How's that for a comprehensively titled subject line {LOL}

Tony, in addition to the excellent advice from Hachiroku and
Ray, you might want to review the following tutorial from Amsoil
about changing the ATF.

Keep in mind that the steps in the tutorial may differ slightly
depending upon the type of car you have. You didn't mention
your car's model, or anything else in the body of your
message, which was blank--only your subject line appeared.

Anyway, this is a good, general tutorial that will be
helpful. I've added my own Camry-sepcific notes to it in
square brackets [ ] .

Incidentally, although the 2006 Camry manual says Automatic
Transmission Fluid (ATF) doesn't need to be changed in the Camry
unless you drive under one of the Special Operating conditions like
on dusty roads or while towing, I think if you own the car
long enough--say for 120,000 miles--it's a good idea to change
the ATF, its filter, and the ATF pan's gasket, and to clean out
the pan really well after 120,000 miles.

Here's the good ATF change procedure guide I found at
Amsoil.com [my special notes again are in brackets]. The guide
is dated 3 years ago: 9/26/2005.

OBJECTIVE:

To provide the proper automatic transmission
fluid and filter change procedures.

ISSUES:

Many quick lube oil change companies are using flushing
machines to change the automatic transmission fluid.
Using flushing machines does not address the need for
cleaning the sediment in the transmission pan, cleaning
the magnet inside the transmission pan, or changing the
transmission oil filter.

TECHNICAL DISCUSSION:

Flushing machines are used to provide a quick transmission
fluid change, however they do not address transmission
pan cleanliness or filter changes. By taking the
transmission pan off, sediment in the pan as well as the
magnet can be cleaned, and the fluid filter can be
changed. Manufacturers recommend a filter change with
the oil change, and recommend against the use of flushing
machines due to possible fluid contamination from
pan sediment. [Built_Well's Note: "oil change" in the previous
sentence must be referring to the AT fluid change. Sometimes
Automatic Transmission Fluid is referred to as
Automatic Transmission oil, I believe.]

RECOMMENDATION:

AMSOIL recommends transmission fluid and filter changes based
on the following 14 steps. For a transmission pan and filter
oil change follow steps 1 through 12 and 14, for a complete
system flush and filter change follow steps 1 through 14.


1. Access the AMSOIL web page (www.amsoil.com) and click on
the On Line Product Applications Guide for the correct
transmission fluid, amount of fluid and transmission filter
before starting the transmission and filter change procedure.

[Built_Well's Note: Better yet, get the ATF fluid, ATF filter,
and ATF pan's gasket from your Toyota dealer, or at least check
in with them to see what they have. Whatever you do, *DON'T*
go to Jiffy Lube. You'll recall the debacle my old Tercel had
at Jiffy Lube with a "routine" coolant change. By the way, the
ATF pan's gasket sells for about $16--not expensive.]

Have these on hand when starting the fluid and filter change.
If the on-line Product Application Guide does not list your
information, contact AMSOIL Technical Department for help.

2. For best results, transmission fluid should be at normal
operating temperature before draining the fluid
(Caution: fluid will be hot).

3. With the engine off, position a drain pan under the
transmission pan and drain the fluid by loosening the
pan bolts. Loosen one corner more than the rest to direct
the flow into the drain pan. [BW's Note: Luckily, the
Camry's ATF pan has a drain plug, so you can drain the
much of the AT fluid /before/ removing the ATF pan (and its
18 bolts that the Camry uses.]

4. Finish removing the transmission pan bolts, and
lower the transmission pan down carefully (some fluid is
still in the transmission pan).

5. Remove the old filter and discard. Most transmission
filters are held in place with a bolt or two, however, some
are held by a clip. Make sure filter O-rings or seals are
discarded with the filter.

6. Install the new filter by using the same bolts or clips
and use a new O-ring or seal (supplied with the new filter).

7. Inspect the pan before cleaning. A small amount of fine
gray clutch dust is normal. However, if you find metal
shavings, there could be a mechanical malfunction or
transmission damage.

8. Clean the transmission pan thoroughly with solvent and
wipe dry so there is no harmful residue. In some transmission
pans there is also a magnet that should be cleaned and
reinstalled in the same position in the transmission pan.
[Built_Well's Note: there are 2 magnets inside the 2006 Camry's
ATF pan, according to the repair and service manual at
CamryStuff.com.]
Clean the transmission and transmission pan mating surfaces
of all gasket material being careful not to damage the surfaces.

9. Position the transmission pan gasket on the pan.
Some gaskets have four holes slightly smaller
than the rest to allow threading four bolts through
the pan and through these smaller gasket holes to
hold the gasket in place.

10. Hand-tighten the transmission bolts in a crisscross
pattern until snug. Use a torque wrench to tighten
the bolts to the proper ft-lbs using the manufacturer
recommended torque specifications.

11. Refill the transmission through the dipstick fill
hole using the amount shown as �refill capacity� in the
owner�s manual or the AMSOIL �product Selection Guide� (G-50).

[Built_Well's Note: the Camry owner's manual states that the
AT fluid's "drain and fill" capacity is 3.7 quarts.
The "total fill" capacity is 9.3 quarts, according to the online
Amsoil product guide; that's for the 5-speed automatic
transmission. So a whole lot of the AT fluid (about
60 percent) will be in the torque converter. About
40 percent will be in the ATF pan itself.]

12. If performing a transmission pan fluid replacement only,
skip to instruction 14. If doing a complete transmission pan
and torque converter fluid replacement, follow the steps in
instruction 13.

13. Follow these additional 5 steps for complete
transmission pan and torque converter fluid replacement.

1) Obtain the total transmission fluid capacity
from the manufacturer or AMSOIL
and have that amount of transmission
fluid available.

2) Place a drain pan large enough to hold the
total fluid capacity under the oil cooler.
Disconnect the oil cooler lines from the
oil cooler and direct the lines toward the
drain pan.

3) With another person, be prepared to add
ATF to the transmission fill hole (dipstick
hole) at the approximate rate as the fluid
is being pumped out the transmission line
into the drain pan.

4) Start the engine, and as the old fluid is
pumped out, add fresh fluid into the
transmission fill hole.

5) When either the fluid color brightens or
the total capacity has been replaced, shut
the engine off and re-attach the oil cooler
lines. All fluid in the transmission pan
and torque converter has now been changed.

14. With the vehicle on level ground recheck the
fluid level using the manufacturer procedures outlined
in the owners manual. Check the transmission and lines
for leaks.

[Built_Well's Note: By the way, there's also some
very useful information about ATF changes in my
post from December 6, 2007, in the thread titled "How did
Toyota do that".

In 10 years, some of us probably will be only half way to
120,000 miles--probably 60,000 miles for me, for example.
Is it still a good idea to change the AT fluid every 10 years,
even if you've only gone 60,000 miles or less? ]

Link to Amsoil ATF tutorial:
http://www.amsoil.com/faqs/ATF_and_F...Procedures.pdf

000000000000000000000000000000

[Now here are some quoted passages taken from the 5th
generation Camry's repair and service manual currently
available at CamryStuff.com .

Here's how to check your ATF fluid level] :

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID, ON�VEHICLE INSPECTION

1. CHECK FLUID LEVEL

HINT:
Drive the vehicle so that the engine and transaxle are at normal
operating temperature.
Fluid temperature: 70 � 80 °C (158 � 176 °F)dd

(a) Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the parking
brake.

(b) With the engine idling and the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever into all positions from P to L position
and return to P position.

(c) Take out the dipstick and wipe it clean.

(d) Put it back fully into the pipe.

(e) Take it out and check that the fluid level is in the HOT position.

If there are leaks, it is necessary to repair or replace O�rings,
FIPGs, oil seals, plugs or other parts.

111111111111111111111111111111111

[Built_Well's Note: The Camry repair and service manual didn't
seem to have a section devoted solely to changing the ATF fluid,
pan, and gasket, but it did include the necessary steps to do so
couched in other repairs like replacing the transmission wire and
replacing the transmission valve body assembly.]

1. REMOVE ENGINE UNDERCOVER LH [LH may mean left-hand/side;
RH, right-hand/side. I guess this is the plastic protective
cover/skirt underneath the front end. This step may or may not
be necessary when your job is simply to remove the ATF pan and
gasket. I would have to crawl under the front chassis again
to find out, but I won't be doing that until my next motor oil
change is due in October.]

2. DRAIN AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID

(a) Remove the drain plug and gasket, and drain ATF.

(b) Install a new gasket and drain plug.
Torque: 49 N�m (500 kgf�cm, 36 ft�lbf)

[Built_Well's Note: Notice that the Toyota manual instructs to
install a new ATF drain plug gasket. (Ray forgot to mention this
part. There's no doubt Ray is an expert, but even experts make
mistakes, sometimes often [chuckle] :-P

3. REMOVE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE OIL PAN
SUB�ASSY

(a) Remove the 18 bolts, oil pan and gasket.

NOTICE:
Some fluid will remain in the oil pan. Remove all pan bolts,
and carefully remove the oil pan assembly.

(b) Remove the 2 magnets from the oil pan.

(c) Examine particles in pan.
(1) Remove the magnets and use them to collect any
steel chips. Look carefully at the chips and particles
in the pan and the magnet to anticipate what type
of wear you will find in the transaxle.
Steel (magnetic): bearing, gear and plate wear
Brass (non�magnetic): bearing wr

222222222222222222222222222222222

INSTALL AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE OIL PAN
SUB�ASSY

(a) Install the 2 magnets in the oil pan.

(b) Apply seal packing or equivalent to 18 bolts.
Seal packing:
THREE BOND 2430 or equivalent

(c) Install a new gasket, oil pan and 18 bolts to the transaxle
case.
Torque:
Torque: 7.8 N-m (80 kgf-cm, 69 in.-lbf)

NOTICE:
Because the bolts should be seal bolts, apply seal packing
to bolts and tighten them within 10 minutes after application.

[End of info from the Toyota repair and service manual.]

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

By the way, this is the DISCLAMER that is attached to
Amsoil's tutuorial:

The automatic transmission fluid and filter change
procedures are meant to serve as guidelines only.
These guidelines do not take into consideration variations
between vehicles. Changing transmission fluid
should only be conducted by individuals with the
proper mechanical knowledge and training. Personal
injury and/or transmission problems can occur when
the proper precautions are not followed. If in doubt,
have your transmission serviced by individuals capable
of performing this function.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////

BobJ <jonroq@excite.com> wrote:

Points very well made, BobJ. I think I might drain and fill
the Toyota Genuine ATF Type T-IV fluid at 50 or 60,000 miles,
even though the owner's manual says it's not necessary to
change the ATF if you're not driving under Special Operating
Conditions. The Camry maintenance guide lists 60,000 miles or
6 years as the distance or time to change the ATF when driving
under Special Operating Conditions like dusty roads or towing.

I wonder how many folks have the guts to follow the manual,
and never change their ATF. I was looking at the maintenance
guide for an Oldsmobile Delta Eighty-Eight, and it says to
change its Dexron II ATF at 100,000 miles, or every 15,000
miles under severe operating conditions.

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:74c52327-cf84-4d08-a9ae-e1a199d64db9@e39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

How's that for a comprehensively titled subject line {LOL}

Tony, in addition to the excellent advice from Hachiroku and
Ray, you might want to review the following tutorial from Amsoil
about changing the ATF.

Keep in mind that the steps in the tutorial may differ slightly
depending upon the type of car you have. You didn't mention
your car's model, or anything else in the body of your
message, which was blank--only your subject line appeared.

Anyway, this is a good, general tutorial that will be
helpful. I've added my own Camry-sepcific notes to it in
square brackets [ ] .

***********
It depends on one's definition of "good." The Camry does not have a
transmissoin filter, just a screen.

As I mentioned before, the screen does not need periodic replacement.

<snipped.

[Now here are some quoted passages taken from the 5th
generation Camry's repair and service manual currently
available at CamryStuff.com .

Here's how to check your ATF fluid level] :

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID, ONâ??VEHICLE INSPECTION

1. CHECK FLUID LEVEL

HINT:
Drive the vehicle so that the engine and transaxle are at normal
operating temperature.
Fluid temperature: 70 â?? 80 °C (158 â?? 176 °F)dd

(a) Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the parking
brake.

(b) With the engine idling and the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever into all positions from P to L position
and return to P position.

(c) Take out the dipstick and wipe it clean.

(d) Put it back fully into the pipe.

(e) Take it out and check that the fluid level is in the HOT position.

If there are leaks, it is necessary to repair or replace Oâ??rings,
FIPGs, oil seals, plugs or other parts.

111111111111111111111111111111111

[Built_Well's Note: The Camry repair and service manual didn't
seem to have a section devoted solely to changing the ATF fluid,
pan, and gasket, but it did include the necessary steps to do so
couched in other repairs like replacing the transmission wire and
replacing the transmission valve body assembly.]

1. REMOVE ENGINE UNDERCOVER LH [LH may mean left-hand/side;
RH, right-hand/side. I guess this is the plastic protective
cover/skirt underneath the front end. This step may or may not
be necessary when your job is simply to remove the ATF pan and
gasket. I would have to crawl under the front chassis again
to find out, but I won't be doing that until my next motor oil
change is due in October.]

************
LH does mean left-hand.
************

2. DRAIN AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID

(a) Remove the drain plug and gasket, and drain ATF.

(b) Install a new gasket and drain plug.
Torque: 49 Nâ??m (500 kgfâ??cm, 36 ftâ??lbf)

[Built_Well's Note: Notice that the Toyota manual instructs to
install a new ATF drain plug gasket. (Ray forgot to mention this
part. There's no doubt Ray is an expert, but even experts make
mistakes, sometimes often [chuckle] :-P

************
Ray's Note: I purposely omitted removal and replacmeent of the transmission
pan, gasket, and screen because it is not necessary as part of routine
maintenance.

--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Ray O wrote:

Yes, but I wasn't talking about the gasket for the ATF pan.
I was talking about the small gasket for the ATF drain plug.
You ommited to mention that gasket--a common mistake or
oversight; I wouldn't worry about it :-P

Just like the engine oil's drain plug has a small round,
washer-like gasket, so does the ATF pan's drain plug.

I'll quote the Camry service and repair manual again:

2. DRAIN AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID

(a) Remove the drain plug and gasket, and drain ATF.

(b) Install a new gasket and drain plug.

Torque: 36 ft-lbf

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:29d5731f-d6cf-4255-b5b2-8cecc9525aa5@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
I guess you got me there. I'll admit that I do not check a repair manual
every time I post advice here because if I did, I would not get anything
else done. For example after I got home from work around 7:00, tonight, I
pulled the wheels off of our troop's trailer, inspected the tires (failed),
put the trailer on jack stands so we could take the wheels to have new tires
mounted, checked the brakes on a friend's truck (passed) and inflated his
tires, sat in the driveway and chatted with my friend, sorted and inspected
my climbing gear for this weekend, dug out some pictures that were buried in
the garage for my mom, played with my son's new puppy, cleaned out the spam
folder for our office, responded to some e-mails, did the dishes, and
watched Two and Half Men, caught a few minutes of Mythbusters, scrolled
past all of the OT nonsense in this NG, and thought about responses to
questions and posts here.

Although this is not strictly "by the book," as a practical matter, you can
get away with re-using fiber gaskets many times without leaks if you
properly tighten the drain plug. Although "book" advice is always good, I
have worked on a few cars here and there and try to share my experience and
give practical advice that can save people time and money that has worked
for me over the years. I also try to leave out irrelevant information and
advice, like telling someone to change something like a transmission screen
that does not need changing. Changing ATF is not rocket science, and unless
the OP is totally clueless about working on cars, my 2-paragraph response
should give the OP enough information to do the job without having to read
twenty-something paragraphs and try do decide if something is relevant for
his car or not.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Ray O wrote:

Your wife must love you for doing the dishes :-)

Like you, I had a busy day yesterday, too, and did
my own dishes :-) {chuckle}

Just to explain a bit: Since I always post from a UNIX shell
account located in Nebraska, even though I'm in Missouri, it
may not seem like I'm busy (since the same IP number always
appears in my headers), but I think I did even more yesterday
than you :-)

In fact, I'm sure everyone here does a lot everyday :-)

Anyway, I pat you on the back for helping out your friend
with his brakes. In all actuality, you probably were a
little busier than I was yesterday :-)

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:64a151d5-a86a-4e4a-b667-4d909269aedc@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
I don't know, she prepares dinner, so doing the dishes is no big deal.

Could be, that list was only after I got home from work.
Today was a little busier - I had 6 appointments/meetings/showings all in
different directions, then I got home waited out a line of heavy
thunderstorms, greased the trailer wheel bearings through the bearing
buddies (NOT the preferred method but I didn't have time to pull them and
pack them properly), put the wheels back on the trailer, ate dinner, did the
dishes, and checked a.a.t. I still have to read a 22 page purchase contract
and a 38 page lease contract, prepare a spreadsheet and offer to sublease,
and request a lease proposal so I can't hang out here too long.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

BobJ <jonroq@excite.com> wrote:

BobJ, very interesting post. Lemme say I will give the
2006 Camry /Maintenance Guide/ credit for pointing out that
the ATF should be inspected every 30,000 miles (or 3 years)
and replaced every 60,000 miles if driving while towing.

But, I think I agree with you. I don't give much credit to
the author(s) of the Camry's /Owner's Manual/ for saying that
the ATF doesn't need to be changed if you don't drive under
the Special Operating Conditions described in the
/Maintenance Guide/. And the only Special Operating Condition
mentioned in the Maintenance Guide that requires replacing
the ATF at 60,000 miles is driving while towing. As you point
out, it seems kind of like taking too much of a chance or
risk, especially considering the cost of repairing a
transmission.

In the Camry's case, it doesn't take much time to simply drain
the ATF pan through the pan's convenient drain plug, and filling
the pan back up through the ATF filler hole under the hood.

That won't get 100 percent of the old ATF out, but
it will get about 40 percent out each time. It's
pretty simple to do, and BobJ has convinced me that it's
a very good idea.

BobJ, maybe you should help edit the Camry's
Owner's Manual :-)

Car manufacturers' notion of "life of car" is quite different from
that of many owners. Given only a portion of the fluid drains out IMO
it should be done every 15K miles and the strainer with it, if not
more often.

So what's the state of the ATF in your Camry?




On Jul 10, 10:26*pm, Built_Well <Built_Well_Toy...@hotmail.com> wrote:

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:26:17 -0700 (PDT), Built_Well
<Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote:


I do this too. It's easy and cheap to replace that 40 percent by just
a drain and fill. Do it regularly (10 k) and you will replace most of
the fluid to give the trans a long healthy life. I live in a hot
climate.
It's even easier than an oil change so why not.

Earlier I wrote that the total fill for the 2006 Camry's AT fluid
is 9.3 quarts. That's true for the V6 Camry which uses the
U151E transmission, but the 4-cylinder 2006 Camry uses the
U250E transmission, which has a total fill of 8.5 quarts.

If just doing a simple ATF drain-and-fill, just 3.7 quarts
is required for both the U151E and the U250E, because
most of the rest of the ATF is in the torque converter, in the
AT oil cooler (the short length of pipe underneath the radiator),
and in the hoses which connect to the AT oil cooler.

The 2 hoses on my Camry leading from the transmission to the
AT oil cooler are actually labeled with the words "AT Oil."
Toyota helpin' out to simplify things :-)

I don't think I'll ever do anything more than a drain-and-fill
of the ATF, though. When I crawled under the chassis to
take a look at the ATF pan, I saw that several of the 18
bolts are recessed away in hard-to-reach awkward spots.
You'd have to be plastic man to reach those bolts or have
really flexible tools.

Has anyone ever removed their own car's ATF pan to
replace its gasket and screen-filter or clean the
magnets and clean the ATF pan itself? I guess after 20
years it might make sense...

Why do the ATF hoses come into play when you drain/refill? How about
using the drain plug?

The U250E, like many other U-series transmission, suffer from shift
problems. IMO the older A-series, while dirtier, was more reliable.
After driving highway speeds and decelerating the U250E may exhibit a
harsh 5-4 shift.

Get a new shift solenoid free before the powertrain warranty expires!!

T-SB-0033-08 April 15, 2008
Harsh 5-4 Downshift on Deceleration



On Jul 24, 5:38*pm, Built_Well <Built_Well_Toy...@hotmail.com> wrote:

John G dole wrote:

The ATF hoses don't come into play if you're just doing
a regular drain-and-fill, but they do come into play if you want
to drain /all/ of the ATF out, including the almost 60
percent that's in the torque converter.

A regular drain-and-fill that gets out 40 percent of
the ATF should suffice, though :-)

Thanks for mentioning the solenoid. I will consider
getting the free replacement, but I really haven't had
any down-shifting problem with the car.

Do you have a copy or link to the TSB?

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:043454c7-fdf7-444a-af13-d7b50a828a9e@q28g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
It is not necessary to replace the screen, clean the magnets, or clean the
transmission pan (it is not called an "ATF" pan) itself under normal
conditions any more than you would drop the engine oil pan.. I just did it
on our Escort because it doesn't have a transmission pan drain plug, but
your Camry has a handy dandy drain plug, which makes dropping the
transmission pan unnecessary. If the transmission pan has an FIPG, there is
a pretty good chance that you would end up with a transmission leak when
you're done.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:10d516a4-5dc0-4e0a-997a-9ac7fe10bf85@p10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
A dealer will not install a new part for free just because a TSB is issued.
The vehicle has to exhibit or meet the conditions described in the TSB
before any warranty work will be performed.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Built_Well wrote:
Even removing the cooler lines won't get the fluid out of the converter.

The only way to drain a converter while it's installed is to remove it's
drain plug (IF it has one most don't) or to drill a hole in the
converter and drain it, then use a SHORT rivet or screw to seal the
hole. That isn't a good idea in most cases since it is VERY easy to
damage the internals unless you know EXACTLY where you can drill.

Also a TSB is NOT a recall. It is only a notice to mechanics to look at
that part as a possible source of the stated problem. Basically the
manufacturer is telling them "hey we think this part may be the cause of
this failure, so replace it if you see this problem"

It is NOT a free repair either. It is ONLY done if your vehicle is
exhibiting the stated problem AND needs the repair. You will still get
billed for it.


--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

Life is not like a box of chocolates
it's more like a jar of jalapenos-
what you do today could burn your ass tomorrow!

Ray O wrote:

Well, you're right, Ray. That's why I said after 20 years...

And I'm nearly certain it's not an FIPG (formed-in-place or
foam-in-place) gasket. Instead you buy the gasket at the
dealership for $16.

A challenge with the 18 bolts is they each require seal packing
that must be applied within a certain time limit. Plus 5 or 6
of the bolts are really hard to get to.

But as I mentioned, this is a job that you might want to
do after 20 years, not regularly.

Sure, even some "recalls" would require inspecting things like timing
belt date code etc. But a lot of owners out there don't realize they
have problems and never got the free parts they should get. They think
some rough shifts are just "normal."

That's why always read the TSBs (try google) and check carefully if
your car exhibits the described problem. After all, if you don't
complain it doesn't get fixed!!



On Jul 24, 11:17*pm, "Steve W." <csr684...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Calling a "fluid exchange machine" a "flush machine" is false
advertising.

The "fluid exchange machines" are accurate to within 95% and it only
exchanges old for new fluids. But it doesn't clean the pan for you. I
don't think people use "flush" machines anymore. Don't jam the valve
bodies with one.




On Jul 24, 11:27*pm, Built_Well <Built_Well_Toy...@hotmail.com> wrote:

"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:15a1ab69-36f1-4eca-8ca7-9b2497195e07@z11g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
How many 20 year old transmission screens (actually called a strainer) have
you looked at that need replacement? I haven't seen any. Have you ever
even seen a transmission strainer?

FIPG = formed-in-place gasket.

I've mentioned several times that changing the transmission strainer is not
necessary, but you do not have to take my word and experience for it. Read
the owner's manual and factory repair manual and see if you can find any
recommendation from the folks who built the car to ever change the strainer
as part of a preventative maintenance procedure.

I don't know why you are so insistent on changing the strainer. In close to
40 years of working on cars, I have never seen a transmission fail because
the strainer wasn't changed. For 15 of those years, that included talking
to over 100 dealers who worked on hundreds of thousands of vehicles.

If changing the engine oil or getting lug nuts tightened properly is a
challenge, then dropping the pan, changing the strainer, and getting to back
together without trashing your $3,000 transmission is going to be a HUGE
challenge. On a 20 year old vehicle, you will likely snap several bolts off
and have to drill and tap the transmission case, and if that is not done
correctly, the transmission is trashed. If the magnets are placed in the
incorrect position, they can block one or more fluid tubes, which could
trash the transmission. If the gasket slips out of position or the bolts
are not tightened correctly, the fluid could leak out, which would trash the
transmission. In other words, why take so many chances to trash the
transmission to do something that is unnecessary?

--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)