Crosley,transmission older than you

[GPster]

My project will include a cast-iron '53 Chevy powerglide. When trying to save it after the flood it came to be apparent that there doesn't seem to be any type of filter. There must be some kind of pump between the oil (fluid) basin in the bottom of the case to push the fluid to the remote cooler and back. I've replaced the cooler with an after-market  air cooler. Would there be any sense to have some kind of in-line filter to give me a way to at least clean the fluid some? I was thinking an old oil filter of the type that's on the engine. Then I could change a filter and then throw it away. Second question: In the old days people used to say that they would use Ford transmission fluid in the old GM transmissions. They said it was better. Was this a wife's tale or did it have any bennefit? I'm not expecting to make this thing better, I just don't want to be the reason it dies. GPster

[Dave]

My project will include a cast-iron '53 Chevy powerglide. When trying to save it after the flood it came to be apparent that there doesn't seem to be any type of filter. There must be some kind of pump between the oil (fluid) basin in the bottom of the case to push the fluid to the remote cooler and back. I've replaced the cooler with an after-market  air cooler. Would there be any sense to have some kind of in-line filter to give me a way to at least clean the fluid some? I was thinking an old oil filter of the type that's on the engine. Then I could change a filter and then throw it away. Second question: In the old days people used to say that they would use Ford transmission fluid in the old GM transmissions. They said it was better. Was this a wife's tale or did it have any bennefit? I'm not expecting to make this thing better, I just don't want to be the reason it dies. GPster

I think i can answer part of that one.. The ford atf had a friction additive in it if i remember right.. If I was you id just use the gm type it will be fine. I guess i dunno if your engine is up to a lot of smokey burnouts and stuff but if it is you could use the ford type or b&m..
Dave

[Sean]

I use type F in my TH350. From what I understand the type F makes it shift harder and it doesn't hurt anything as long as thats the only kind in the tranny.

I believe the problems start when you get two different kinds of tranny fluid in the same tranny.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

many folks use spin oil filters for trannys.  splice the filter adapter in the coooler  line and run it.

fluid wise... use what ever you wish.

type f can provide a firmer shift feel.  mix type F and dexron III if you wish.

If the tranny is sluggish going into gear ( hard internal  seals ) add some STP or a quart of 30 wt motor oil to it......  yes , you read that correctly

[GPster]

Thanks, just the kind of information I need. Now a trip to the engine pile at the junkyard and see what I can find. Of course I'll accept donations. GPster

[phat rat]

many folks use spin oil filters for trannys.  splice the filter adapter in the coooler  line and run it.

fluid wise... use what ever you wish.

type f can provide a firmer shift feel.  mix type F and dexron III if you wish.

If the tranny is sluggish going into gear ( hard internal  seals ) add some STP or a quart of 30 wt motor oil to it......  yes , you read that correctly

Wow STP or regular oil in a tranny. Whoda thunk it?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Wow STP or regular oil in a tranny. Whoda thunk it?

probably 15-18 yrs ago, I told a friend to add some engine oil to his t-400 tranny in an old school bus conversion.  he had run out of tranny fluid to fill the t-400 after it sat for 3 years and leaked most of the fluid out.

his buddy ( I did not know) chuckled at my words.  My friend got the engine 10w-30  oil while he said " If Tony says it will work , it'll work".  
About 3 quarts and the tranny was full

He drove the bus for camping trips a couple of years before he sold it with no trany problems

[58 Yeoman]

I'm putting that in my memory bank.  Unfortunately, I probably lost some other bit of information from my memory bank to make room for the new stuff....I hope it wasn't something important.  

[phat rat]

Wow STP or regular oil in a tranny. Whoda thunk it?

probably 15-18 yrs ago, I told a friend to add some engine oil to his t-400 tranny in an old school bus conversion.  he had run out of tranny fluid to fill the t-400 after it sat for 3 years and leaked most of the fluid out.

his buddy ( I did not know) chuckled at my words.  My friend got the engine 10w-30  oil while he said " If Tony says it will work , it'll work".  
About 3 quarts and the tranny was full

He drove the bus for camping trips a couple of years before he sold it with no trany problems

Trust me Tony I didn't doubt you a bit. It suprised me, I'd never heard of that.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

phat rat,

I did not take yer post as a disbelief.   Over the years I've had many folks think i was full of crap on the oil thing.

I do NOT promote adding engine oil to a good functioning low mileage tranny.

Remember tranny fluid is simply a light oil  or a hydraulic oil with friction modifiers in it.

A co-worker with a worn out Nissan FWD car.. it leaked and would not move for 5 minutes last winter.  I told him to add a quart of 10-30 motor oil when it was low enough. He was very happy with the results.  Drove it 5-6 more months till the car simply went to car heaven

[GPster]

This talk about oil is like saying how much of the southamerican rain forest is disappearing because of all the rubber we use in are car tires. I retired from a Shell plant and part of my job was running a hydrogen compressor used to Hydrogenate a compoung used in oil to make it multi grade. The product was called Shelvis and most manufacturers of engine oil used it. The plant where I worked had nothing to do with oil, we made plastic. It's probably friendly with the rubber seals in transmissions because they are pprobably plastic too. GPster