Dexron

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MoparLeo said:
For a complete fluid exchange you disconnect the cooling lines.
One is the "in line" to the trans and the other is the "out line" to the cooler.
Just need a few of feet of the proper sized rubber fuel line. Just measure what you will need.
Add the rubber lines to the ends of metal ones, long enough to put one in a bucket of clean fluid and the out line into an empty bucket.
Start it up and put it in neutral so the pump is working. Let it run until new fluid is coming out of the "out line".
Re-attach the trans lines and fill to the proper level using your FSM for the correct procedure> Very important to follow the Manual.
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I used this method on my 2006 Trailblazer. Easy, clean and no drilling required. With regard to my Dart, the fluid indicated no sign of AT damage, wear or malfunction, so I'm going to limit my maintenance to draining and filter replacement, which is done. I'll purchase some Dex lll and service the AT with that.

Many thanks for the guidance and the fast and thorough response. I have only had my Dart and used the forum for two weeks, and I am already amazed by the quantity, quality and speed of member responses to my questions. I'm looking forward to gaining enough knowledge to begin to help other members.
 
I take clean containers to my local Chrysler dealership and have them filled with Bulk Mopar ATF+4. About $4.50 a qt. Good stuff. If you really want to flush cooler and converter, just pull return line and catch it in a pan, couple qts. at a time for 6 qts.
 
mechanicmark said:
I take clean containers to my local Chrysler dealership and have them filled with Bulk Mopar ATF+4. About $4.50 a qt. Good stuff. If you really want to flush cooler and converter, just pull return line and catch it in a pan, couple qts. at a time for 6 qts.
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And boy o boy, does that fluid blast out of that line! Need to secure the drain hose... or else!!!
 
If the fluid you drained out is clean, just dump it back in. Otherwise, any kind of trans fluid is okay. Rossi used to sell 10wt motor oil as racing fluid. I always change the filter. Never run the motor to warm up the trans with fluid level below the full mark. Folks are scared to death to overfill their trans even a quarter inch above the full mark but you have to be several inches up to damage the unit. Running the motor with the fluid low enough for the filter to suck air will destroy the trans. Two quarts low will do that easily. If you need to drain any out, just use the neutral switch.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
If the fluid you drained out is clean, just dump it back in. Otherwise, any kind of trans fluid is okay. Rossi used to sell 10wt motor oil as racing fluid. I always change the filter. Never run the motor to warm up the trans with fluid level below the full mark. Folks are scared to death to overfill their trans even a quarter inch above the full mark but you have to be several inches up to damage the unit. Running the motor with the fluid low enough for the filter to suck air will destroy the trans. Two quarts low will do that easily. If you need to drain any out, just use the neutral switch.
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Really? Couldn't tell you how many times vehicles were towed into Dealerships shops I worked at that wouldn't move because they were OUT of fluid do to popping a line from rust, etc; Fix the leak, filler up and were just fine.
 
Just because a trans works doesn't mean that it's reliable. Anybody who rebuilds them knows what loss of pressure can do to a clutch pack in half a minute.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
Just because a trans works doesn't mean that it's reliable. Anybody who rebuilds them knows what loss of pressure can do to a clutch pack in half a minute.
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Yes it will just destroy a clutch pack. It’s not the loss of pressure that directly does the damage it is from the idiot behind the whee hitting 4000 rpm and frying the clutch pack trying to get the car to move.
 
GM hasn't built a car for many years that uses Dexron III. To keep people from using it in cars that require Dexron VI, they stopped licensing Dexron III about 15 years ago. So no one is allowed to call their product Dexron III. You'll see some weasel-wording on the container like "suitable for use where Dexron III is recommended." As long as it's from a reputable oil company, it should be fine.
A full synthetic Dexron III type fluid is Allison spec TES-295. Allison came out with it when Dex VI wasn't good enough for their HD transmissions. It's very good in Torqueflites. It's normally sold as HD truck trans fluid. Some of it is pretty expensive, so look for a deal on it.
On-Highway Fluids
 
I've never been an advocate for changing transmission fluid in any Chrysler car I've ever owned and the only failures I've had are from a blown out pump seal and a cracked torque converter hub leaking fluid. I have put Type F in a A904 transmission I was drag racing with on a regular basis but that was during a rebuild. Case in point is 1993 Jeep with A500SE transmission. It never had a fluid change until over 400,000 miles and then because it shuttered occasionally when the converter acted like it was not disengaging when you came to a stop. The fluid still looked good and there was minimal wear products in the pan at that point. It hasn't been changed since and now has 537,000 miles on it and now I add a tube of Shudder Stop occasionally.
 
nckennyb said:
I've never been an advocate for changing transmission fluid in any Chrysler car I've ever owned and the only failures I've had are from a blown out pump seal and a cracked torque converter hub leaking fluid. I have put Type F in a A904 transmission I was drag racing with on a regular basis but that was during a rebuild. Case in point is 1993 Jeep with A500SE transmission. It never had a fluid change until over 400,000 miles and then because it shuttered occasionally when the converter acted like it was not disengaging when you came to a stop. The fluid still looked good and there was minimal wear products in the pan at that point. It hasn't been changed since and now has 537,000 miles on it and now I add a tube of Shudder Stop occasionally.
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This is crazy bad advice. The ATF is 3 things
A hydraulic fluid
A Lubricant
A Coolant

Why would it be a good idea to leave it in there so long? There is no benefit. It may have worked in this case but it would have worked better with fluid changes and a clean filter.

I’m not arguing with you, I’m typing this for the benefit of anyone sane enough to listen to reason.
 
413’s recommendation of Valvoline dex/merc at Walmart is spot on. Good fluid and it’s worked for me for years with no issues.
 
413 said:
This is crazy bad advice. The ATF is 3 things
A hydraulic fluid
A Lubricant
A Coolant
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I wasn't giving advice. I was just stating my experience with torqueflite transmissions in all the cars I have had had since the mid 1970s. I never changed the fluid just to be changing it and never had a fluid related transmission failure.
 
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nckennyb said:
I wasn't giving advice. I was just stating my experience with torqueflite transmissions in all the cars I have had had since the mid 1970s. I never changed the fluid just to be changing it and never had a fluid related transmission failure.
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That’s because of how you drive and where you drive, not many people are going to have that result.

Anytime you state something that saves time and money and ends up with the idea that zero money spent and it will work fine for 400,000 miles is giving advise unless you specifically tell people not to do I t just because I did.

People will think and say “well I read on the internet that you can drive 400,000 miles without a trans fluid change”. So now I’m gong to try it.”
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
B&m requires or recommends type f with their shift kits n such.
I've never run anything but Chrysler's atf 3 and 4.
I wouldn't say one is right over the other, just depends on how it's built and the fluid viscosity characteristics of what was tested with the development of each companies shift kit/valve body band/clutch materials..so on n so on n on .
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I have been using Type "F" fluid for over 30 years, in the same 727 transmission that is in a 72' Dodge maxi Van with a 340 in it. I run it hard every chance I get with no issues. I do have a question... does the B-300 or one ton truck and vans have a extra clutch as the Hemi? I heard many years ago it did.
 
I have a 65 plymouth, original fluid, it’s still red so I won’t change it since you can’t get the original ATF fluid. Put the wrong Dextron in there and it will slip and shift funny, too slick. Ask me how I know (my 92 diesel)
 
Look up Dextron fluid, there isn’t any to be found.

DEXRON is the name.

B & M recommend to use their fluid so they can make money, that’s it.
 
413 said:
Look up Dextron fluid, there isn’t any to be found.

DEXRON is the name.

B & M recommend to use their fluid so they can make money, that’s it.
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Spellcheck, can’t get away from it
 
Swinger 340 said:
I do have a question... does the B-300 or one ton truck and vans have a extra clutch as the Hemi? I heard many years ago it did.
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No they don’t have clutch drums With extra clutches and wide bands like hemi a trans has. The extra clutches are for an engine with a lot of power. A mid 70’s factory engine never has much power at all.

The truth is many of these truck/motorhome transmissions do have 4 gear planetaries front and rear to handle the loads these vehicles will haul. The standard was 3 gear planetaries. And these 3 gears are plenty strong and rarely fail.


It’s all about making it through the warranty period without a failure.
Have you even taken apart a hemi trans and see all the mods the factory had to do to fit that inside? Those wide drums are very heavy and the cause problems wearing the sealing rings and bushing for the front clutch. The 1971 wide busing was a great improvement.
 
Does the fluid lose it's lubricity over time? There is nothing to contaminate it like engine oil so that's not an issue. I don't believe the filter could ever get stopped up with normal wear particles, there's too much surface area. The only time I've ever seen a filter stopped up was on a 727 bought from a junkyard that had been sitting for years. It started buzzing like the pump was cavitating and we found that the pan was full of sludge which had gummed up the filter. It's been stated that B&M just wants to sell oil. So do the other oil companies. I admit I'm a flatlander so maybe it's just so much easier on transmissions here.
 
nckennyb said:
Does the fluid lose it's lubricity over time? There is nothing to contaminate it like engine oil so that's not an issue. I don't believe the filter could ever get stopped up with normal wear particles, there's too much surface area. The only time I've ever seen a filter stopped up was on a 727 bought from a junkyard that had been sitting for years. It started buzzing like the pump was cavitating and we found that the pan was full of sludge which had gummed up the filter. It's been stated that B&M just wants to sell oil. So do the other oil companies. I admit I'm a flatlander so maybe it's just so much easier on transmissions here.
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The filters do get plugged. I have bought a few Mopars with a supposedly bad transmission. Did a fluid/filter change and away I went. The filters seem to rest on the pan. The fluid get's contaminated and breaks down after time.
 
ATF doesn't get contaminated with by-products of combustion, of course, but excessive friction materials from wear can cause loss of lubricity. ATF will also shear and oxidize. A higher quality fluid will resist this as there is less VI improver needed, so less to shear. Also higher quality base oil, often synthetic, is used which is much more resistant to oxidation. Some ask if shearing makes it thinner, and oxidation makes it thicker, doesn't it balance out? It does, sort of, but not in a good way.
 
I'm a firm believer in fluid and filter changes. We had a '95 minivan with the 3.3L in it. A LOT of that same type of vehicle were losing transmissions right and left. I changed the fluid and filter every 25,000 miles using Mopar ATF and a Mopar filter. When we got rid of the vehicle at about 180,000, it still had the original tranny and it still worked.
 
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