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There isn't a replaceable filter in our transmissions. There's a metal screen that doesn't need to be replaced unless it's damaged.I already bought the oil and filter
Yah i need to go to a mechanic for that, as I am baselining I would rather open a can of worms and see how things are.MIght be easier to just do a few drain and refills of the transmission oil pan. There is a method to replace all the fluid (Rodney Flush) but it is more complicated for someone who isn't familiar with working on vehicles.
Be very careful however to not over tighten the drain plug.
Yah there is always a risk of that for sure the oldish oil does help keep the AT alive i guess.I will Never do replace all the fluid (Rodney Flush) on a good working old AT!!!! never do that especially if you do not know when it was serviced. It can f*** up your AT.
No need to open the drain plug either I use this:
Oil pump on Amazon
extract used oil from the AT dipstick tube and put the same amount of good quality Dexron III ( do not use higher grades even they will tell u that they are compatible) drive and do it again and again until your used oil looks like new one
In my experience with 90's-2000's Toyota SUV's with the bulletproof 4-speed slushboxes, I have never run into an issue of doing a full 10 to 12 quart fluid exchange with Dexron III or Dexron IV and had any issues. All of the tranmissions that I have done this to had decent quality pinkish fluid and were in good working order. Many of the said transmissions had well over 200,000 miles on the clock with no service history to go off of.
YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY
Well first thing I would recommend is proceed with caution and prepare for the worst. The warning signs to look for are brown to darker fluid which can indicate a lack of maintenance with the transmission and if your fluid is dark to black and smells burnt your trans is probably headed for a quick death.I'm at 450,000 KM (around 280,000 Miles) and i have no idea what was done previously specially for the first 200,000 KM.
The previous owner did 250,000 KM on it above the original 200,000 KM.
What kind of tell tale signs should I be looking for when driving ?
Amazing feedback thank you!Well first thing I would recommend is proceed with caution and prepare for the worst. The warning signs to look for are brown to darker fluid which can indicate a lack of maintenance with the transmission and if your fluid is dark to black and smells burnt your trans is probably headed for a quick death.
If you decide to do a drain and fill to introduce a few quarts of new into the system, that’s probably the safer path. I would only consider this if your fluid checks good and does not smell burnt.
If shifting is mushy I would adjust the trans cable at the throttle body as most 80’s have stretched cables which can yield abnormal shifts. Search for trans cable issues within mud and you’ll find great walkthroughs on this procedure. Do this first before you do anything else. Establish a baseline of operation before you pull any fluid out. I would also check the dipstick at idle in park or neutral once you have driven a bit to make sure your fluid level is correct before cable adjustment.
As far as driving I would compare the proper 80 series shifting to any other older truck or SUV with a 4-speed trans. Shifts are somewhat smooth as well as confident. Should not be abrupt or spam into any gear. If you seem to slip into a gear change I would still recommend you adjust the cable before any other means of diagnosis takes place.
I had no idea, do you know the part number and torque setting for that ?Very important to replace the OEM crush washer every time you remove/reinstall the drain plug and be carefull to not overtighten the plug.
After market or Toyota have them? Its a good idea as it will catch particles over a longer period under load.Another option is to install an inline filter into one of the transmission cooler lines before you start changing the fluid to filter out any particles that are released.
Is the dextron 3 stuff really required or will any old fluid work? I topped it up with valvoline.In my experience with 90's-2000's Toyota SUV's with the bulletproof 4-speed slushboxes, I have never run into an issue of doing a full 10 to 12 quart fluid exchange with Dexron III or Dexron IV and had any issues. All of the tranmissions that I have done this to had decent quality pinkish fluid and were in good working order. Many of the said transmissions had well over 200,000 miles on the clock with no service history to go off of.
YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY
You’re going to get different answers from many here, but I have had multiple customers with 80’s run the Vavoline multi vehicle ATF with good results. I usually use Dex 3 or Dex 6 for all of the early Toyotas that I touch. To each their own.Is the dextron 3 stuff really required or will any old fluid work? I topped it up with valvoline.