So I'm looking through the truck glove box of my new to me 94 Dually and find a receipt from the PO. It is for 7 quarts of Valvoline Dextron-Vl full synthetic oil... So I contact him and sure enough he has been running this since the Tranny rebuild 5000 miles ago. So the question is what if any damage has been done by running this particular fluid for 5000 miles? Any guesses what the wrong oil will do and how fast?

 

No damage just softer shifts.

 

Well that might be another small problem adding to the larger problem. So adjust the belts and an expensive tranny fluid change and chances are I might see some improvement In shifting and slipping?

 

There are no belts in it! If you have slipping going on no fluid will fix that.

 

My Bad... meant bands not belts...

 

Ok so I went down to day and bought 14 quarts of ATF+4 and a filter... $104.85 Now I'm sitting here wondering how to get 14 quarts out of the 47rh? If possible Id like to do it at my shop but how do you get it all out? Seems maybe pressure in through one of the cooler lines might blow out most of it but how about the Torque converter? Thinking I need to get all the Dextron out and not mix it with the +4... Any ideas on how to do a flush and not mix the fluids? Is it even possible?

 

First I would check the converter for a drain plug
Some aftermarket converters have them.


You can remove a cooler line and start it and it will pump out the pan and converter.
Don't let it run dry or it can damage the converter bushing and pump.
Front cooler line is the out line.

Now, I think you are doing a lot of work for nothing, but it is your truck!

 

I agree and if switching fluids I would would use Dexron III, just like it says on your dipstick.

 

So...........what is the difference between the two types of fluids? Are folks actually using Dex-III in these tranny's without problems? I use Dexron in the transfer case because we have a bunch of it around and it's quite a bit cheaper than the AFT+4 stuff. Guess I've never read the dipstick.

 

Shame on me! Being new and a total Diesel Idiot I read the manual and a lot on the forum. Things like dont use anything ever but +4 in your tranny, so I looked behind the seat and found two unused bottles of Dextron-Vl. Checked with the previous owner and he said that the folks who rebuilt the tranny insisted on this fluid? So I figured the old Koot was wrong and made a fatal error.

Just went out and read my dipstick on the 94 and it says use Dextron-ll. So now I'm convinced after a bunch more research that its not as critical as everyone Pryor to this topic posting had made it out to be. I will be returning 14 quarts of +4 tomorrow and just drop the pan and do the band adjustment while topping off with the Dextron-Vl that is in there now.

 

I thought they switched to type 7176 earlier than that. That's what my dipstick says.

 

use III

 

Use standard III, these are older trans with parts dateing back decades! The new thin stuff is for modern light duty rigs. Oh, and the manual is often wrong! Like it saying to use 10w30 oil in the cummins!

 

I'm using Dexron III in the trans in my '95. ATS built it to Stage IV specs in 2001--almost 200,000 miles ago. At first I did run +3 and then +4 in it, but switched to Dexron about 2 years ago after the guys at Bellflower Transmission in Cal. said it was fine to do so. No problems at all.