Rodney flush question

[Spook50]

When I get the chance, I'm hoping to do the Rodney flush on my tranny after running some Trans Tune (Sea Foam) through it. Given that you remove the return line from the tranny and route it into a bucket, is it necessary to install a plug into the fitting on the tranny, or just leave the gaping hole there? I would expect a plug would be a good idea, but was just curious as to if it's really necessary.

Also, I've heard of the "party trick" and seen the instructions on how to do it, but what exactly does it accomplish, aside from raising your risk of heart attack?

 

[iaintscared1969]

straight strectch of road 45-50 mph shift from drive to park no stopping in the middle. Wait 4-5 sec and go back to drive. Party trick over.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Foolish! 2 cents Mike

 

[billmc]

The party trick is specifically for helping clear a sticking valves. It's a well known practice for hydraulic auto trannies (but not all of them!).

As for the hoses, I typically disconnect at either the radiator union or where the hose meets the hard line, and attach a length of clear hose to extend it to the bucket. Last time I did it I also attached at clear hose to the hard line to use for adding in new fluid rather then pouring it down the dipstick tube.

Bill

 

[overhanger]

I recently did the flush on a friend's 62 and found that disconnecting the short softline from the hardline right at the bellhousing was the easiest point to break the line. The soft line connects two hard lines and disconnecting it from the rear hard line is the way to go and the upper one is the return line and you may have to disconnect the mounting bracket nearby to get at the 17 and 19mm ends . Doing it this way makes it unnecessary to add any other hose as the soft line will hang down towards your drain bucket. No need to plug the other end of the connection.

 

[austinmark]

i did the party trick the other night in my '90 62 to clear a sticky tranny. i still need to add the tranny cooler and service the transmission, but it certainly helped out some.

btw, i had to drive around for several minutes before building up the nerve to try it. be sure you let off the gas when you throw it in park (and i do mean throw!), or the engine will quickly redline. if you're wondering what it feels like, it's basically just like putting your car into neutral and back into drive.

 

[RockDoc]

I broke the line at the radiator and slipped over some tubing to direct downward. Did the party trick on a down hill stretch, no trouble before, no trouble after.

 

[Gumby]

I wanna know why park is different than neutral as far as hydraulic fluid flow. The biggest difference between the two is the parking pawl. If you can get the same result without engaging the parking pawl, why not just do that?

If it helps I guess it helps, although there are a lot of other foolish things people do and sometimes get away with that help, pulling a negative cable off while the car is running to check the charging system, for instance. I need more than just anecdotal evidence and the word of one trans guy.

What does putting the trans into park actually do to free up the governor?

 

[Michael Hanson]

If you go back and look in old car magazines this has all been done before in the U.S.Nothing new here just rewritten. Reboring the sleeves bigger in the valve bodies done. We have always tried to get more out of our cars after they left the factory. Bigger carbs,leaving the air cleaner covers off,nitro systems,open flow exhausts.Party trick a quick way to get a little more time on doing what you need to do anyway....service the transmission. 2 cents MIke

 

[Gumby]

I agree that it's an old timer trick, and like taking air cleaner tops off, it's not always smart or helpful to do.

I want to know why it works, because it sounds just like one of those questionable "tricks" like pouring Coke down an intake to loosen carbon. Yes, it works, if you're lucky and don't hydrolock your engine, but no better than water. Nothing magical about Coke. Does it work better than neutral?

I'm not gonna take it on faith just because some guy said. Auto transes are not really magic boxes inhabited by gnomes. They work just like every other part of the car.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Agreed there is no trick or magic in cars. MIke

 

[Spook50]

I'm not gonna take it on faith just because some guy said.

I didn't either, until I read a post a long while back that went into the details of how exactly it works and why it does what it does (which was quoted from an email someone had sent to Rodney IIRC). I'd known before then that Rodney was an A440 guru, so seeing it coming from him made me more open to the idea. It wasn't until I read that and several other testimonials that I decided to do it before doing a fluid change. Nothing bad happened at all, and as far as I can tell, no long term effects at all. Until I left on this trip my transmission worked flawlessly.

Also, when I changed my fluid after doing the party trick, I pulled my pan and inspected the magnets and the filter screen. Both were clean as hell, not a single shaving one. Only a very thin gray film on the magnets was all. Come to think of it, that's all there's ever been in the three times so far that I've dropped the pan.

Mike, there is if you ask my GF. She thinks they're all evil beings that are just out to get her

 

[Mace]

a quick way to get a little more time on doing what you need to do anyway....service the transmission. 2 cents MIke

Yeppers. But that is the name of the game right? Putting off the rebuild as long as possible?

I agree that it's an old timer trick, and like taking air cleaner tops off, it's not always smart or helpful to do.

I want to know why it works, because it sounds just like one of those questionable "tricks" like pouring Coke down an intake to loosen carbon. Yes, it works, if you're lucky and don't hydrolock your engine, but no better than water. Nothing magical about Coke. Does it work better than neutral?

I'm not gonna take it on faith just because some guy said. Auto transes are not really magic boxes inhabited by gnomes. They work just like every other part of the car.

I've taken exception to some of the ways that Rodney has protrayed things in the past. He tends to mystify the function of an auto tranny. Which IMHO is kinda silly. But he does know the Toy autos very well.

Also, I believe it was Georg that reccommended that It also works on the AOD (ford). I have had multiple trustworthy tranny guys reccomend the parlor trick. And so far, I have not seen any damage caused by it, and it is suprising how well it actually works.

 

[Zack1978]

I wanna know why park is different than neutral as far as hydraulic fluid flow. The biggest difference between the two is the parking pawl. If you can get the same result without engaging the parking pawl, why not just do that?

If it helps I guess it helps, although there are a lot of other foolish things people do and sometimes get away with that help, pulling a negative cable off while the car is running to check the charging system, for instance. I need more than just anecdotal evidence and the word of one trans guy.

What does putting the trans into park actually do to free up the governor?

I guess pulling the negative cable is a bad idea? I was always told that it was ok on older vehicles that "didn't have many computers". So it is never safe to take battery cables off on a running vehicle?

Zack

 

[Gumby]

Yeppers. But that is the name of the game right? Putting off the rebuild as long as possible?



I've taken exception to some of the ways that Rodney has protrayed things in the past. He tends to mystify the function of an auto tranny. Which IMHO is kinda silly. But he does know the Toy autos very well.

Also, I believe it was Georg that reccommended that It also works on the AOD (ford). I have had multiple trustworthy tranny guys reccomend the parlor trick. And so far, I have not seen any damage caused by it, and it is suprising how well it actually works.

Just want to know why. Seems it would be better to just change the fluid on occasion. I'm not sure why it would put off a rebuild. The clutches and bands are unaffected. The gov. can be pulled and cleaned without a rebuild.

I guess pulling the negative cable is a bad idea? I was always told that it was ok on older vehicles that "didn't have many computers". So it is never safe to take battery cables off on a running vehicle?

Zack

Pulling the cable off a running car does two bad things. It makes the alternator go full fielded. The alternator and regulator get hammered pretty hard. It does this at the same time as it eliminates the ability for the battery to act as a capacitor and smooth out voltage spikes. Your computers will get hit with a huge voltage spike.

No computers and you just hurt the alternator and regulator.

Theoretically you can also electrocute yourself when the alternator goes WOT, although I haven't heard that happening since the 50s.

 

[Mace]

Just want to know why. Seems it would be better to just change the fluid on occasion. I'm not sure why it would put off a rebuild. The clutches and bands are unaffected. The gov. can be pulled and cleaned without a rebuild.

It is better to just change the fluid.
Clutches and bands are not affected.
You still have to take crap apart to screw with the Gov.
This is something that you can do on the way home. No dirty hands at all.

 

[Michael Hanson]

I just think regular main. is the way to go.ESp. on older machines of any type. Two guys said I was lying the other day when I said I have gotten 270,000 plus miles on my auto. Actually I have 3 with that many miles I dont think its by accident.There is no substitute for regular main. 2 cents MIke