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DIY Trans Flush (with Quantum Blue)

29K views 42 replies 23 participants last post by  Vito Destito 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
This past weekend I finally got around to flushing my trans fluid and replacing with Quantum Blue ATF+ 4++IIA fluid. In talking with Brian, many people have asked him how to flush the trans with QB. Well here is a write up for you on my NAG1.

1. Purchase a 5 gallon bucket, several feet of clear 3/8" I.D. hose, a hose clamp, and a fuel sending repair kit from autozone (part# 800-233). This is a 16mm threaded piece that will screw into the NAG1 cooler line thermostat.



2. Assemble the pieces as in the pic below.



3. Locate the NAG1 cooler line thermostat, located on the driver's side of the oil pan, right above the steering rack. (In the pic below, the left side is toward the front of the vehicle).



4. Using a 18mm line wrench (or open-end), loosen the nut for the lower cooler line at the rear of the thermostat all the way and pull the line out of the thermostat housing. A little bit of fluid will come out, but not that much. (The pic below, is a view from the back of the thermostat). It's hard to get the wrench straight on. If using an open-end wrench be careful not to round the head of the nut.



5. Screw the hose assembly that you created into the thermostat housing where you removed the cooler line. Route the hose behind the steering rack, down and on the floor to the front of the vehicle.



6. Take the 5 gallon bucket and fill it with a gallon of water on a flat surface. Measure how many inches up the side of the bucket a gallon is. Dump out the water and dry the bucket. Grab a permanent marker, and mark the bucket where 1 gallon of water was. Mark the bucket equal lengths up for 2, 3, and 4 gallons as well. I made marks 1/2 way between gallons, so I know where 2 quarts is. Feel free to make them for each quart if you like.



7. Run the end of the hose into the bucket and either have someone hold it the whole time or secure it to the bucket somehow with out pinching it off. The trans pump on the NAG1 moves a lot of fluid, the hose will jump out the bucket if it's not held (I learned the messy way).

8. Open the hood, remove the trans filler tube plug and install a long rigid funnel. The NAG1 holds 13 quarts. Prepare your 13 quarts of QB ATF+4++IIA (shake it and place the containers next to you).

9. You will need an assistant for the next part. Have them start up the engine. Within several seconds, trans fluid will pump through the hose and into the bucket. Immediately start pouring QB ATF4++IIA into the funnel, while monitoring the level in the bucket. The idea is to add the same amount of fluid in, as the fluid pumping out. The fluid pumps out pretty quickly, I pretty much added each gallon of fluid as fast as they would drain through my funnel. After pouring in the last of the 3rd gallon (12 quarts), have your assistant turn the engine off.

10. Disconnect the hose assembly and reattach the trans cooler line to the thermostat housing.

11. Start the engine back up and check the fluid level. Use the last quart of fluid to top off the level.

Note: You may also drop the trans pan and change the filter first. Then just add your first gallon of QB fluid before starting the engine.
 
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#2 ·
Great Write-up !!


I'm still not gonna try to do it myself though ... lol
 
#3 ·
Wow!!!!!!!!! Nice write up brother! Where were you two weeks ago, lol. I will save this technique and keep it in my tool box files. Thanks for taking the time. Now are you loving your QB tran fluid as much as I am? Lol! I know you are. I'm amazed myself!!!!
 
#4 ·
Jimmy, where did you end up having yours done ?
 
#5 ·
Gotta love the QB fluids. I only need to get the rear end fluid to be fully QB'ed, lol. I'm looking to purchae the Getrag 3.06, so that's the only reason I haven't ordered that fluid yet.
 
#6 ·
Hey,

That is a great write-up! Glad you took the time to show others how to do it at home. Pictures worth a 1000 words etc. ;)

You the Man!!

Regards,
Brian
BND Automotive LLC:driving:
440-821-9040
www.bndautomotive.com
 
#8 ·
This does seem like a scary job, but I'm considering doing it myself here at the end of the month. Waiting for Brian to get back to me with a package quote. I've wanted to learn how to work on my car without having to take it to someone every time I need work unless I'm just feeling lazy. I think I would be concerned that they would steal my BND product and use some cheap version.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I think you will be fine as long as you have a partner to help you as you flush the system.

My grandfather many years ago always said that if you pay someone else to do the job for you (whatever it is) they have your money, they have the expertise, they have the tools and the job is complete. However, they retain your money, the tools, the expertise, and all you have is the completed job and nothing else.

He always said, go buy the manual, go buy the tools, and take the time to learn how to do the job. You end up with the job done, the expertise to do the job that noone can take away from you, and you have the tools to do it over and over again as necessary. You may or may not save money the first time, but in the end, you have gained much more when you do it yourself.

Swobosf and I discussed this before he did it, and it came out GREAT!;)

Regards,
Brian
BND Automotive LLC:driving:
440-821-9040
www.bndautomotive.com
 
#10 ·
Cool write up, does not really "change the fluid" , but it at least replaces some.
Problem is, as you pour into the fill tube what you pump out, your actually just dilluting the stock oil in the pan with QB. The pan is not empty when you dump in the QB, so your mixing the two, then pumping them through the tranny and out the bucket.

Your looking at best a 60/40 mix when done.

The proper way would be, and how shops do it is you put the oil in where you pumped it out. In the cooler loop.

Now for the home user, best thing would be to drop the pan, measure how much fluid was in the pan and reinstall the pan. then fill the pan wit the same amount of QB fluid, and then do your process. This would reduce the QB dillution.
 
#11 ·
I can't agree more. My suggestion on the other thread (Brian...Questions) was to take the pan down, measure the fluid, replace the trans gasket and filter with O-ring using the QuantumBlue trans filter and then reseal it. Then flush it out with the corresponding amount of fluid. However, this process is better than leaving it in for 60k miles + and not doing it at all.

Thanks for the information here! Stone soup always tastes better with......;)

Regards,
Brian
BND Automotive LLC:driving:
440-821-9040
www.bndautomotive.com
 
#12 ·
this thread just inspired me to try to tackle some of these kinds of jobs on my own.

i was a fleet mechanic for the water company [EBMUD] for a while as a trainee.
i did countless vehicle services & some major fabrication / engine work.

on the job training taught me a lot.

i have no real reason other than lack of tools & time to do most mods myself.
 
#13 ·
Just talked to the service guy at my dealership, who recommended a fluid flush. Interestingly, he told me a few things.

1. Now, unless its leaking, they dont touch the pan, and dont change the filter, ever.

2. They use a machine that doesnt force fluid, instead allows the trnas to pump out while drawing in, which is good.

3. Cost for this flush only? $200 dollars.

I know the machine costs, and that the techs time costs, etc, but $200? Sorry, but that seems excessive to me. For that money, I think a pan drop and clean would be included.
 
#14 ·
A BG trans flush costs about $195-200 at the dealership I work at too (Ford), and it doesn't include a filter change ... supposedly it cleans the filter.

And it uses 16 qts of fluid plus a cleaner and an additive ... you'll find that about $200 is the normal price for flushes ...
 
#15 ·
Yeah, that's part of my problem, the additives for cleaning and extending the new fluids life, that part worries me. There are ancient evils in the crannies of transmissions, especially ones over 100K. You disturb those at your own risk. And there's no way to say "your flush destroyed my transmission". A straight replacement would be fine with me.
 
#16 ·
We've had fleet companies request "no additives, just trans fluid", and we have that option ... makes it cheaper by about $30-$40 ...
 
#18 ·
Actually, the cleaner additive is fine to use when cleaning the trans for the "dirty flush" part.

I highly recommend AGAINST the second additive as it tries to swell the seals, makes them hard, and then they can't balloon correctly.

Eventually those swell type additives cause the seals to split and pour fluid out.

"Oh, sorry sir, I guess we are now going to have to pull the trans and rebuild it.......the trans service was only 10k miles ago..!!??.......must just be a coincidence!........NOT."

Regards,
Brian
BND Automotive LLC:driving:
440-821-9040
www.bndautomotive.com
 
#19 ·
When I bought our Sable it was showing 80,000 on it if I remember right. A few people on a forum for that car recommended that we get the trans flushed. Took it to the local Ford dealer to have it done. Price was about the same. Afterwards, I could really feel the difference in the shifts being a lot firmer. Car now has 110,000 I think (son is driving it out of state). I think it was money well spent.

I have Brian's special trans fluid in my Ranger with a 5 speed manual. In the summer it's a lot smoother shifting, then before, but when it got down into the 10's and below last winter, it was harder to put into gear until things got moving.
 
#20 ·
hey there, I was reading this thread, but I see this is for the NAG1 transmission. I dont know for sure, but I am guessing that is for the 8 cylinder transmissions. I have a 2010 2.7 6 cyl charger which I am guessing is the 42RLE transmission? Are the directions on here any different for changing the 6 cyl transmission fluid?
 
#21 ·
I did the flush per the instructions by the OP. A couple of things that would have been nice to know before starting this.

First, to get the trans cooler line off, you might need to have an angled line or open end wrench. I purchased a straight line wrench with 18 mm on one end and 16 mm on the other. This was great as the 18 mm fit the trans cooler line and the 16 mm fits the AutoZone adaptor part. The problem was that there was not enough room between the oil pan plug and the steering rack when trying to use the wrench when it was straight. I would have purchased an angled wrench had I known that the straight one does not fit. I had to use a torch to heat the wrench in a bench vise and beat it to a useable shape with a hammer. I eventually got this to work.

The other thing(s) that would have been helpful is that there is a small clip that holds the lower and upper trans lines apart. I had to separate this so that the line had some flexibility to move out of the thermostat block. This was a huge pain the rear end as I was on my back (car was on ramps & jack stands, not a lift). After I loosended the thermostat line nut, I had to remove the bolt holding the thermstat in place. By doing these two things, the line comes out pretty easy. Before tightening down the adaptor nut, I put the thermostat bolt back in.

Just as an FYI - I tightened the hose clamp as tight as possible to the AutoZone adaptor. I got some fluid leaking at the clamp which got on the floor (about 1/2 quart). I might suggest that you use a small zip tie above and below the clamp to ensure this does not happen.
 
#23 ·
I was talking to a friend who's a mechanic about doing the trans flush as described. My friend suggested instead of risking having the trans run dry or having too little fluid, too blow out the fluid with compressed air through the line that has been disconnected from the transmission. I have an air compressor and am thinking about changing the fluid this way. Does anyone have any experience changing there fluid like this? Any suggestions, comments?
Ron
 
#27 ·
Actually, we do make our fluids a few degrees lighter while still keeping the red color due to industry standard for these cars.

The limitation is that whatever the OEM requires, we have to follow it pretty significantly for color to maintain the warranty coverage for customers that are still under warranty.

A good example is the new 8HP45. The fluid is clear/amber color and so we make the fluid for that new 8 speed with that same hue.;)

Regards,
Brian
BND Automotive LLC:driving:
440-821-9040
www.bndautomotive.com
 
#31 ·
The information is good on this and the one that GLHS837 did.

The other part of it that he stressed and so do we is use of QuantumBlue ATF+4++IIA fluid and our QuantumBlue Ultra HP Filter and Gasket Kit!

18% more friction modifiers and 200 degree higher operating temperature protection than anything else you can buy either from the shelf or from OEM!:beerchug:

Regards,
Brian
BND Automotive LLC:driving:
440-821-9040
www.bndautomotive.com
 
#32 · (Edited)
Finally found this.

The job really isn't that scary once you do it. I did a 95 Silverado a few years ago and kept the bucket. It helps to have the lid and drill a hole in it slightly smaller than the clear plastic tube. The pressure on the Silverado wasn't as much as I thought it would be.

So just change the gasket and filter, you could loosen the other torqs bolts to drain some more as mentioned in another thread here. Not sure if I'll do that.

I was under the charger today looking for a way to take the pressure line loose, and making sure I have all the tools needed, and that block looked to be the place alright as the line at the radiator, unlike the Silverado, is impossible.

After changing the gasket and filter I added 6 qts, maybe 7. Started the Sil. and between 10-15 seconds the clear plastic lines ran of clean oil, you can see the change, imediately shut it off, reconnect the line and top it off. Done.

So all I need now is the fitting (autozone (part# 800-233) hope still a good P/N ?) and the 18mm line wrench. :beerchug:
 
#33 · (Edited)
All credit to swobosf for this writeup. Im only posting pictures to help others.

1. Purchase a 5 gallon bucket, several feet of clear 3/8" I.D. hose, a hose clamp, and a fuel sending repair kit from autozone (part# 800-233). This is a 16mm threaded piece that will screw into the NAG1 cooler line thermostat.


2. Assemble the pieces as in the pic below.




3. Locate the NAG1 cooler line thermostat, located on the driver's side of the oil pan, right above the steering rack.


4. Using a 18mm line wrench (or open-end), loosen the nut for the lower cooler line at the rear of the thermostat all the way and pull the line out of the thermostat housing. A little bit of fluid will come out, but not that much.


5. Screw the hose assembly that you created into the thermostat housing where you removed the cooler line. Route the hose behind the steering rack, down and on the floor to the front of the vehicle.




6. Take the 5 gallon bucket and fill it with a gallon of water on a flat surface. Measure how many inches up the side of the bucket a gallon is. Dump out the water and dry the bucket. Grab a permanent marker, and mark the bucket where 1 gallon of water was. Mark the bucket equal lengths up for 2, 3, and 4 gallons as well. I made marks 1/2 way between gallons, so I know where 2 quarts is. Feel free to make them for each quart if you like.


7. If cleaning pan, and fasteners are corroded, sand blast and paint orange for +5hp.
 
#35 ·
You got that right! Has taken over a year to replace the pictures that we lost in the Photobucket stupidity. I hope it goes the way of Toys R Us! They deserve it.

Swoboss did a great job with the instructions and using QuantumBlue ATF+4++ IIA Fluid and our QuantumBlue High Flow filter and gasket kit.

Keeps the NAG1 running the best it can. :smile2:

Regards,
Brian
BND Automotive LLC:driving:
440-821-9040
www.bndautomotive.com
Vendor for 9 years!
 
#36 ·
Are we sure this fitting 800-233 fits into the trans and tightens and seals and all that? Im having an issue now where my trans line broke at the flange/nut going into trans during repair and im thinking if I get this and cut end off factory and connect both with hose and clamps..this should fix my issue?? ..my mechanic doesn't think this dorman kit will properly fit/seal/etc into transmission?..


2010 5.7 dodge charger with nag1 trans
 
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