Fluid level cold?
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Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2015
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From: Hugoton,KS
Fluid level cold? Just got my car back together putting rebuilt trans with truck pan, circle d stall and a trans cooler. It's hard to get an exact reading when you're filling with fluid because then the dipstick gets fluid all over it. I put in close to 9 quarts in lastnight while I was bleeding the coolant and shut it off. This morning I checked the level while it's been sitting engine off and it's right at the first hole on the cross hatch area. I think i read somewhere one inch over the crosshatch while cold is where it should be?
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
Yes, 1 inch above the "Full" line is a good starting point with the off.
If the trans was completely empty, 9 quarts sounds low. I typically start with 10 quarts and depending upon the converter, add another 1 or 2 quarts.
Obviously checking the level with a warm running engine is necessary to determine/set the final level.
Also be sure your dipstick is accurate.
If the trans was completely empty, 9 quarts sounds low. I typically start with 10 quarts and depending upon the converter, add another 1 or 2 quarts.
Obviously checking the level with a warm running engine is necessary to determine/set the final level.
Also be sure your dipstick is accurate.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2015
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From: Hugoton,KS
Okay thanks. Yeah from what I've been reading it should take close to 12 quarts. The wierd thing was I was having trouble filling it up. at first before I started it, I could only put it about 5 quarts and then it started coming out the dipstick tube.. And while i was filling it I couldn't do it too fast or it wouldn't take it and throw it up. What I did was turn it on for about 5 seconds and shut off and added more. But I stopped at 9 because it would fill up the dipstick tube again. Trans was dry when i put it in. Converter had probably half a quart.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2015
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From: Hugoton,KS
Got home and fluid was way up on the dipstick like if I had just refilled it. I kept wiping it off and trying again but it was the same thing. So it's showing like its overfilled but all I got in it is about 9 quarts... It's hard to check the fluid level while it running bc I also just did h/c and will die if I let off. I drove it around the block and I noticed it shifted into all gears.
What kinda confused me was I got it up to 30 i was going to try and speed up a little to get it to go into 4th and I'm not sure if I'm not used to the stall but seemed to need a lot of rpms to get it to speed up in that gear, more then i had to give to get going. I let off and coasted and it drove it back home. It's a circle d 4500 stall so maybe I'm just not used to it?
What kinda confused me was I got it up to 30 i was going to try and speed up a little to get it to go into 4th and I'm not sure if I'm not used to the stall but seemed to need a lot of rpms to get it to speed up in that gear, more then i had to give to get going. I let off and coasted and it drove it back home. It's a circle d 4500 stall so maybe I'm just not used to it?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2015
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From: Hugoton,KS
I checked it again this morning before work and it's showing a clear level right in the beginning of the HOT mark. Came back at 12 and it's the same thing as yesterday. Fluid half way up the dipstick and I tried putting some in and didn't even get half a quart in before its all the way up on the tube. Why??
Ck it hot and the engine running, if you get drain back from the converter, it will show higher on the stick when cold
Usually you have to look at both sides of the dipstick to get a true reading, as it picks up fluid on one side wiping against the tube
Strange about filling up in the tube, what kind of tube is it-I have seen them spit out the tube when the vent was clogged
Usually you have to look at both sides of the dipstick to get a true reading, as it picks up fluid on one side wiping against the tube
Strange about filling up in the tube, what kind of tube is it-I have seen them spit out the tube when the vent was clogged
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2015
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From: Hugoton,KS
When I check it when it's hot and engine on, fluid is all over the dipstick. But the thing is the level is actually low when it sits overnight and I check it first thing in the morning while it's still cool out. It shows a little under the HOT cross hatch area mark and from what mrvedit said it should be about 1 in above that area. BUT if I check it say around noon when it's hotter out, fluid is all over the dipstick again and I haven't even ran the car.
Dipstick is the stock fbody one. When I bought the trans i noticed it they used a truck core to build it bc it has the deeper truck pan.
What I'm trying to explain is I noticed when it's hotter out, it's like the fluid rises way up? It's impossible to have a good reading while running bc fluid is all over and I really doubt it's overfilled bc of my results when I check it in the morning and nothing is coming out of the vent tube. I drove it around yesterday and it has all 4 gears, reverse and lock up. Didn't seem to be slipping.
Dipstick is the stock fbody one. When I bought the trans i noticed it they used a truck core to build it bc it has the deeper truck pan.
What I'm trying to explain is I noticed when it's hotter out, it's like the fluid rises way up? It's impossible to have a good reading while running bc fluid is all over and I really doubt it's overfilled bc of my results when I check it in the morning and nothing is coming out of the vent tube. I drove it around yesterday and it has all 4 gears, reverse and lock up. Didn't seem to be slipping.
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
Due to the sharp bend in the 4th-Gen dipstick tube, there are other posts about the level being hard to read, especially when hot which makes the fluid thinner.
Since I don't have a 4th-Gen, perhaps others can give you advice.
As Forcd_Ind says, the fluid level is higher with the engine off. When the engine is on, the converter fills with fluid above the pan level; when off, the fluid drains out of the converter and raises the pan level.
Since I don't have a 4th-Gen, perhaps others can give you advice.
As Forcd_Ind says, the fluid level is higher with the engine off. When the engine is on, the converter fills with fluid above the pan level; when off, the fluid drains out of the converter and raises the pan level.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 51
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From: Hugoton,KS
Yeah it's always been pretty hard to read but i never had an issue reading it with the previous trans which was a stock with stock converter while it was running.
Yes I Understsnd the level is going to be higher because of fluid draining back but that's the thing. When it sits overnight it's actually low on the dipstick like what it shows in the picture in the previous post. When it's hot out or when the car is running the fluid is way up on the dipstick. So pretty much the opposite.
Honestly to me it's like it's not venting or something because that's the first thing that came to mind while I was initially trying to fill it up. It just wouldn't take the fluid fast. On my stock trans I could dump a quart in it pretty fast and with this one It just won't take it. I have to go real slow or it will throw it up like if air is pushing it up and it'll "pop" and throw fluid everywhere.
I checked the vent tube by sticking a piece of wire and it went in there fine?
Yes I Understsnd the level is going to be higher because of fluid draining back but that's the thing. When it sits overnight it's actually low on the dipstick like what it shows in the picture in the previous post. When it's hot out or when the car is running the fluid is way up on the dipstick. So pretty much the opposite.
Honestly to me it's like it's not venting or something because that's the first thing that came to mind while I was initially trying to fill it up. It just wouldn't take the fluid fast. On my stock trans I could dump a quart in it pretty fast and with this one It just won't take it. I have to go real slow or it will throw it up like if air is pushing it up and it'll "pop" and throw fluid everywhere.
I checked the vent tube by sticking a piece of wire and it went in there fine?