A343F Fill Procedure?

[OregonLC]

Other than engine running and up to normal operating temp and on a level surface is there anything special to check trans fluid level on the 4-spd? I only have the 2004 FSM which is for the A750.

My plan is to:

1) Run/drive the truck to get it up to temp.
2) Drain the pan and capture a sample for Blackstone.
3) Drop the pan. Inspect for debris. Clean. Inspect filter screen clean if necessary.
4) Clean residual gasket material. Apply new FIPG to the pan.
5) Let the FIPG get tacky then re-install the pan.
6) Refill trans from dipstick.
7) Remove trans return line (which one is return?)
8) Apply a needle-nose vice grip across the open end to restrict flow.
9) Start engine, allow to drain to bucket.
10) Monitor drain rate and add fluid from the top to compensate.
11) Shift R-N-D-2-L and back to cycle fluid though all valves.
12) I have 16 qts of Amsoil synthetic. Plan to use at least 12. We'll see how quickly it starts running clean.
13) Replace trans return line and top off trans fluid with engine running and warm.
14) Drive truck and verify step 13.

Anything to add?

 

[CappyKD]

Wow you are going to flush it 6 times? I just had mine done this am and it takes 2.1 qts to fill if only draining via the drain plug. I was gonna do two or three drain/fills over the next month. Your method sure does seem more thorough. Nice write-up!

 

[NMuzj100]

Not sure about step 8. You might create a high pressure oil squirter that will make a mess.

I would just drop that return hose into a bucket. I found gallon windshield fluid jugs allow you to both see the fluid condition and amount easily.

The plan looks sound to me and you'll end up with a smooth shifting transmission with great cold weather performance. Any future trans service will probably be overkill because you'll have the closest thing to a true "lifetime fill" as is possible.

You could add a Magnifine filter to the return line while you are at it. Costs about the same as two quarts of trans fluid.

 

[OregonLC]

Wow you are going to flush it 6 times? I just had mine done this am and it takes 2.1 qts to fill if only draining via the drain plug. I was gonna do two or three drain/fills over the next month. Your method sure does seem more thorough. Nice write-up!

How much did you put back in? I got at least 3 qts out of the drain plug. Surprisingly, there was a around another 2 qts hanging out in the pan when I dropped it so beware.

The pan is only a portion of the total fluid. I don't have the exact amount for the A343F, but I'm thinking total volume is around 12 qts. Add a couple of qts that will mix and the flush starts and you're around 14 qts required to get the majority replaced plus a couple of spare qts for unforeseen mistakes.

 

[agaisin]

Fyi, refill for an '01 is 2.0 Qts, Dry-fill is 12.4 Qts according to the '01 FSM.

Also, why use FIPG instead of the OEM gasket (solid corklike material) - I'm assuming your year has an OEM gasket as well? Personally I used an oem gasket when I dropped the pan. Make sure you get the torque specs on the pan, they were in in/lbs iirc so I ended up getting a 1/4" torque wrench since my 3/8" didn't go less than like 20 ft/lbs.

PM me if you want the '01 FSM instructions.

 

[OregonLC]

Fyi, refill for an '01 is 2.0 Qts, Dry-fill is 12.4 Qts according to the '01 FSM.

Also, why use FIPG instead of the OEM gasket (solid corklike material) - I'm assuming your year has an OEM gasket as well? Personally I used an oem gasket when I dropped the pan. Make sure you get the torque specs on the pan, they were in in/lbs iirc so I ended up getting a 1/4" torque wrench since my 3/8" didn't go less than like 20 ft/lbs.

PM me if you want the '01 FSM instructions.

According to Beno there is no OEM gasket. OEM is FIPG which is the only thing that was on it when I pulled it out. I know the autoparts chains carry gaskets, but this is not OEM (at least not for a 2000). Perhaps that's one of the differences for 01-02?

I can't imagine that 2.1 would get me even close. I have more than 3/4 of a gallon milk jug full just form draining at the plug. And as I posted above, there's at least another 1-1/2 left in the pan when you drop it. Hard to say exact as I wasn't expecting that much residual an splashed a cup or more on the floor/pan/bucket.

 

[OregonLC]

In the spirit of keeping everything in one thread, here's a good post from Trunk showing the trans coolant line routing. The line at the front part of the trans is labelled 'inlet'[STRIKE] so this would be the return from the trans cooler[/STRIKE]. The coolant flows into the top of the cooler, out the bottom, into the bottom of the radiator, and then back out and into the trans.

I'll do a full post of the procedure with pics later...

https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/311793-tranny-cooler-line-out.html#post4769678

Edit. Frustratingly, I read the link wrong. The line on the diagram at the trans labelled 'inlet' is the inlet to the trans cooler; it is the pumped outlet from the trans. On my 2000, it's the one with the pressure switch on it. Again, I'll have some pics later. The line you want to disconnect to flush the trans (and cooler) on a 2000 A343F is the one on the passenger side directly under the alternator- the one that lands on the hard line running to the rear of the trans and labelled 'outlet'. This is actually the return to the trans (which I would not call 'outlet'). If you pull the other hose you'll have a 10 gpm flow of used ATF shooting directly forward and hitting the bottom of the radiator and a huge, slippery red mess to clean up. Ask me how I know.

 

[TheFuzz]

If you pull the other hose you'll have a 10 gpm flow of used ATF shooting directly forward and hitting the bottom of the radiator and a huge, slippery red mess to clean up. Ask me how I know.

Better you than me Dennis!

Seriously though, thats some bass-ackwards labeling on the lines. I will be doing my trans, diffs and t-case all at once some time soon. Following this closely to use as (another) guide to flushing the trans. Thanks for putting it together in real time.

 

[agaisin]

Seriously though, thats some bass-ackwards labeling on the lines.

to be fair it's not backwards labelling - it's all relative and it just depends on whether you're talking relative to the transmission or to the cooler.... believe that diagram is actually the trans cooler diagram so it's all relative to the cooler...

 

[TheFuzz]

Yeah, but he said the labeling was at the trans, not the cooler, so I'm sure I would have read that as "trans inlet" just like he did.

Oh well, he took one for the team.

 

[OregonLC]

Better you than me Dennis!

Seriously though, thats some bass-ackwards labeling on the lines. I will be doing my trans, diffs and t-case all at once some time soon. Following this closely to use as (another) guide to flushing the trans. Thanks for putting it together in real time.

Well, at least it's documented now! I smell like ATF. That s*** is hard to clean up (when it's everywhere!).

Overall I'd say it's a job. Not because of any special mechanical skill, but because it's rather time consuming. A simple drain/refill/level-check is probably a 30 minute job on an A343F (would be longer on the non-dipstick A750's). Dropping the pan is a pain. Glad I did it because now I know for certainty that I have virtually zero metal in the pan. Virtual because there were a few (like maybe 5) metal flakes that were the size of a cracker crumb (too small and thin to actually pick up). There was also a very thin coating of 'paste' on the magnets and in the valleys of the pan. Again, glad I dropped it to get that thoroughly clean.

I went though 16 qts off Amsoil in the process. I intended to go through 14 but it's hard to judge the level when you're only sticking it with the engine off (not enough time to stick with engine running with the system open). I ended up running it a little low on the last bleed. After reconnecting the hose, it sticked at the very bottom (engine running) and took almost two qts to get up to normal/full.

Back to the time required... I'd say that to R&R the pan is a 2-hour job. At least half of that is getting the old FIPG off and clean (on both the pan and the trans). Trans is much easier to scrape. Pan takes forever. The Toyota FIPG is very easy to work with. Don't bother with trying to work it around the bolt holes; just put a large bead down the rib, spread slightly with your finger, and use a sacrificial bolt to poke holes through the fresh FIPG. Flushing takes about another hour, although it could go much faster if you had a buddy help to fill to match the flow coming out the purge tubing.

Wheeling tomorrow, pics of the process later...

 

[NMuzj100]

Fyi, refill for an '01 is 2.0 Qts, Dry-fill is 12.4 Qts according to the '01 FSM.

This is a known error in the FSM and has caused a bunch of 100 owners to run short of the fluid needed to finish a drain and fill.

3.5 to 4 qts. to be safe on a drain.

 

[bkgee]

^ thats how much I drained. i drained about 4 pans in the same day, and they all came out to nearly 4 qts apiece.

 

[TheFuzz]

This is a known error in the FSM and has caused a bunch of 100 owners to run short of the fluid needed to finish a drain and fill.

3.5 to 4 qts. to be safe on a drain.

This should be a sticky in the FAQ with a big asterisk by it, if anything for safety reasons. Wait, IS it a sticky?

*goes to look*

 

[agaisin]

This should be a sticky in the FAQ with a big asterisk by it, if anything for safety reasons.

Definitely important info, but always gotta check fluid level afterwards, right?

I assumed what NMuzj100 meant by the error "has caused a bunch of 100 owners to run short" was an inconvenience factor that they thought they only needed 2Qts but found out they needed twice that to finish the job.

but then having to double the quantity of fluid in the spec could drive you nuts ad question every noise thinking you overfilled... lol

OK - now another question on this. Not only does the 98 FSM say 2.0qt refill, but the 2001 FSM says it, so they didn't catch it for 3 years? ... wow! Even stranger - I'm looking at the 04 FSM and it shows 1.37 Qts for drain/refill, and the 05 shows 3.2qts. What gives???!!! I would expect 04 and 05 to be same spec since they're the same a750f - so is this another case of FSM error?

 

[packetstormin]

Please post pics. Also how does your trans run on the Amsoil as I am thinking about going that direction for mine.

 

[NMuzj100]

Please post pics. Also how does your trans run on the Amsoil as I am thinking about going that direction for mine.

Mine has run great on it for about 90,000 miles.

Any fluid change will make a big difference if the fluid has been neglected. I especially noticed the improvement in cold starts. No sluggishness from the transmission even at zero or below.


For those looking to get a great fluid but not spend too much and are a little adventurous I would recommend trying a Dex VI fluid. The Walmart Supertech Dex VI fluid is licensed and only $3.50 a quart. Dex VI is a cutting edge fluid designed to be backward compatible to all Dex II/III applications. Low viscosity for efficiency, excellent cold flow and tests well on BITOG.

I haven't run it in the 100 since I am still working through a case of Amsoil ATF but I am running it in my 99 Toyota Camry with a AW auto trans originally spec'd DexII and it runs smooth as butter.

 

[OregonLC]

Please post pics. Also how does your trans run on the Amsoil as I am thinking about going that direction for mine.

Honestly, I can't tell any difference. It shifted fine before (warm, cold, etc) and it continues to shift fine. This was intended to be a PM with an underscore on the P. With the flurry of A343F's recently taking a digger, I wanted to see for myself what it looked like inside and know that I had a 100% fresh batch of clean synthetic fluid.

For those looking to get a great fluid but not spend too much and are a little adventurous I would recommend trying a Dex VI fluid. The Walmart Supertech Dex VI fluid is licensed and only $3.50 a quart. Dex VI is a cutting edge fluid designed to be backward compatible to all Dex II/III applications. Low viscosity for efficiency, excellent cold flow and tests well on BITOG.

Personally, I wouldn't stray from spec. Unless the fluid maker is willing to stand behind it. Especially with a trans that's known to have issues.

 

[OregonLC]

Here's the play-by-play. Again, it's an easy job just time consuming (less so if you pull the correct hose!).

Step 1) get set up. I used a large pan and medium bucket (about 2 gal capacity). You'll get a max of 3.x qts out of the pan so don't need anything bigger than this. As a reference, I have 35's with a 2" lift so plenty of room without the need to jack the truck (even with the boards).

I was ready with a sample container from Blackstone. Just like with a UA, you want to capture the liquid mid-stream. Don't get the first or the last bit.

This is how much you'll get out of a full trans using the plug.

And this is what it looks like in a gallon container:

Still quite a bit left in the pan:

Juice from just the plug on the right, residual in the pan on the left (less what was sloshed out).

 

[OregonLC]

The pan drop is the lengthy portion. Getting the bolts out is easy except at the rear as they're partially blocked by the cross-member. Once loose, I found that a 10mm nut driver is the perfect tool to get them completely out and started on the re-install.

The FIPG is pretty stout. I tried various plastic pry tools but no luck. I finally got it off by using a stubby standard screwdriver and just twisting lightly at the edge of the pan flange. Be careful to not tweak the pan or score the trans face. Also note that the dipstick tube is in sections; it comes apart about 10" above the pan. It's just a friction fit.

Here you can see the gunk at the bottom of the pan from wear:

And here's were the magnets hang out:

Cleaned magnets on a towel. I didn't get any chunks off of mine. Just a thin sheen of metal paste from wear.