hi , 1974 valiant , slant 6 , think its the 904 . i am going to replace the fluid and filter . i was looking for opinions on which to use . i have both the standard auto parts store filter that comes with the rubber gasket and a metal filter i got from carlisle that has a very fine metal screen , that i bought with a hard composite gasket . both of which i have never seen or used before . so , which combo would you use or recommend ?
transmission fluid filter and gasket questions , metal or not ?
- Thread starter moparjon
- Start date
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For a daily driver, use the dacron(paper) filter. The metal screen allows a little more flow, but, also allows more particles through. That is used more for race applications where there is a very regulator maintenance schedule. I used a Turbo Action trans brake valve body for years, they recommend the race in. As far as the gasket, I have never had luck with the rubber gasket.
Yes, the tan colored fiber filter does a good job for street cars. I have had good luck with the black gaskets. Just make sure the pan is flat around the bolt holes.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
The Dacron filter is best for normal usage as already mentioned, and THE BEST gasket for the pan is an A500/42RH trans rubber over a metal core.
It's reusable and seals really well.
CudaFactHackJob
Well-Known Member
The old Ford trans had screens and they were the worst for particle contamination of the valve bodies. That fiber Duprene gasket can take three times the torque than the rubber. Knock down the holes in the pan below flush.
Tighten to 150 inch lbs. Cross pattern and make sure that pan rail surface is Flat. Check fluid level on level surface. Fluid warm, transmission in neutral, fluid just under full mark. Very important not to overfill. ATF +4 fluid.
CudaFactHackJob
Well-Known Member
People are paranoid about overfilling a trans so a lot of transmissions burn up from low fluid level. Another thing they do is let the trans warm up completely before topping it off. That burns it up too. Run it for 30 seconds in neutral and shut it off. Check (both sides) of the stick immediately. Add if necessary; repeat. Rule number ONE: If you don't know that your trans is full--SHUT OFF THE MOTOR.
transman
Well-Known Member
I do agree that for a street vehicle, the fibre filter is the better of the two. However, I wouldn't use either one. Off shore junk. Yes, maybe I'm being picky, but the off shore filters can be/have been troublesome. The dacron material may be to dense and might cause some restriction. I've seen this in the past, on a TH400 using an off shore filter. The material was so dense (filter bought for low$$ from competitor) that the pump was having a hard time picking up the oil. The shop owner couldn't figure it out, but his builder knew what the problem was. An even bigger problem if you live in a cold winter climate. That was the last time he used/bought any transmission filter that didn't say Seal Power or Filter-Teck on it(OEM) for any MOPAR, GM or FORD. Just my experience and observations from the past on OFF SHORE products period used in the transmission industry for domestic cars.
Other than the low-ballers, my customers preferred the brown(duraprene) gasket over cork, if the duraprene gasket was available.
I see the filter kit is a Fram. (first mistake) the second is the "made in Taiwan" sticker on the filter. What filter do you recommend that is good quality and made in the US of A? I have never seen a Seal Power or Filter-Tek filter and where would the average Joe get one?
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Good info, and I guess I have been out of it long enough we didn't have to wonder about where the filters were made.
CudaFactHackJob
Well-Known Member
I've had th400's clog quick after overhaul when trash came out of the converter. I changed the filter four times before I found out I could use a screen. Now I change the converter and always use a fiber filter to avoid valve problems.
transman
Well-Known Member
Don't forget that not only trash can come out of the converter, another troublesome source is the transmission cooler in the rad. Yes, you can try and clean that out with cold solvent, but what cleans it out the best is hot ATF, and as we all know hot ATF is a great detergent. We were a distributor for a tool called "Hot Flush" (google it to see what it is), and every customer that had one wished that they'd had one years before. Not cheap, but one high volume customer was so impressed with it he purchased a second one.
CudaFactHackJob
Well-Known Member
I don't think a radiator cooler could hold enough trash to clog a filter unless it was completely blocked. Centrifugal force packs the converter all the way around the perimeter. But I know a cooler can contain enough metal particles to hang up the valves in an aluminum valve body if only a screen is used instead of a filter.
transman
Well-Known Member
You've got a couple of choices. One, go to the dealer and see what they sell, and a 2nd source is a company called W.I.T. (Whatever It Takes). They are a parts distributor. Another major transmission parts distributor is Transtar, although I don't know if there is a location in Iowa. Just be sure to ask if their filters are off-shore or not.
The years I was selling transmission parts, I was lucky. The owner of the company started out on the bench building transmissions and knew the difference between good parts/tools/equipment. Once he got his parts/converter business going, he insisted on no off shore parts, unless there was no other choice.
Since I had a rash of clogged felt type filters in the mid 70's, I have been using the high flow screen filters in all 727 and 904's with no problem to date. There is nothing like changing filter and fluid only to start the car up and hear that screeching whizzing sound come out of your trans when shift into reverse as it's struggling to pull fluid thru that felt filter. No replacement for regular maintenance. Plus you can wash and reuse the screen type if your cheap.
Yeah, I've never had problems with the screen type either. A LOT of the older cars came stock with them.
fishy68
Tyr Fryr's Inc.
My preference for a street car is a good quality dacron filter. A good one doesn't restrict atf flow enough to hurt and filters better to keep the valves from wearing. For a race car I use the metal filters
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