Cruzan

Hey guys,

This I've done a lot of reading on here concerning replacing the tranny filter when doing a gasket job. Just thought I'd share what I found in mine when I took it apart.

205K and it looks like the pan was taken off at some point before I owned it from all the orange RTV on the pan
.

nardey11

How did a bee get in there haha

Cruzan

No clue man. Not a clue. But if that can get in there then I'm glad there's a filter.

DFlintstone

Mud wasps will get into any open pipe, tube ect. I've had it happen often enough I've learned to watch for and check for it. I guess they lay eggs, then seal the hole with mud. Vac lines, pumps, you name it. I just now went out to photo the one in my speedometer, and found a fresh one in my Tack! (a reminder that now they are not fogged up anymore, I should plug the little hole ('s) I drilled)

Btw you might check your trans vent tube. I think the end belongs up near the dipstick, and should have a filter on it.

BlueRidgeMark

Yep. Recessed screw holes, saws, you name it.


Good picture on the filter. I guess it's more important than some of us thought.

Cruzan

Thanks Blue. I just got into this Jeep and I'd like to keep it forever you know. I just read your post on flushing the transmission and I'm thinking I may just do that too.

DFlintstone

Idk Mark. Again not to argue, I know you know things. I can see right through it, maybe only a few % clogged maybe? Wish all the rest of my filters around were that. (Went with little squares of Gorilla tape on my gauge vent holes). If they are foggy again next spring, easy to remove.

Anony

I did a passive flush because a tranny shop took the advice of the dealership and replaced all the tranny fluid with ATF+4. The Jeep shifted terribly. I was going to replace with Dex-III then decided on Amsoil ATF that's rated for Dex-III. The transmission started to shift normally again.

I did replace the transmission screen and used some Permatex High Tack sealant with a fiber metal gasket. I don't plan on removing the transmission pan again unless transmission repairs are required.

To catch any left any over debris and for additional filtering I installed one of these filters on the return cooler line. It has a relief valve similar to an engine oil filter. I have no idea how well the filter works, but imagine it does better than the transmission screen filter. If you change the ATF (drain and fill ~4 quarts) at recommended intervals I don't think the screen should look as bad as in the pic. IIRC it's around ~12,000 +/- miles for severe duty and ~25,000 to ~30,000 miles, normal duty.

NewbJeep

x3. I had my intake/exhaust ports open for a few weeks while waiting for ports and was certain those little buggers had made their nests. Ah well, I'm sure that water-through-intake steam clean took care of it

BlueRidgeMark

Yeah, but there's certainly more in there than I had expected. I don't think I'm going to start changing my filter every 5,000 miles , but maybe it's not a bad idea to start thinking about 50k or 100k intervals.

Dumajones

Did you do any drain and refills before cutting it open?
I would think maybe 4 good drain and refills would purge that right out.

For the amount of junk to surface area of screen that's not bad at all. The Trans was still getting a healthy amount of fluid. But that's crazy, must of crawled down the vent tube.


Extended info for others ::::
I have gone through the AW4 transmission service/repair manual and nowhere can I find anything talking about replacing the filter(They call the filter the oil screen).
All they say is inspect the cork gaskets for for damage and replace if necessary, after finishing transmission work/ testings
Clean pan and oil screen in solvent dry with compressed air..

This pic shows the only info and I mean only info I found about cleaning the screen/replacing.


I even went through the a340 transmission( basically the aw4 just Toyota's name for it) repair manual and cant find one thing about replacing filter there also.
They Talk about just cleaning it in solvent like the aw4 manual.
So replacing the filter on the AW4 is not needed.. but hell if it makes you feel better that's cool in my book.. But still a waste of money.



Pic of OIL SCREEN just to show they even call it just a screen.

Cruzan

4 Drain and refills are a waste of money too. You're betting on that to purge whatever is in your oil screen but that could go either way.

Dumajones

Its cheaper then doing a Trans flush at the shop,, and does just as good.. Yes if you have the pan down already and feel like putting a new one in that's cool with me.. But you could of just cleaned it with solvent and put it back in.. Buying a new filter is a waste of money.

Like I said the amount of junk to surface area of the screen was not bad at all.. Now if the whole screen had junk and you could not see through it then I would say yes that's a bad filter. But truthfully that filter looked fine.

the trans filter does not have the same job to do as an oil or air filter.
All it does is keep large particles/junk( wasps lol) down in the pan and not circulating with the fluid.
more then likely anything hanging around in the pan/sreen will be gone after a few D-Rs.