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Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:28 am

After having my automatic transmission seals redone my mechanic seems to have overfilled the ATF. I have checked the level by the book ie. hot, level, shifting through all gears etc. and it is well over the max. I want to drain off the extra but I can't find a drain plug. The Bently says nothing and the only way I can find to drain it would be to remove the connector to the filler tube. Is that how you drain it, by disconnecting the filler tube? Since I don't want to drain it all, is there any trick that can help me to remove just some? I would prefer to do this myself rather than taking it back to the shop.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 8:27 am

Go to a pharmacy store and get a small rubber bulb syringe. Go to a FLAPS and get a foot or two of windshield washer tubing. It has to be a size that will fit down the dipstick tube, and fit to the tip of the syringe. Then suck out the ATF bit by bit. No disassembly required.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 8:30 am

tencentlife wrote: Go to a pharmacy store and get a small rubber bulb syringe. Go to a FLAPS and get a foot or two of windshield washer tubing. It has to be a size that will fit down the dipstick tube, and fit to the tip of the syringe. Then suck out the ATF bit by bit. No disassembly required.

Thanks 10c, Now this is exactly why I love this place!!!
You have just saved me from a mess and a headache.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:32 am

OK here is my solution to remove excess ATF.

I have taken a marinade injector (on sale because barbecue season is over) and added some 1/8 inch I.D. x 1/4 inch O.D. vinyl tubing (chemical safe and a perfect fit to the syringe) to remove the extra ATF out of the dipstick tube. I cut the tubing to 22 inches which is the length of the dipstick to just below the max mark. Now all that is needed is to insert the tube when the ATF is warmed up and withdraw as much as I can until it stops coming. That should leave me with the right level.
This has the added feature that I don't have to remove the whole tube between each syringe full. I can just disconnect the tube to empty the syringe and then reconnect it. This will make the process a bit cleaner since I will only have to remove the dripping hose once at the end. Less drips on the engine. Also since it is graduated I can keep track of how much fluid is being removed.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:58 am

You can also purchase a handpump and tubing at any marine store (West Marine, as an example) prepackaged.

On most boats it is impossible to drain oil into a receptacle. So we pump it out of the top when doing changes.

I think they cost about $18... I wouldn't recommend doubling duty as a marinade baster though.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:05 pm

No turkey will ever come close to this one.
Total cost $3.49

Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:51 pm

Awesome. I love DIY tools.

Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:49 pm

Your doing waay too much work to get a 5 minute job done.

Loosen up the dipstick tube flare nut connection on the side of trans---drain off as much fluid as you need, tighten it up, your done.

Price?

Free.

You can buy yourself a cold soda pop with the dracma's saved.

This one is a no brainer---

Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:03 am

I hear what you are saying TK and I agree, but my experience with loosening those tubes on two trannys so far is they will not budge. So I guess I concurr with the other way.

Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:20 am

OK--
I'm gonna act dumb here and ask a stupid question.

How can loosing that flare nut be a problem?

Need a longer wrench maybe?

If you were using a stubby 3" open end, I could see where there might be a problem.

How bout using a 14--to 18 " cresent wrench, and giving a a wack with the palm of your hand?

The leverage & the bop pops them loose every time.

Nothing wrong with the suction method I guess--
I never even gave this method a thought.
But---the only reason I'm loosening the dipstick tube is to remove it to drop the trans pan to change the filter & fluid--

There's a good question--
How did you drop the pan to service the trans & filter without removing the flared nut & dipstick?

For some reason I must be a lucky guy--I've never overfilled the trans and had to drain some of the fluid off.

Here's an idea--
How bout a Wet Vac with a reduction tube attached to the end of the hose?
It'll suck that trans fluid down in no time at all--- ~ 8 )-

Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:23 am

Wow TK, nice response. Anyhooo, The two pans I have worked on with the correct tools because I am not a hack, would not budge period.

Also, when I change my ATF, I always drop the pan with the tube connected to it. It is not difficult to do and I also installed a trans that way too. So it can be done.

Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:33 am

Huh--

The same main course, two different recipe's.

It just makes it easier for me to remove the fill tube at the pan, drain off the trans fluid first, so as I'm dropping the pan, the brown, stinky fluid isn't running down my sleeve into my arm pit.

Just curiois---how do you manage to hit the drain pan squarely with all of the fluid still in the trans pan, and the fill tube still connected?

I'd think It'd take a kids swimming pool under the Van to pull this caper off-

Splish, Splash, I'm taking a trans fluid Bath--- ~ 8 )-

Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:51 am

Loosen all 4 bolts, take 3 out and pry the pan a bit until it starts pouring out and catch it. There isn't too much in there so I just wait patiently until it drains whilst catching it and it is done. I would greatly prefer the other way but so far I haven't been able to break them free. I don't know if it is a midwestern salt rust issue or what. Same goes for o2 sensors, I have not been able to get one of those out of a Vanagon cat yet. Even used a pipe wrench on one and it wouldn't budge!!!!!!!

Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:18 am

Here's an idea--
How bout a Wet Vac with a reduction tube attached to the end of the hose?
It'll suck that trans fluid down in no time at all--- ~ 8 )-
_________________
ROTFLMAO!!!!

Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:02 pm

Midwestern salt?
Corrosion?
Stuck fastener's?

Were both in the same boat with the calcium chloride routine on anything--but yet, the flare fittings on the trans pans always pop free for me---

Maybe Nothern Illinois salt isn't as bad as the Beertown's.

Who Know's?

Get an 18 "crescent wrench---
Give it a couple of wacks with the palm of your hand---maybe a hammer.
It'll break loose.

Honest.

Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:20 am

Here is an update guys.
My little suction syringe works like a charm. Clean, easy no fuss no muss. Took less than one minute to remove an excess of 3/4 liter fluid and left the level exactly where I wanted it first try. I ended up not removing the hose from the syringe each time, it wasn't necessary, Just sucked it up and dumped it into a jar. As soon as it started sucking up a bit of air I stopped and the level was perfect.

Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:52 am

I wonder what I'd have to tell the cop when he see's that syringe laying on the floor of the Van when he pulls me over for speeding---

"Officer, it's my trans fluid extractor"
"Turkey Baster"?
"Honest, officer"

If you only had that little bit of overfill in the trans I would have even messed with it.
It wouldn't have done any harm to it.

Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:15 am

Terry Kay wrote:
If you only had that little bit of overfill in the trans I would have even messed with it.
It wouldn't have done any harm to it.

I am sure you are right, I just got nervous since the Bentley was adamant about not overfilling saying it would cause damage.

Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:17 pm

My automatic transmission has been shifting funny going from 2nd to 3rd when not accelerating very fast. It seems to not know which gear to really stay in. RPMs go up just a blip, but that is all. Driving after that, it seems to be acting a little different and one time I had to push on the gas a lot and then it took off. It just doesn't feel like it is as efficient as normal and maybe it has more noise?

I checked the fluid and it looks high. I drove it 5-6 miles and parked on a pretty level area and checked it per the book. I checked the level of the inside floor with a level and it was only slightly tail down. The fluid was high by about the distance between the two indicators for low and high.

It is a rebuilt transmission and I have driven it about 10,000 miles or so since then with no problems. What might be the problem?

Thanks.

Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:55 pm

Sticking governer at low rpm's sounds like a reasonable conclusion by your description.

Take off the cover and see if the weights move easily.

You can shave them to make them open up sooner too.