DIY Auto Transmission flush?

458815 Views 523 Replies 133 Participants Last post by FJCamper1, Nov 7, 2021

bartt

Discussion Starter · Oct 23, 2009

I'm coming up on 70k, so I have the usual service to handle and in addition I want to flush out the tranny..
I have the fluid (16quarts) and am not afraid to tackle this chore.

My intent is to:
Disconnect a line up front (at my tranny cooler) since it's easy to get to.
Open the filler plug on the side of the tranny and stick in a filler tube and funnel.
Put a drain bottle under the open line.
Start it up to pump out a couple of quarts at a time.
Shut it down
Add new fluid in the amount pumped out.
Repeat until I use up all the fluid that I have.

Check the level and top off as required.

Has anyone done this already?
Is my procedure going to work?
What am I missing? I've read that I should reset the ECU so it will re-learn the shift patterns. What else..

Thanks for any feedback (please don't tell me to take it to the dealer).

Reactions: 1

41 - 60 of 524 Posts

DEWFPO

· #41 · Jun 8, 2010

Sanderhawk said:
First off I want to thank bartt your parts list for this job and instructions were spot on Hoses fit snug and didn`t need clamps or anything. This job is a easy as changing your oil. Here are a few pictures to see what I did

Hope this helps this job is as easy as it gets

How many qts of ATF did you actually have to use?

DEWFPO

Sanderhawk

· #42 · Jun 8, 2010

DEWFPO said:
How many qts of ATF did you actually have to use?

DEWFPO

I ran 14qts through before it looked bright red and then 1 more just incase. I have 1 unopened qt. I plan on returning since its $7.50 a qt.

DEWFPO

· #43 · Jun 8, 2010

Sanderhawk said:
I ran 14qts through before it looked bright red and then 1 more just incase. I have 1 unopened qt. I plan on returning since its $7.50 a qt.

Thanks for the info.

DEWFPO

Sanderhawk

· #44 · Jun 10, 2010

Anytime. I`m glad I can finally give some info out instead of asking for it.

Reactions: 2

bartt

Discussion Starter · #45 · Jun 10, 2010

Sanderhawk - glad you posted the photos, that really makes it clear.

Sanderhawk

· #46 · Jun 10, 2010

bartt said:
Sanderhawk - glad you posted the photos, that really makes it clear.

Bartt thank you for making this job sound as simple as it is. I have heard so many horror stories about this that I almost didn`t do it. Then I read your post and you made it sound easy which it is. Your parts list and how to is top notch. Feel free to move the pics to the how to section or just leave them here. Thanks again Steve

Capt Sensible

· #47 · Jun 11, 2010

good work, going to have to do it one of these days!

Super Werty

· #48 · Jun 13, 2010 (Edited)

2

BlackCherryota said:
That would not be a good idea. Using a non-Toyota tranny fluid would be roughly equi valent to getting a blood transfusion with the wrong blood type. The WS fluid used in our trannies is a lower viscosity than the other mass-market fluids. If you want firmer shifts, get a replacement valve body or see if the tuning devices can alter shift line pressure.

DEWFPO said:
These guys ( IPT Performance Transmissions Torque Converters and Transmission Parts for Ford, GM, Chrysler, and Import vehicles make a valve body kit for the 5AT's in the FJ that will give you quicker, firmer shifts. DEWFPO

I have a tacoma with the A750F 5 speed auto trans....same as the FJ.

Anyways, I recently pulled it apart and sent my Valve Body to IPT....48 hrs later I had it back in the truck and filled up with synthetic AMSOIL Universal ATF. IPT recommended that fluid as did Gadget @ URD.

8 qts of fluid came out....so I filled up 8. Filling up the trans is easy. I pumped in 2 gallons in about 5 minutes with a penzoil fluid pump I got at a local auto parts store.

AMSOIL - Synthetic Universal Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)

The truck shifts a lot faster now and I love it.:rocker:

Here is the difference in shifting. Before and after...

Before.

After.

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Reactions: 2

DEWFPO

· #49 · Jun 13, 2010

Super Werty, thanks for providing the above info.:cheers:

DEWFPO

Frog

· #50 · Jul 5, 2010

Amsoil now has a lower viscosity tranny fluid that meets Toyota's WS speck. Has anyone tried this yet? Any recommendations?

Thanks to all the contributors here...this is great info.

brianlewis

· #51 · Jul 10, 2010 (Edited)

I performed this procedure but I did it a little differently to reduce the waste (11 qts vs 16 qts) and I used SuperTech Dexron VI instead of Toyota WS.

TOTAL COST : $45.35
Vinyl Tube 1/2" ID x 5/8" OD - Home Depot Plumbing Department 10 ft length $3.88
11 Quarts of SuperTech Dexron VI ($3.77 x 11)

Using a 24mm I removed the fill plug on the passenger side of the transmission
Using a 14mm I removed the drain plug from the pan and drained exactly 3.5 qts
Reinstalled the 14mm bolt (and washer, be careful to not lose this washer)
Ran clear tubing along side of transmission into engine bay and connected to funnel zip tied to hood
Filled Transmission with 4 quarts of Dexron VI
Connected 3/8" tubing (had a foot long section in my garage) to 1/2" clear vinyl tubing and set it to drain 2" into 5 qt oil jug with clear window on side, top is connected to bottom trans cooler connection on radiator
Turned on Engine, cycled R, N, D, 3, 2, 1 and back up to Park, did this until I got to about 3.5 qts then turned off motor, drained what was left in clear tubing to reach 4 qts
Emptied 5 qt jug
Filled Transmission with 4 quarts of Dexron VI
Turned on Engine, cycled R, N, D, 3, 2, 1 and back up to Park, did this until I got to about 3 qts then turned off motor, drained what was left in clear tubing to reach 3.5 qts
Filled Transmission with 3 quarts of Dexron VI

I didn't have to continue to get clear red fluid, 11 quarts of fluid worked out just fine.

And for all you Low Kinematic Viscosity people, Toyota WS is rated at 6 cSt, Dexron VI is rated at 6cSt, Amsoil Low Visc Dexron VI is rated at 6 cSt, so running this fluid is the correct viscosity.

Don't forget to change your rear diff fluid, 2.75 qts of Mobil 75-90 Synthetic works great and is very easy to drain/fill. I've done mine at 25,000 and 50,000 miles.

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Reactions: 3

DEWFPO

· #52 · Jul 11, 2010

brianlewis said:
And for all you Low Kinematic Viscosity people, Toyota WS is rated at 6 cSt, Dexron VI is rated at 6cSt, Amsoil Low Visc Dexron VI is rated at 6 cSt, so running this fluid is the correct viscosity.

Kinematic Viscosity is only 1 characteristic of an ATF. Fluids are spec'd to match compatibility with the clutch pack materials, torque convertor ratios, operating conditions and pressures. I realize on paper the DexVI specs look somewhat similar to other ATF's but chemically they may be very different. That transmission runs about $6,500 new. Why would you risk that to save <$100?

I truly hope you are fine and have no problems, but to me it is a risk not worth taking to save a few $.

DEWFPO (and yes, I perform 95+% of the work on all my vehicles and don't believe in wasting money either, but.........).

brianlewis

· #53 · Jul 11, 2010

There are hundreds of posts from other Toyota Tundra/4Runner users who have used Dexron VI without issue. I could not find a single post where someone said Dexron VI made their Toyota transmission go south. The Dexron VI packaging specifically states its recommended for use where Toyota WS is called for. To each his own.

HUGO STIGLITZ

· #54 · Jul 11, 2010

Thanks for the pics! Someone in this thread said toyota does not recommend a tranny flush, saying it should be good for the life of the vehicle, I dont believe it for a second especially seeing how dirty your old fluid is. How many miles did you have on your rig at time of flush?? Thanks again

Bartt, thanks for the great info!!!

Sanderhawk said:
First off I want to thank bartt your parts list for this job and instructions were spot on Hoses fit snug and didn`t need clamps or anything. This job is a easy as changing your oil. Here are a few pictures to see what I did

Heres the parts list 16 qts. of toyota ATF WS trans fluid.

3/8 ID clear hose hooked to the lower trans hose nipple coming out of the radiator

Same hose running out of the bottom of the truck into bottle measure the fluid coming out

1/2 ID clear tube taped to funnel and zipped tied to stay there while filling

same hose shoved in the fill plug about an inch

What the fluid looked like compared to new

Hope this helps this job is as easy as it gets

Sanderhawk

· #55 · Jul 11, 2010

HUGO STIGLITZ said:
Thanks for the pics! Someone in this thread said toyota does not recommend a tranny flush, saying it should be good for the life of the vehicle, I dont believe it for a second especially seeing how dirty your old fluid is. How many miles did you have on your rig at time of flush?? Thanks again

Bartt, thanks for the great info!!!

I changed the Trans fluid right at 50,000 miles I figured with the all the offroading I do it wouldn`t hurt. any mechanical machinery needs to maintenced no matter what it is. I couldn`t believe toyota said they don`t change it. How do they know how long my FJ is going to last.

DEWFPO

· #56 · Jul 12, 2010

brianlewis said:
There are hundreds of posts from other Toyota Tundra/4Runner users who have used Dexron VI without issue. I could not find a single post where someone said Dexron VI made their Toyota transmission go south. The Dexron VI packaging specifically states its recommended for use where Toyota WS is called for. To each his own.

That's news to me. I guess I don't frequent the Tundra/4Runner sites so I didn't know about this. I haven't looked at a bottle of DexVI in a while. Some of us are under the impression that the Toyoya type WS is a full synthetic, I thought the DEX Vi was a semi-synthetic. Any thoughts on that? :cheers:

DEWFPO

brianlewis

· #57 · Jul 12, 2010

Toyota WS (JWS 3324) is NOT Synthetic

MSDS Sheet - http://www.kd5byb.net/Tundra/ATF WS MSDS1.pdf
Ingredients - Base Oil and Additives - Lubricating Oils (74869-22-0)
74869-22-0 EINECS description:
A complex combination of hydrocarbons obtained from solvent
extraction and dewaxing processes. It consists predominantly of
saturated hydrocarbons having carbon numbers in the range C15
through C50.

If you want a Synthetic, Amsoil Low Visc ATF offers this
MSDS : http://www.amsoil.com/msds/atl.pdf
OSHA TABLE Z - Synthetic Base Stock

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Reactions: 1

FJ-Bruiser

· #58 · Jul 22, 2010

wow, considering how dirty that fluid was, and that Toyota says don't change it, how often under non-dusty driving, after how many miles should we be changing fluid? I know it depends on temperature, towing, dust, etc., but I mean for street driving under moderate temps. every 25k?

1911

· #59 · Jul 22, 2010

I flush mine every 50-60,000 miles (twice so far).

Reactions: 2

FJ-Bruiser

· #60 · Jul 22, 2010

hmmmm... I'm just at 40k but it's an '07 and seems like age should play into this also. fyi, my local Jiffy Lube says they'll do it for me if I'll bring in the fluid, and charge me $65-70 only for their labor.

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