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Scared to change filter on 4L80E

J

JeffMD

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OK, first off let me say I am not the original owner of the truck.
I am about to take a little road trip with the family pulling a travel trailer. The truck has 318k miles on it and as far as I know the pan has never been dropped. It is not throwing any codes, but it is a little slow to go into reverse when I first fire it up in the morning. I am about to be adding an ATT and FTB before towing into the mountains.
I REALLY want to drop the pan and at least change the filter. Part of me is afraid of what I am going to see.

So what do you all think? Is ignorance bliss?
 
I'd be Worried too.

FWIW, my Friend had an Old F-150, Trans was Never Serviced, had about 150-175k on it. Drove Fine, he just wanted to Service it. Put In a New Filter and Fluid, Trans Blew in Less than 100 Miles. All the Old Buildup and Crap was Holding everything Together.

I would say do your Road Trip First, then Service it when you get back.
 
Driving with that old fluid and partially clogged filter is doing harm every time you drive it. If it is hesitating to go into reverse the force motor [pressure regulator] could be getting weak. Not fixing that will take the tranny out. A clogged filter can do that also because it is starving the pump for oil. I'd say change it now and when you get back.
 
Whatever is in there now, you'll be better off with fresh fluid and filter.

If the transmission goes after a fluid change, nothing was going to save it at that point as it was already too late.

For the force motor BK95TD mentions, buy the entire transmissin kit for the internal electricals is you replace the force motor.

BK and I have bought the same kit from the same vendor. You get it all for around 150 bucks:

http://www.electricaladvantage.net/4...alharness.aspx
 
There comes a time when you simply pull the trans out to freshen it up so it doesn't leave you on the side of the road. After all they are full of clutches that wear. The wear gets worse with clutch lining in the oil causing the valve body to wear as well.

So save the oil change and pull the trans for a overhaul instead with that many miles, 3 lifetimes.

You can try a pan drop and filter change, but, if it doesn't fix it - GM gives you a warning before you walk. Choose to listen to it and take action or push every mile out of it is your choice.

Then you add performance mods :eek: that can push a marginal clutch pack over the edge. Once static holding friction is lost slipping friction takes more pressure to get static friction again. And you have a very short time to get static friction before heat and clutch fade make it impossible to stop slipping and burn the clutches up instead. Transmissions burn up fairly quickly because of this.
 
You are throwing a trailer on and putting your family in a 300,000+ mile truck. How much will it cost to replace a burned out transmission out on the road? $$$ and time? I'd say fix it before you go. Might look at Monster transmission, they have a good product.
 
Guster said:
............a trailer on and putting your family in a 300,000+ mile truck. How much will it cost to replace a burned out transmission out on the road? $$$ and time? I'd say fix it before you go......................
Click to expand...
that would be my concern, family. it is more trouble to repair while on a trip than at home.
 
It's not a big trailer, only 7500lb GVWR. Empty it's only 4600lbs.
So I have a filter kit sitting in the back of the truck now. After I finish seasoning my A Team Turbo I will swap the filter out and assess the fluid. The truck has the trailering set up with the auxiliarly cooler and as far as I know the only things it has ever pulled were my buddy's sixteen foot run about and a thirteen or so foot uhaul when I moved. It has a lot of miles on it but at least since I have owned it they have been easy miles.
 
Last trans service i did on a 4L80E was a friends dump truck. He had no overdrive at all and was getting solenoid codes. When the fluid was put in Royal Purple trans fluid was used, so the fluid went in purple.

It came out pitch black and it stunk like i couldn't believe. This truck didn't even have 100,000 miles on it and it wasn't the original fluid.

I changed the solenoids and poured in fresh Valvoline Dexron VI. Overdrive was back and the trans shifted great.

Don't be overly afraid of changing the fluid. Honestly if the trans is going to blow it'll blow regardless of the fluid in it.
 
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