Thread: Tranny milkshake, please help!!

Tweet

I clearly have a problem, probably of my own making but now I need to help in fixing it.

I have a 454 backed by a 4L80E. I burned up the first transmission by not running a cooler or a loop for the cooler. So I installed a second transmission.

The second transmission appears to be filled with strawberry milkshake.

I am guessing that when I reused the torque converter that I got with the transmission that there must have been water inside of it. Now I know, don't reuse a torque converter. I am not using a cooler in the bottom of the radiator and so I can't think of where else the water would come from.

So how do I fix this? Is it as easy as draining and refilling? Am I screwed?

* Is there a magic elixir that will help get the water out?
* Is there such a thing as a tranny flush?
* Will changing the transmission mutiple times help?
* Do I need to get a new torque converter?

Thank you for any help you can offer.

Jay

I think you are screwed. I had this happen on a Pontiac wagon years ago, tube that is in radiator fell off and it sucked water into the transmission. I kept changing the fluid and finally got it to be red again, but a short time later the transmission would not move in any gear.

You could try flushing it and see what happens. All it will cost you is some transmission fluid and time. There is that one chance that you caught it before any damage occurred and at least you can say you tried to save it.

Don

I am think my best chance at saving it is to change fluids and the torque converter...followed by prayer.

I'd change to an independent external cooler. Then, I'd have it towed to a shop that has a BG flush machine. What it does is, you fill the machine with 12 qts of new tranny fluid, then as it runs, the new fluid goes in while the crap fluid comes out. ( Kinda a fluid transfusion ) Then see how it goes. Water does bad things to a tranny, and even if you do all that, you could still be looking at major tranny damage in the future from having this have happened.

The BIG problem with water in the trans is that the glue used to apply the fibre to the clutches and band are water soluble - including the torque convertor clutch. GM and Chrysler had problems a few years ago with water entering the trans thru the dip stick tube. Chrysler tried to band-aid the fix before finally replacing everything inside, GM replaced everything the first time. Once water is in there, there's not much you can do but replace the fibres.
If you suspect the radiator or cooler, you can pressure test and /or vacuum test the radiator and the cooler to find the leak. Don't rule out the dipstick tube, or the vent tube/hose as a sorce. D

time for a manual transmission?