smyth1

the 87 owners manual says on a trans service with draining the tc is 1.94 gallons.i cant get more than one gallon back in.when i first change the filter i could just about get one gallon in.and the res was full.today after draining the pan and res it would only take about 3 quarts .somthing doesnt seem right .that trans felt rock solid all last week.finding it hard to believe it went just like that.any suggestions?thanks.

Mrmerlin

did you drain the torque converter??
If not then this would explain the difference.
When the drive line was built ,
the torque converter drain plug should be at the bottom of the grate on the transmission,
with the engine at TDC.
The transmission will hold about 9 qts with a filter and pan and torque converter drained

smyth1

my mistake,it's 1.94 gallons without draining the tc from what i'm understanding.over two with a total drain and refill.any idea on how much i should be refilling on just a pan and fitler change.thought it should be more than just a few quarts.thanks.

Landseer

Is the car idling in park when you fill?

smyth1

yes,i have a lift so it's level and in neutral and warmed up.seems like to me the fluid is not getting fron the res to the pan.filled up awfully quick .maybe somthing clogged in the tube or fitting on the back of the pan.gonna give it one more try before i start thinking about replacing it.ran great after i changed the filter last week.

Mrmerlin

es,i have a lift so it's level and in neutral and warmed up.seems like to me the fluid is not getting fron the res to the pan.filled up awfully quick .maybe somthing clogged in the tube or fitting on the back of the pan.gonna give it one more try before i start thinking about replacing it.ran great after i changed the filter last week.

Could you please take a moment to explain what all of this means?
The more info you provide the better the diagnosis will be.
IE what is the problem your having?
Why do you think you have a problem.
What have you done to correct it.
Did you drain the TC?
If not then why?

smyth1

yes,i can explain.recently purchased the car and trans started to slip.added fluid and it was ok.decided to do some maintaince so i did the trans filter and fluid change.ran fine for a week then started slipping .mostly in first and reverse from a stand still.the fluid that came out was not burnt or brown at all.when i drained it today it was burnt.i did try to adjust the modulator and bowden cable which didn't help.

atb

With the parking brake on, you need to run the car through the gears to get the fluid to fully circulate.

Mrmerlin

did you drain the TC?

smyth1

no,didn't drain the converter the fluid that came out didn't seem real bad so just dropped pan and filter.

Mrmerlin

OK time to start over,
Do a full fluid flush, drain the pan and the TC,
if you have a lift you can also drain the lower trans cooler line at the radiator.
I suggest to use the Valvoline extended service ATF it comes in the red bottles,
buy 2 1gallon containers and 2 1QT containers.

Also drop the pan and inspect the bottom for debris,
disconnect the vent hose from the side of the trans not from the top of the bottle .
the trans connection is metal where the hose slides on

Bill Ball

TOTALLY DRY the auto tranny and TC will take 12qts. On a drain and refill INCLUDING the TC, 8 qts. Note the refill must be completed with the engine running for the pump to distribute the fluid. The reservoir will only hold about 4 qts.

atb

Emphasis on completed with engine running. Fill it up as much as it will take before turning the key. (Sorry if I'm stating the obvious).

Bill Ball

Right, Adam. Don't run the engine until you get 4-5 qts in the pan so the pump has something substantial to suck. I dump fluid in until the reservoir will take no more (full to the brim) then I run the engine BRIEFLY - about 10 seconds. That will suck the pan way down. You don't want the pump to suck air. Then I add another qt or so, until the reservoir is quite full again. Repeat the brief engine run. After 7 qts. I let the engine run as I adjust the level with the final qt., using the cold level line. Then I take the car for a 15 minute drive to get it fully warmed up and check the level versus the hot line.