I have a C6 transmission behind a 460 in a 1975 truck I bought about a year and half ago. It has a little over 100,020 miles on the clock.

I have had no problems with the transmission so far. It goes into gear and shifts when it's supposed to. Doesn't make any unusal noises or have any major leaks. Just the occassional drip.

So I pulled of the transmission fluid pan today and drained the torque converter as well. The fluid was a dirty red color but had no funny or burnt smell. In the bottom of the pan were tiny specks of metal that glistened in the sun light. Kinda like what a light metalic paint would look like is how I can best describe it. No big metal chunks or bits, and the screen was clear. Is this normal wear in a transmission this old and this many miles on it?

Filter question. The old filter is a FoMoCo brand that has a small pick up tube comming out from the bottom of the screen. It seems that it would allow the pump to pick up fluid closer to the bottom of the pan and would allow the fluid level to drop sightly more before loosing suction and messing things up. The new filter is a Fram filter. It looks slightly different. It doesn't have a pick up tube. I'm sure it would work ok but would not pick up fluid so close to the bottom of the pan and not be as forgiving if the fluid level should drop. Is the pick up tube all that important? The Fram filter has finer mesh screen than the Ford brand. Is this a better choice or should I just clean the Ford filter and reuse it?

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Sounds like what you found in the pan was about normal for a tranny with this many miles.

Dirty red color with no burnt smell is normal.

Small metla speclkles are normal as long as there aren't a ton of them. Say maybe a teaspoon or two if you could somehow get the flakes dry. Less is better. Usually there is a magnet that picks up the metal specks.

Just a few chunks the size of rice or smaller is normal. None or very small is better.

Clear screen is good. The paper filters are more prone to "clogging" up with this many miles.

I might worry that you got a FRAM for short pans and not a long one. Don't know if it is a problem other than you have less margin for error. I like paper filters better than screens, but you must change regularly.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

The pickup tube on the filter is for the deep pan used on 4x4's. If you have a 4x4 and you go offroad it is posible for the fluid to run to the side of the pan and the pump can pick up air. Use the right filter. C-6 filters are only a screen. Clean the old one and reuse it unless there is metal particles jammed in the corners.

 

Thanks for the replys.

As far as the specks go, it's more like a fine dust. No more that a spoon full if that much. So it looks like it's just normal wear and tear.

As far as the filter, I cleaned up the old one and reused it. I don't have a 4X4 but the idea of the pick up tube being used in one makes sense. Maybe somebody put the deep pan on mine at some time or replaced the tranny. I didn't know there was difference so when I told the parts guy I wanted a new filter kit, he just gave me what was supposed to be on there I guess.

Anyway, I replaced everything and filled it up. It took right at 13 quarts of ATF if anybody's interested. Road test turned out fine.

Thanks for your help.