Other than those few chunks of whatever, looked clean, but I have no idea how long it's been since the pan was dropped, maybe previous owner, no history on car. The previous picture was taken on an old bed sheet linen. you can see the thread weaving, those black pieces are tiny.

Ok got a question. Seems like you wrote that the clutches are worn out, or did I misinterpret? Not enough pressure to keep clutches engaged perhaps because Zulfigar is right?

I have an entire parts car, would it be easier/faster/better to just replace the entire valve body?

there are six flavors or so to the valve body... You cannot use96 or 97 on later transmissions, but a 98 or 99 transmissions can use +2000 valve bodies...

If you have a valve body, do the baitNswitch-you are there it is just few minutes...If it works, you are home free..

Martin

My parts car is a 98, so we should be good there. Just placed my order for atf, filter kit and a few other items to get the free shipping,,,

what ATF did you order?

Titan ATF 3353

more pics (valve body top)
 

Looks like something disintigrated

Have you done the bait and switch?

Are the chunks hard or rubbery?

Martin

No I haven't swapped out the valve body yet. It's hard enough to do laying on my back, I prefer no to do it outside, so I need to rearrange cars and get the '93 300SD out of the shop, it's been stripped and just a rolling chassis right now.

Here's a pic of the trans filter. it very might be just enough crud accumulated in there to stop the flow fo trans fluid,,, you be the judge,,,

1999 e320 4matic doing the same thing
 

i bought it cheap w/ the trans "going" but it ran and drove ok so i was using it. the other night after about 100 miles of driving that day, i pulled up to a light and it wouldn't move. i had felt some shuddering while at speed right before this. after pushing it off the road it occurred to me that it might 'fix' itself if i tried starting it again, which it did. then each time i stopped i had to shut it off and restart it to get it to move. whatever is wrong with yours i bet it's the same thing w/ mine. i'm staying tuned:)

Hogweed,

I haven't put mine back together, but now I'm thinking that maybe all it needed was a new trans filter, looing at the picture, I cannot imagine how trans fluid would flow through that filter.

But I probably wlil never know as I'm going to swap valve bodies, just as soon as I feel like crawling under a car again,,,

what has me wondering is why mine (and yours to some degree) would 'reset' after turning it off and starting it again.....if it were any strictly mechanical issue i would think there would be no immediate resumption of trans function by simply restarting the car. i want to drive mine again to see what it does now but it has to be related to some electronic component, at least in part, i think

The fluid changes should be every 25k to 30k for pan only changes, and for fluid exhange method you can go a little higher..

The aluminum is from wearing out of the planetary drum from the clutches banging around. It is normal to see that...What is the danger is the three dimension copper parts. Here is where the aluminum comes from.. See the first photo from post 13. The copper can come from the copper washer on each side of the planet gear in the same photo(you can see it)..

What do you guys think about this ATF filter? - Mercedes-Benz Forum

Martin