Can you drain tranny fluid easily?

[Catastrophe]

I want to add new tranny fluid, and was wondering if there's a simple way to drain the ATX fluid? Do I need to go to a shop, or can I accomplish this myself.......

<small>[ October 18, 2003, 04:09 AM: Message edited by: Clitaurus ]</small>

 

[Ishodu]

You can get at least half of it out by dropping the pan. Then you can also change the filter. It usually makes a mess though because fluid goes everywhere, If you don't take all the bolts out right away and make one corner looser and start to pry it apart there it will start to drain out with a bit of control. Its also a good idea to measure how much you take out so that you can get about the same amount back in for start up.
I also heard of people pulling off a line and letting it drain out that way. I have no experience with that and you would still have to drop the pan to change the filter.

 

[olympic]

You can unhook one of the tranny cooler lines, start the car and let it pump itself out. While it's doing that, pour in fresh fluid as fast as you can. Shut the engine off once you have about 13 quarts of old ATF in the drain bucket. Reconnect the cooler line, top off the fluid and it's done.

Dropping the pan gets about half the fluid out, the rest is in the torque converter.

 

[SHOZ123]

Here is how I do it. You need a 5 gallon bucket and at least 15 quarts of new fluid, plus a new filter and a foot long piece of 3/8" hose.

Jack up the car and disconnect the hose to the cooler on the drivers side. Attach the short piece to the cooler and put both hoses in or over the bucket. Most of the fluid will come out of the hose attached to the tranny.

Start motor and let engine idle in park until the flow lessens, about 5-6 quarts will come out.

At this time drop pan and change filter, about 3-4 quarts will come out of the pan. Put pan on and add 10 quarts of fluid.

Start car again and run until flow lessens or the flow is the new fluid. Connect hose back to the cooler, lower car and add enough fluid to bring the level to the full mark.