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I have a 1981 300 D that has probably never had the automatic transmission fluid changed.

I think I would like to do a flush and fill with a filter change.

I would really like to hear your suggestions.

And I would like to put together a DIY for this project.
I have a digital camera and the time.
I thought this might be a good way to give back to this forum, and to the people who have helped me.




Thank you for your help.
gratefully
RichC

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When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

Warm up the transmission fluid by driving for say 30 minutes.

Drain the Torque Converter, Drain the fluid from the transmission through the pan drain plug.

Do NOT flush. Very bad idea.

Steve

Softconsult is correct about not flushing the transmission, but I highly recommend that you not warm up an a/t before changing fluid. ATF gets MUCH hotter than engine oil. This can lead to serious burns.

Get the fluid and filter and turn the engine until you have access to one of the torque converter drain plugs, then drain and remove the pan, replace the filter, replace the pan and drain plug and replace the converter drain plug.

Fill the transmission with about 85 or 90 percent of the specified volume and then start the car and make sure the fluid is showing on the stick. Drive the car about 17 to 20 miles to get the fluid hot, then CAREFULLY top off to the full mark on the stick. The ATF level will rise SIGNIFICANTLY when warmed up, and you DO NOT want to overfill an automatic transmission.

Good luck,

I have been advised to do as Larry says, with one addition. After filling with about 80% of capacity, start the engine and move the gear lever to each gear, holding it there a few seconds. After that, drive it until hot, then top up fluid level, as needed.

Joe B.

Don't use gasket sealer, it can squish into the pan and gum things up. Torque the pan lightly, carefully, and go around the pan incrementally. In other words don't tighten 1 bolt or a 1 side all the way. Work your way around tightening them. A lightly and evenly torqued gasket will not leak. If you twist too hard it can deform the gasket or pan and it will leak.

Fill, shift through the gears, top it off, reshift and check. If it is close take it for a drive and check again.

Good luck, it can be a messy job. Be slow, careful and keep it clean!

Chuck

When checking the transmission fluid level should the car be running or not?

Should the transmission be in park or neutral while checking the fluid level?

Should the transmission be filled to the line on the dipstick while cold, or only reach the top mark when hot?

When turning the engine by hand to gain access to the torque converter drain bolt, should it turned in one direction only? Or is either direction fine?


Thank you all for your help.

__________________

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

when checking the level it should be running and hot. when hot it should be at the full line. no only turn the engine clockwise,do not rotate backwards.

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If it's that old, I've heard that it is a good idea to only do a partial drain the first time around. Like maybe do the pan and filter, run it for a couple of weeks, then do complete job including pan, filter, and the torque converter. The theory being that a full replacement the first time will loosen up little bits and grimy stuff, causing a clog soon thereafter.

I'm a firm believe in doing it right the first time....and that is a full change along with filter and pan gasket.

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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

As far as doing a complete drain and fill goes, the chance of something clogging is not NEAR as great as the chance of the clutches losing their linings. That, however, only happens to transmissions that are already toast with fluid that is burnt or smells like turpentine.

Such transmissions with burnt fluid are REALLY susceptible to damage due to flushing. The flushing can wash the reamaining clutch lining away resulting in a transmission that won't even hold good enough to back out of the stall. In EXTREME cases a drain and fill can even cause this.

If the fluid is really toasted, you won't even have to smell the stick, you will smell it as soon as you pull the stick out. If you are having no trouble with the trans and the fluid does not smell burnt, a drain and fill will almost certainly be safe to do.

Good luck and have a great day,

I'd use a solvent such as Trans-X to loosen gum and varnish first, then change the fluid and filter. If there is varnish buildup on the clutches, this will improve the friction some. When you install the new pan gasket, do not overtighten. If you don't have a torque wrnch to measure 8 Nm, put your socket on a nut driver handle. That will keep you from overtorquing it, unless you are a real gorilla.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

What are the chances that going to a synthetic transfluid could flush out gunk that could cause problems?

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1981 240D, Auto Trans, 160k miles -- CRASHED!

This is sounding less like a project that I should do a DIY for, and one that I should take on carefully, and hope for good results.

I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Thanks again
RichC

__________________

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix