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  #1  
Old 07-25-2015, 08:03 PM
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Just serviced the transmission and now there is an issue

If it works don't fix it! I should have remembered that but.......
1983 300TD running fine, time to change the tranny fluid and filter.
I also drained the torque converter while I was there.
Put 3 quarts in, start to let the converter fill. Shut down after 30 seconds.
Filled until at the lower mark of the dip stick (approx. 7+ quarts total).
Car runs fine all day yesterday. Car runs fine today until.....
After a 30 minute drive I go to park and put it into reverse. The trans slips and it makes me feel like I'm backing up a steep hill! No accelerator input makes the car come to a dead stop.
When I get back home I notice a puddle in the street from where I parked last night but nothing under the car now. If I pumped out 7 quarts there would be a hell of a mess on the undercarriage of the car and there is not so....
Has this happened to anyone before?

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  #2  
Old 07-25-2015, 10:56 PM
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If you filled to the lower mark cold, it's way too overfull. The two marks are the operating zone when fully warmed up. That's 30 minutes at highway speed when the fluid is too hot to hold between fingers comfortably.
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  #3  
Old 07-26-2015, 11:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mannys9130 View Post
If you filled to the lower mark cold, it's way too overfull. The two marks are the operating zone when fully warmed up. That's 30 minutes at highway speed when the fluid is too hot to hold between fingers comfortably.
Thanks for the second opinion. I drained 1.5 quarts and will re measure after it at operating temp.
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  #4  
Old 07-26-2015, 12:16 PM
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I'm no expert, but the way I check mine is I wait until I haven't driven it for a few hours, usually in the morning. I run the engine for about 1 minute then check the level. I believe the proper indication is appx. 5mm below the "low level mark". In the beginning I overfilled and the transmission shifted weird. Now it shifts almost seamlessly after reaching operating temperature.
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  #5  
Old 07-26-2015, 02:56 PM
dkr dkr is offline
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I had a similar experience when I bought my 300D. The vacuum system was not holding vacuum and the transmission was shifting very hard. I fixed the vacuum, but the transmission shifting did not change. After flushing and changing the filter and getting the fluid level to the right level, the transmission started shifting perfectly. The only explainable difference was the fluid was too high before.

Dkr.
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  #6  
Old 07-28-2015, 12:48 PM
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Overfull the transmission fluid may foam. If this occurs the control circuits do not see the right pressure I suspect. All I really know is I have found these transmissions to be pretty sensitive to fluid level.

As a general rule if the old transmission fluid did not look really bad changing it the way you did should seldom cause issues. You could not pay me to power flush one of these old transmissions though.

What is concerning at the same time is you mentioning the transmission seemed normal for the first day after the change.This indicates that you may have a real problem.

The transmission fluids have been upgraded over the years and a fresh higher level of detergents in the newer fluids may have had some effect. I think tractor dealers still sell the old types of lower detergent transmission fluid.

I do not know much about automatic transmissions but suspect the newer detergents may have gotten some junk loosened up in that box or somehow caused an internal seal issue.

I might add a bottle of transmission snake oil just in case some internal seals may have been compromised. It will swell them back up but takes some miles to do this. Or at least would try this if it becomes evident the transmission has to come out otherwise. The transmission has a top vent and if the overfilled fluid foamed some may have been expelled through it accounting for your puddle.

On the other hand the wife has not had enough time to correct my thoughts on your issue. So hopefully I am just wrong as usual.
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  #7  
Old 07-30-2015, 03:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barry12345 View Post
On the other hand the wife has not had enough time to correct my thoughts on your issue. So hopefully I am just wrong as usual.
LOL. Is this a variation of "I don't need Google - my wife knows everything!"
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  #8  
Old 07-31-2015, 12:38 AM
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After checking with Sun Valley transmission and Juergen @ Jagi's in Dallas it would seem that changing my fluid has released a demon into my valve body causing one of the pistons to stick. The sticking piston does not release fully causing the trans to work against itself. Like forward and reverse at the same time. The trans was not overfilled and I added a bottle of super lubricant. It is slowly getting back to normal. Yesterday I had to put it into park before selecting reverse and this would only work half the time. Today it worked normally in the morning going from drive to reverse but I only got to try it once so the jury is still out.
Film @ 11
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  #9  
Old 07-31-2015, 04:28 PM
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Sounds reasonable. Hopefully any garbage stirred up will make it to the transmission filter after awhile.
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  #10  
Old 07-31-2015, 04:34 PM
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Not only did I ad the snake oil. I was told to put a quart of straight 30W engine oil in there to thicken it up. I noticed crisper shifting right away. Oh what fun.
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  #11  
Old 08-01-2015, 02:41 AM
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I'd be extremely cautious and take any "advice" from a trans shop with a huge lump of salt. They may be trying to drum up business from you. The old dealer trick for a clunker with a bad trans was to put brake fluid in the trans and it would shift okay for a few weeks until it failed completely. The straight 30 grade oil suggestion is another "limp it further" tactic that causes more damage in the long run.

I would be much more apt to use the Lucas Trans Fix in it as opposed to engine oil if you really want some thick goopy trans fluid. Above all else, I'd use the Auto-Rx products for a cleaning action that will dissolve the varnish causing problems.

Since it seems like a rebuild r replacement is in the cards for you, I don't even know that any of this matters anymore.
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  #12  
Old 08-01-2015, 12:59 PM
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Transmission fluid does not swell seals as I suspect it is synthetic in nature. Oil does. Tranny snake oils are normal oil basically to swell seals and perhaps some strong detergents and solvents . I only suspect this but do not know.

Even some reputable transmission shops recommend the snake oils for certain issues. It can take up to 1500 miles sometimes to see if they worked.
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  #13  
Old 08-01-2015, 06:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mannys9130 View Post
I'd be extremely cautious and take any "advice" from a trans shop with a huge lump of salt. They may be trying to drum up business from you.


Above all else, I'd use the Auto-Rx products for a cleaning action that will dissolve the varnish causing problems.
yep, what he said.

Except for the part about the Auto-Rx part, as I don't have any experience w/ their products but have read some negative stuff on them over at the BITOG forums.

I do however, have personal experience with a product called "Kreen" which is freaking amazing at varnish dissolving & cleaning an engine's internals. I've not ever used it in a transmission though.
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  #14  
Old 08-01-2015, 09:42 PM
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30 wt in the trans?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fattyman View Post
Not only did I ad the snake oil. I was told to put a quart of straight 30W engine oil in there to thicken it up. I noticed crisper shifting right away. Oh what fun.
I wonder if by altering the oil viscosity by adding 30 wt motor oil you're getting a sticky valve.

I once added a quart of Dex IV in my w126 trans and it did just what you are describing. Then after 1,000 or two miles I changed the trans oil with 100% Dex III and it ran great.

60k mikes later the front seal went out so I had Sun Valley pull and exchange it with a rebuild the trans. 4 Yrs & 120,000 later still shifting great.

P.S. You can trust Sun Valley when you ask them a question like yours. Might want to check back and let them know about the 30wt. They may say change it out and it'll be fine. Many an enthusiast has kept their trans out of the shop by speaking with these folks.
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  #15  
Old 08-01-2015, 10:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barry12345 View Post
Transmission fluid does not swell seals as I suspect it is synthetic in nature. Oil does. Tranny snake oils are normal oil basically to swell seals and perhaps some strong detergents and solvents . I only suspect this but do not know.

Even some reputable transmission shops recommend the snake oils for certain issues. It can take up to 1500 miles sometimes to see if they worked.
No. Trans fluid is just the same base stock as engine oil, but with a totally different add pack. It is meant to deal with the conditions inside a trans. There is no difference between engine oil base stock and trans fluid base stock if both are conventional or synthetic. Engine oil doesn't swell seals and I have no idea where you got that from... High mileage formulated oil has elastomeric seal conditioning chemicals which swell seals, but plain motor oil whether synthetic or not does not swell seals on its own. That's a moot point. The SAE 30 motor oil only makes the overall viscosity of the oil in the trans thicker and cause more pressure (resistance to flow) to lessen the symptoms of a sticking check or a worn seal in the system. Nothing more.

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