Re: Changing transmission fluid?

[Jim Altemose <jaltemoose@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Herb.

Just to be sure I'm doing the right thing, should I be changing all
the fluid or just topping it off?  The car is a '63 Polara 500 with a
383 and automatic.  I have enough fluid that it shows on the stick
when cold, but idling in neutral drops below 'add a pint'.  It looks
healthy pink.  I bought it 8 months ago so I don't know the tranny
fluid history.  It's got 79,000 miles.

Is there a fluid I can safely add a pint of to top it off, or should I
replace it all?

Thanks again.

- Jim
Jim Altemose, Long Island, NY
'63 Polara 500 (Max Wedge)
'63 Polara 500 (383)
'65 Belvedere I (Street Wedge)
'71 Bronco



On Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 11:46 PM, Herb <zephyr9900@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Jim;
>
> Drain your converter! 80% of the fluid is in it. Pull the inspection cover
> from front of tranny and turn engine over by hand till you see the drain
> plug, remove it, go get a cold one, and let it drain.  You will probably
> finish before it will! (-;  You will get about 6 + qt's out of it. Reinstall
> plug & pan.  Fill with 4 qt's only and start. Then add the rest of the fluid
> engine running. If you attempt to fill it all the way before starting it
> will spit most of it on the ground when you do start it!!   Also if someone
> has over torqued the pan bolts and bowed the flange inward around the bolt
> holes now is the time to fix it. Take the pan and a piece of two by four and
> rest the flange on the edge of the two by four and with a hammer tap the
> area around each hole till it is flat like the surrounding flange. If you
> are comfortable with it, now is a great time to adjust your bands!  What Say
> You?  Thumbs up to Mobil synthetic.  But as always every one has their own
> favorite product!!
>          
> Herb
>
> 1963 Sport Fury Convertible 361
> 1970 Challenger RT 440
> 1999 Durango SLT 5.9
> 2006 300-C Heritage 5.7
> 2008 SRT-8 Magnum 6.1
> St. Louis, MO.
>
>
> -------Original Message-------
>
> From: Jim Altemose
> Date: 8/13/2008 9:37:08 PM
> To: 1962to1965mopars
> Subject: Changing transmission fluid?
>
> My tranny fluid is a little low and since I have no idea what type it
> Is, I figure I'm better off changing it than mixing in an unknown.
> I've never changed the tranny fluid before. Any gotchas to be aware
> Of? Seems straight forward; clean the screen and use a new gasket and
> Filter. What's the best way to clean the screen? Based on previous
> Comments here going back a couple of year from Don Dulmage and Jim
> Peavy and others, it sounds like Mobil synthetic is the way to go.
>
> As always, thanks.
>
> - Jim
> Jim Altemose, Long Island, NY
> '63 Polara 500 (Max Wedge)
> '63 Polara 500 (383)
> '65 Belvedere I (Street Wedge)
> '71 Bronco