or should you not? should you just install the trans & put the fluid in it and go until it breaks again? lol

 

No if you follow a regular routine of changing it then it will be fine. Teh intervals all depend on the fluid and the driving conditions you subject it to. For heavy towing applications with Dex 3, they recommend 25,000 miles unless you use transynd or some other synthetic oil it is at 50,000 miles. for non towing vehicle every 50,000 is adequate. Again it depends on the usage.

 

oh okay. well this has been very helpful to me, i had no idea that changing the fluid on an old transmission could have a negative effect on it. say i had a built transmission in an fbody and ran it pretty hard would i still keep the same routine of every 50,000 miles to change it?

 

It depends on the fluid. Synthetic oil will last a lot longer. If you run the vehicle hard I would change it more frequently. $30- 40 dollar every 25,000 miles is cheaper then a new transmission.

 

yeah thats true. how many quarts does a completely empty transmission hold? a 4L60E

 

A new build will hold approx. 10 -11 quarts. When you drop the pan and filter it will take 5 quarts approximately

 

alright, thanks. i appreciate all the help.

 

I've probably got some more life out of my little ranger by changing the oil. I'm not a trans guy but changing oil is not a bad thing. My trans was slipping like crazy in my little ranger I got for free. Looked at the oil and it was black. Changed the oil and it wasn't near as bad and has been running alright for the last 6 months.

 

also you can look at the bottom of your tranny pan to tell which tranny you have

 

You are very lucky, especially with your A4LD. It is a fact that the detergents in automatic transmission fluid react when heated, and can wash away the varnish that literally helps retain the pressure that is in the trans. It can also loosen up the bits and pieces that are, over time, packed into crevises. These pieces will circulate thru the trans and start cutting into bushings and thrust washers, creating more metal. It can also get caught up in solenoids and valves wreeking havock. I have been going to seminars and schools since 1976 and not much has changed in regards to changing ATF. If the ATF has never been changed since new, and you have over 80,000 miles, it is usually not recommended to change the fluid. I personally feel if you have a Burgundy color, and the customer is adamit about changing the ATF, I will change with a warning. Brown or black, I will not change. The odds are 99-1 that the trans will fail almost immediately after changing bad ATF. Good Luck!