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Tranny fluid in the motor.

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Old 01-14-2005, 01:08 AM
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Default Tranny fluid in the motor.

I was over at a buddys house and i was talking to his dad for a min about cars. He was telling me he used tranny fluid in his motor to clean it up. Not running it on the street but he would let it idle for 10 mins or so and then drain it. Has anyone ever herd of this much less done it. I would guess it would not hurt the motor sence tranny fluid is a thin loob.
Old 01-14-2005, 01:33 AM
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transmission fluid is sometimes used as a fuel additive to lubricate fuel line parts that may have been over-dried by gasohol and other cheap fuels, but never heard of people running tranny fluid as engine oil.

http://www.team.net/sol/tech/octane_b.html
Old 01-14-2005, 01:39 AM
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hope nobody is crazy enough to try this, on their LS1......since I drive an LT1..... I will try it.... I will let you guys know what happens.... will try it in the morning when I wake up............ J/J LOL
Old 01-14-2005, 01:39 AM
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He said he did not take the car out just let it idle for 10 mins or so. So it would go thought the system and then drain it out.
Old 01-14-2005, 01:41 AM
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Originally Posted by goober35
He said he did not take the car out just let it idle for 10 mins or so. So it would go thought the system and then drain it out.
How many teeth was the guy sporting? just curious.
Old 01-14-2005, 01:44 AM
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He had a full grill. He also work for AA.
Old 01-14-2005, 01:46 AM
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those baggage handlers know their engine detergents, I guess .

I dunno, man. I'm sticking with my Red Line synthetic.
Old 01-14-2005, 02:47 AM
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Originally Posted by goober35
He had a full grill. He also work for AA.
One more airline to avoid.

J/K
Old 01-14-2005, 02:47 AM
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Yeah I definitely dont know bout that either. I would classify trans fluid more as a hydraulic fluid than an oil/detergent if anything. They make engine detergents lots to choose from, youd be better off going that route. Good Luck
Old 01-14-2005, 07:24 AM
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Yeah, its an old trick, I Did it with my old 94Z that had a small amount of abnormal noise in the valvetrain. I just substituted 1qt of oil for tranny fluid. So I had 4 1/2 qts oil, 1 qt Tranny fluid, drove it to work, and then home, about 10 miles total. Then drained it out, and the noise was gone and still isn't back, and I did it about 2 years ago. A few of the older Technicians told me to try it. Worked like a champ. This coming from a GM Tech
Old 01-14-2005, 07:26 AM
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FOlks have done this for years. Transmission fluid is full of detergents, and it really will clean out the inside of your motor ... You do as suggested above -- substitute 1qt. in an oil change, run it for a short period of time, and drain / change filter. I'd also like to say there's not much of a need to do this if you're doing regular oil changes and using good oil -- nothing will be coating the inside of your motor or blocking any passages.
Old 01-14-2005, 07:41 AM
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I've even heard of people doing this with kerosene. Don't laugh, it works. Kerosene isn't as flammable as you might think either.
Last person I know of that did it (the kerosene trick), actually just pressurized the engine with a drill and turned it over by hand. Did that 2 or 3 times with a 30 year old engine and when he removed the pan and valve covers it looked like new.

It's probably like welding on a full gas tank. Sounds crazy, but it's actually been done...without a Darwin award.
Old 01-14-2005, 08:26 AM
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This is an old timers trick that was used in the 60's and 70's before they had good oil. The ATF would clean the sludge and deposits left from the oil breaking down. There is absolutely no need for this with today's advanced oils
Old 01-14-2005, 08:56 AM
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Brains has got you coverd. Been done for a long time.
Old 01-15-2005, 07:44 PM
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This works. Other methods include Sea Foam and Marvel Mystery Oil. Can't help but feel weird doing this, but it does work. I've used all three and yes, they do work.
Old 01-15-2005, 08:17 PM
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Originally Posted by MelloYellow
One more airline to avoid.

J/K
Was that American Airlines...or maybe Alcoholics Anonymous!
Old 01-17-2005, 06:10 PM
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Look in side an auto trans some time. Very clean. ATF is basically 20 weight oil with a lot of additives. It works well in an engine that has sat for a long time or neglected engines. Helps with sticky lifters too. If you service your car regularly you shouldn't need to do this. Sea Foam works awesome too.
Old 01-17-2005, 07:33 PM
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Back in the day my father used to do this with any car he bought. He would run about a quart of ATF then drain it after driving for a little while. Again as stated, motor oil today has come along way since the 70's and early 80's. I guess the younger crowd has heard of this old time trick.




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