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It would be about like changing half your engine oil. Wouldn't really hurt anything, but the new stuff you put in would be half as dirty as the old stuff right away.
You also have to take into consideration that once you drain the old sticky fluid and put in all new slick fluid, your plates will slip together and not allow the transmission to properly shift. Personally, I would drain it and add back a half and half solution of fluid and Lucas Transmission Fix. I am getting ready to do this and see what happens. I have 2 friends that did it and they are no longer slipping in OD like mine does from time to time.
When I had 110,000 miles, I drained all of mine and replaced with new fluid and it started slipping between shifts within 5 miles. Ended up getting it rebuilt for $1150. including an external cooler. That was 120,000 miles ago.
The only reason I'm changing it is because the gasket on the pan cracked and is now leaking. It's a very minute leak (not even enough to drip on the ground) but, I want to fix it! What do you think?
Your tranny fluid should be changed every 50 to 60 thousnad miles! Anyone who says you should not change it is wrong! Tranny fluid gets dirty and breaks down like other fluids. The internal fliter should be checked and cleaned if needed also. look at your owners manuel or ask any certified mechanic and you will get the same answer. The same goes for your T case and diffs they should be changed every 50 thousand also. Remember that if you have a limited slip rearend to put in friction modifier when you change your rear diff fluid.
While you have the Tranny pan off install a drain plug kit. I got one for my pan from NAPA for like $5. Its a great investment! makes for a cleaner tranny fluid change next time around.
I was just speaking from experience earlier when I said you could run into problems once you change your fluid. If you do it at 40K or 50K miles, you probably won't have any problems but waiting till 100K plus miles could definitely cause problems. You may do it and not have any problems whatsoever.
Keep us posted as to your results after a hundred or so miles.
We just changed the tranny fluid (Redline) at 125,000 (first time)ever and solvent or cleaner was added to the (generic) ATF fluid. I have put a 1,000 miles on it in two weeks and she runs great. Now I am going to swap out the (generic) ATF fluid in there and add the Redline fliud. Are you saying that I could run into problems with this fresh installation of tranny fluid?
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Jan-03 AT 08:38 PM (EST)]>I was just speaking from experience earlier when I said you
>could run into problems once you change your fluid. If you
>do it at 40K or 50K miles, you probably won't have any
>problems but waiting till 100K plus miles could definitely
>cause problems. You may do it and not have any problems
>whatsoever.
>
>Keep us posted as to your results after a hundred or so
>miles.
What he said! I wouldn't change if I were you. I worked at a oil change-type facility for a couple years and if you wait that long, new ATF shocks the clutches and pretty much wastes your transmission. Seen it time and time again.
It got to the point where if people came in with 100k+ miles with no record of a previous flushing, they had to sign a disclaimer stating we wouldn't be at fault if something went wrong.
EDIT: I see you said you got a pan leak. You gotta do what ya gotta do but a complete fluid exchange is not advisable.
Interesting, I guess I have some conflicting infor regarding changinf fluid. I looked at the 1,200 miles of driving on the new transmission fluid as a good thing. Besides, Redline syntheitc ATF at 100,000mi is like Mercon, etc at 50,000
I had to change the tranny pan gasket at 100K to fix a leak. It shifted better after the fluid change and is still fine at 110K. But of course that was not the whole torque coverter fluid change.