and flushed all the old fluid from the trans and trans cooler(s).

 

[Jared Jackson]

The transmission pump IS your fluid transfer pump. Drop the trans cooler tube on the cooler outlet. Install temporary tube that goes to drain pan.

Start engine, let the trans pump do the work for you. Shut engine off as soon as fluid output drops off (pan is nearly empty).

Leave temporary cooler tube in place until after you've installed a fresh filter, cleaned and reinstalled the pan. Fill the pan with 5 quarts of ATF. Un-cap more fluid (~10 quarts, depending on torque converter size) and have it ready to pour down the dipstick tube. Start engine, (It's best to have a helper work the ignition key while you watch the fluid going into the drain pan) start pouring fluid down dipstick tube. When fluid coming out of the temporary tube is fresh 'n' clean, stop engine. Remove temporary tube, re-connect cooler tube. Start engine, adjust fluid level as needed.

Have a beer. You've just changed filter and flushed all the old fluid from the trans and trans cooler(s).

Great info, thanks man! I didn't even think about using the transmission pump to empty the pan. I didn't need to go quite as far as you detailed since I didn't want to flush all the old fluid out, just introduce some new fluid and keep some of the old in the system.

I ended up having my father in law put the truck on a lift at his work and dropping the pan there. They have an elevated drain cart with some kind of carpet-like material that catches the fluid and keeps is from splashing. It went smooth!

 

[Schurkey]

I didn't want to flush all the old fluid out, just introduce some new fluid and keep some of the old in the system.

Why???

The new fluid you just put in is now polluted by the old fluid still remaining.

 

[Jared Jackson]

Why???

The new fluid you just put in is now polluted by the old fluid still remaining.

There is a raging debate in the automotive world about introducing all new fluid into an old transmission. The theory is that it can crap out an older transmission that is on the last leg of its life journey.

I am not a transmission tech or an engineer that pretends to know the truth. I just know I have 170k on the factory transmission and just wanted to make sure that the old filter wasn't blocked up causing more stress on the old transmission. I am already limping along on a prayer and didn't want to shock the old girl more than I needed to. It was a good thing we dropped the pan anyway, since the filter that was in it wasn't even seated in the bushing anymore... it came out with the pan. No telling how long it was like that.

If it was my truck since brand new, I would have probably done a full flush using that method every 50k or so... When I throw in a new transmission, I will definitely maintain it that way as well.