IIRC, I pulled it using a screwdriver and needle nose vice grips. A real PITA. for the pan, like I mentioned in the other thread, no except possibly for the drain plug but this method of pumping out the fluid eliminates that need.
Transmission Fluid Quantity
- Thread starter mubai
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So that o-ring seal is just pull it out and push it back into that hole. I seen your reply in the other thread on "Transmission Flush". All vehicles now does come with a auxiliary cooler line but the stock deep pan that came along with my Envoy is stupid. I like having some sort of drain plug to drain the oil much quicker and safer from being splash on. My old 99 GMC Jimmy Envoy I switch the drain pan to one with a drain plug and it was made of steel.
Mooseman so it is basically up to me if I want to have a pan with a drain plug or just stick with the stock deep pan which came with the Envoy.
Mooseman so it is basically up to me if I want to have a pan with a drain plug or just stick with the stock deep pan which came with the Envoy.
Yup. And if you watch the video, when the fluid is pumped out using the line, there is no mess or splash because the pan is empty.
I could save a lot of money that way too instead of having a fancy transmission pan with drain plug I just use the flushing method.
What type of brand ATF oil anyone would recommend using beside Ac Delco? I read that Amsoil is a very good brand even beat out Royal Purple.
What type of brand ATF oil anyone would recommend using beside Ac Delco? I read that Amsoil is a very good brand even beat out Royal Purple.
Any that is Dex VI. It has to meet GM's standard. Oddly enough, the ACDelco was cheaper around here. Heard there were good deals on Amazon.
RedEnvoyDenali
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Keeping tranny fluid (any good one) cool is the key to long tranny life. Will a 200.00 -300.00 pan keep it cooler, probably. But i would rather spend my money on a tranny cooler to do the job of keeping the fluid cool. As for convenience you can add a drain plug to the stock pan for draining purposes.
After saying that, the after market pan looks nicer (but you have to be on your knees to see it I hope otherwise you are upside down, LOL) and if the money doesn't matter then go for it.
After saying that, the after market pan looks nicer (but you have to be on your knees to see it I hope otherwise you are upside down, LOL) and if the money doesn't matter then go for it.
RedEnvoyDenali true.. its all depend on the person taste of quick and easy with drain plug in everything or just save the money with buying oil alone and putting a drain plug in the stock pan like you said. All vehicle from 1998 and up already have a tranny cooler built into the radiator itself. So I don't need to worry about tranny cooler at all.
RedEnvoyDenali
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Sorry don't mean to be argumentative but. It is true that there is a tranny cooler in the radiator (i used to work in a Rad shop in another life). The cooler in the rad is a system of two pipes one inside the other. The cooling is done by running the fluid between the outside of the inside pipe and the inside of the outside pipe (is that as clear as mud). Although these pipes are made of heat conductive material they are somewhat efficient.
An auxiliary cooler in front of the AC condenser is much more efficient and will remove a lot more heat. Remember a tranny generates it's own heat and the minimum that a Rad cooler can get is the temp of the coolant in the Rad.
This is why the aux cooler is placed in series with the rad cooler and i prefer after the rad cooler not before so that the cooled oil doesn't heat up to engine temp.
RedEnvoyDenali
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Glad you agree. Anywhere you can get stuck in mud or snow (guess that is everywhere) or even going up a long grade the tranny will generate a lot of heat. In order to keep temps down the aux cooler is the way to go. My last cooler is a Tru-Cool 4589 (I think, its been in for 6 years now) that has a bypass in it for cold temps. This works in my Denali in -40.
RedEnvoyDenali thanks for the suggestion I will just stick with the stock and use very good ATF Amsoil transmission fluid. Amsoil make fluid for everyone and even out beat the competitor. http://www.amsoil.com/mygarage/vehiclelookuppage.aspx?url2=2003+GMC TRUCKS+ENVOY+S
RedEnvoyDenali
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Mounce
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Remember with the stock cooler, the out coming trans fluid will be at engine temp. Hence the need / purpose for an extra, external cooler. Some people bypass the stock one all together.
Gary P
Member
Just wondering... For those that have undone the trans line to pump fluid out, could you undo the other line to suck in the new fluid and do a complete fluid change in one step?
Mounce
Member
Alright, yet another guy on the list that has successfully used this method. I done like MAY03LT said he done on his TB where you dump fluid in, start it up until it runs out and turn it off then add more and repeat.
One thing I found, I left the hose connected the whole time and it seemed to siphon more out while I was busy changing the pan and filter. When i added 5 quarts and fired it up I only got about 1.5 back out. I'm assuming the hose had siphoned that much more out while I was working.
I also had it up on ramps so that could have changed the pickup level and such.
Anyways, the method works well. Had nice new fluid coming out of the hose at the end and she still drives fine. Seems like it might shift a little smoother too.
Used a total of 14 quarts.
One thing I found, I left the hose connected the whole time and it seemed to siphon more out while I was busy changing the pan and filter. When i added 5 quarts and fired it up I only got about 1.5 back out. I'm assuming the hose had siphoned that much more out while I was working.
I also had it up on ramps so that could have changed the pickup level and such.
Anyways, the method works well. Had nice new fluid coming out of the hose at the end and she still drives fine. Seems like it might shift a little smoother too.
Used a total of 14 quarts.
kickass audio
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I would personally recommend dropping the pan and changing the filter. Why bother doing just a flush if you have a filthy filter that isn't going to help keep the fluid clean. It's like doing an oil change and not changing the filter. I had my filter changed and flushed at 100k at a dealership but it was still a darker color than brand new fluid so I flushed it in the driveway and replaced the filter after and put new fluid in and it looks like new.
And there have been instances of plugged filters causing issues as well. Change it.
kickass audio
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Good point mooseman. In the video guide on here it says to drop the pan and drain it out and then change the filter then begin flushing the tranny. I thought that was backwards because i'd rather have a fresh and clean filter installed with fresh fluid. When I did mine I pulled the tranny cooler line and put a hose on it to drain it out into my vacuum canister I have for siphoning out oil with and did that until the fluid coming out was as clean as what was going in through the dipstick. I then had my girlfriend shift the truck into each gear while dumping some tranny fluid in to make sure the entire system was clean. After that I dropped the pan and changed the filter and filled up the tranny. I had reconnected the tranny cooler lines and had checked the fluid level and took it out for a ride.
For how I changed the fluid the only thing that was dirty would be the small trace of fluid that is in the return line going from the cooler to the tranny. That little bit of fluid wouldn't make the fluid go very dark.
For how I changed the fluid the only thing that was dirty would be the small trace of fluid that is in the return line going from the cooler to the tranny. That little bit of fluid wouldn't make the fluid go very dark.
Tiggerr
Member
So to see if I got this straight, I would do like the beginning of the video shows to pump out the first bit of fluid but then start adding more and more new fluid while the engine is running until all the dirty fluid is gone, then continue siphoning until empty(about 3-5L). Then take the pan off and there should be no fluid in the pan or would I stop the engine when clean fluid starts coming out but wouldn't there then be fluid left in the pan? If siphoning the clean 3-5L out, a person would need to buy extra fluid for the extra waste? So what is the total amount of fluid needing to be purchased?
What solvent should be used to clean off the magnet in the pan?
What solvent should be used to clean off the magnet in the pan?
Mounce
Member
First, pull cooler line and run vehicle until fluid stops coming out/air starts coming through the line mixed with fluid.
THEN drop the pan and change the filter. Very little fluid will be left in the pan which will reduce the risk of making a mess.
Add five quarts or so and run it again till fluid slows, turn off and add four or so and repeat until fluid coming out is clean.
That or add five then start and add fluid as it pumps until clean.
Just watch the two videos that MAY03LT posted on the subject and follow directions. If you watch both videos you'll have very few questions left because it's all mostly explained. If you don't find it in the videos search here and do some reading. All info needed is already published.
Your results may vary so be ready to turn it off if anything funky happens. I experienced some oddities during my trial with the procedure but nothing that would keep me from doing it again. It's a great solution to the damaging flush machines.
EDIT: and oh, use brake clean and a rag to clean the magnet. Also shown in the videos. Fluid quantity is posted in this very thread 3 if not 4+ times from various members including myself from each member's experience doing the procedure.
THEN drop the pan and change the filter. Very little fluid will be left in the pan which will reduce the risk of making a mess.
Add five quarts or so and run it again till fluid slows, turn off and add four or so and repeat until fluid coming out is clean.
That or add five then start and add fluid as it pumps until clean.
Just watch the two videos that MAY03LT posted on the subject and follow directions. If you watch both videos you'll have very few questions left because it's all mostly explained. If you don't find it in the videos search here and do some reading. All info needed is already published.
Your results may vary so be ready to turn it off if anything funky happens. I experienced some oddities during my trial with the procedure but nothing that would keep me from doing it again. It's a great solution to the damaging flush machines.
EDIT: and oh, use brake clean and a rag to clean the magnet. Also shown in the videos. Fluid quantity is posted in this very thread 3 if not 4+ times from various members including myself from each member's experience doing the procedure.
Reader's digest version:
1. Disconnect line and pump out all the fluid
2. Drop the now empty pan
3. Replace filter and reinstall pan
4. Fill with fluid
5. Start engine and pump out fluid
6. Fill again and repeat until fluid comes out clear
7. Fill to proper level.
I think he does mention the amount it took him in the video (I can't see it at work).
1. Disconnect line and pump out all the fluid
2. Drop the now empty pan
3. Replace filter and reinstall pan
4. Fill with fluid
5. Start engine and pump out fluid
6. Fill again and repeat until fluid comes out clear
7. Fill to proper level.
I think he does mention the amount it took him in the video (I can't see it at work).
twinners
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Here's a tip that I didn't realize (or think about) this video is for the I6. To drop the pan on the 5.3 you have to loosen and drop part of the exhaust with a 15mm deep wall socket, long extension, and a swivel. Now I just have to wait for my wife to get home so I can use her car to go and buy those.
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I'll 'third' that - for a filter / fluid change on the 5.3L, you do NOT have to touch the exhaust (although I'll grant you, it makes it easier to get the pan out). There's a 'trick' to manouvering the pan out / back in - but once you've done it about 3x, you get the hang of it and can move it in / out with ease (there's a double entendre there, I know).
There is (likely) a drain plug in the pan. Bad news is, it will likely be so overtightened from the factory that you run a better than even chance of stripping it (I had to use a bolt extractor to get mine out, and I replaced the pan w/ the Dorman equivalent).
The other thing to be careful about is removing the pan bolts - they can seize, and then snap off. If you notice one getting more resistant as you loosen it, stop and give it a few turns in the other direction (and a shot of liquid wrench can help with this).
There is (likely) a drain plug in the pan. Bad news is, it will likely be so overtightened from the factory that you run a better than even chance of stripping it (I had to use a bolt extractor to get mine out, and I replaced the pan w/ the Dorman equivalent).
The other thing to be careful about is removing the pan bolts - they can seize, and then snap off. If you notice one getting more resistant as you loosen it, stop and give it a few turns in the other direction (and a shot of liquid wrench can help with this).
twinners
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For the life of me I couldn't get the pan to come out. I tried moving and twisting it all different ways but it feels like it is hung up towards the back and when I reach inside the pan there is something in there it is hitting against. On that note I have been working for an hour to try to get the exhaust loosened up with very little success. As far as needing to drop the exhaust I found a video but it was a suburban I believe he was working on and that's what he did. I thought it looked identical to ours.
Did you remove either the heat shield on one side or the linkage on the other to make it easier?
Did you remove either the heat shield on one side or the linkage on the other to make it easier?
I do remember vaguely the heat shield but I don't think I had to really do anything to it. Just the pan but it does take some maneuvering to get it out.
It's possible you might have a slightly different Y-pipe, possibly aftermarket, that could cause this.
It's possible you might have a slightly different Y-pipe, possibly aftermarket, that could cause this.
This way of flushing worked great, took 15 liters. I put a stake in the ground and clamped the end of the hose to it pointing into the drain pan which made it easier to stand closer to the ignition to shut the truck off when necessary since I was by myself. There was some fluid still in the tranny pan when I removed it but that was probably because I had the front end up on ramps so it was a bit messy tilting the pan in order to drop it down.
Sprung Monkey
Member
excellent infor.
filters are good to keep oil clean, cheap insurance..
on my car I replace the internal inside pan every other fluid change.I also have a external oil filter inline w/ the cooler tubes, change it every fluid change.
external is a big wix mounted in direct flow of air so it acts as a cooler also. will eventually install external on the 97x.
just did a 24K el cheapo hayden cooler now my hands are shredded.
edit: I don't heatup oil w/ the rad then cool it w/ cooler. I perfer to just cool it. my .02 cent
filters are good to keep oil clean, cheap insurance..
on my car I replace the internal inside pan every other fluid change.I also have a external oil filter inline w/ the cooler tubes, change it every fluid change.
external is a big wix mounted in direct flow of air so it acts as a cooler also. will eventually install external on the 97x.
just did a 24K el cheapo hayden cooler now my hands are shredded.
edit: I don't heatup oil w/ the rad then cool it w/ cooler. I perfer to just cool it. my .02 cent
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TequilaWarrior
Member
Not to resurrect an old thread - but I'm considering doing this to my Bravada and had some questions.
It's probably not a huge deal, but what about the fluid in the rad/cooler and the return line? Would putting a little bit of air pressure to that line push it back into the tranny pan?
My thinking is this: disconnect the line going into the cooler. Run engine to pump some out. Put some air to the cooler inlet and push the fluid in the rad/cooler back through the return line into the pan. Pump THAT out. Drop the pan, replace filter and gasket, and continue from there. Anyone see a problem with this? Doesn't the return line literally just drain into the pan?
It's probably not a huge deal, but what about the fluid in the rad/cooler and the return line? Would putting a little bit of air pressure to that line push it back into the tranny pan?
My thinking is this: disconnect the line going into the cooler. Run engine to pump some out. Put some air to the cooler inlet and push the fluid in the rad/cooler back through the return line into the pan. Pump THAT out. Drop the pan, replace filter and gasket, and continue from there. Anyone see a problem with this? Doesn't the return line literally just drain into the pan?