[jeremymdavidson]

Let me start off by saying i know the best thing to do is to drop the pan and change the filter.

My local auto shop (respected place) quoted me $162.13 to just do a flush, and about $100 more to do a combo (flush & pan drop with filter change). My dilemma is that I could really use that $100 on something else (like brakes). I don't haul much or tow anything, so he said I would probably be ok just doing the flush.

What do you guys think? Im at about 92,000 miles.

Thanks for the advice.

Jeremy

 

[esox07]

I would do the pan drop and filter. You can do it for about $75 in quality materials if you do it yourself.
I would have already done it once but you should be fine if you do it now and keep up with it in the future. I did my first one at 40,000 and plan to do it every 40,000 miles.

Save the labor cost from the dealer and buy a set of brakes and rotors and put them on too while you are all dirty.

HOW TO - Pan Drop and Filter Change on GMT900 4x4 Six Speed

https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-VV370- ... +dexron+vi

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N ... UTF8&psc=1

 

[VOLMANTN]

I just got mine done yesterday. Mr. Transmission has a good reputation here and most of the major car dealers use them around Nashville.

It was 170 to drop the pan and replace the filter. They even brought me the pan to show me the fluid color and everything the magnet collected. The owner recommended not doing a flush. I'll add that his main vehicle is a silverado also.

 

[ericlw]

i dont do flushes. I drop the pan and replace the filter and replace what fluid i can. But on my 2000 i could undo the pan bolt and drain it at regular intervals. my 2014 im looking to buy an aftermarket pan with a drain plug.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Always always do a pan drop and filter change. What's the point of leaving a cruddy filter in there?

If they say "oh, we reverse flush it to knock the stuff loose off the filter" - RUN AWAY. Where the heck do they think that the crap off the filter is going to go? Backwards into the guts of the transmission! Sure is a great way to clog up parts of the valve body, introduce grit into clutch packs, and give plenty of opportunities for the transmission to die.

Never, ever do a reverse flush.

 

[bootstrap]

If there is actually such a thing as a reverse flush, its working against the pump in the tranny to.

 

[ericlw]

Yea your transmission isnt a pool filter. you cant backflush it and expect good results.

 

[SparkyJJO]

If there is actually such a thing as a reverse flush, its working against the pump in the tranny to.

Yeah I couldn't believe the logic of that shop either, but at least they used the pump in the machine instead of the transmission pump.

 

[apcnc]

If it actually needed flushing the fluid would look bad. And it would have to have a lot of punishment @ 90k.

 

[09chevyman]

Why not do both? Why leave old and dirty fluid in there? If your fluid isn't burnt then I would consider both.
I dropped the pan, changed filter and flushed it at around 70K and Now I'm approaching 110K and with zero issues....i couldn't tell the difference in performance now vrs when it was brand new.

 

[apcnc]

I just don't see the point. Under normal use, I don't believe there is anything to flush at 90k if the filter is working. Maybe I'm wrong but the only time I would see it possible necessary is if it been abuse and neglected well past 90k.

 

[Vicarod]

Pan drop and filter only.
But you have to do it yourself...haha
Just kidding, but it is good to learn to do these things.

 

[CheezyRiderAZ]

I know a hundred bucks seems like a lot of money,
It IS a lot of money!

But two months from now you'll be glad you spent the $ and at that time you probably won't feel it.
Or you'll regret the fact that you only did half the job.....

Sure the filter MIGHT be fine after 97,000 miles, will it go another 97K?
Maybe.....
Is it worth the gamble?
Your choice.....

If it was me and I ABSOLUTELY couldn't afford to do both, I'd do the pan drop with a new filter. You'll end up with close to four quarts of new fluid just dropping the pan.
IMO that's a better service than flushing and leaving the old filter.
Anyone have an opinion on this?

I did my own filter, pan, and flush at less than 50K and after that even my wife noticed it shifted smoother.
If you do think about doing it yourself, there are some really good writeups on this forum......
If you lived near me, I'd help you do the drop, filter, and flush, and you'd see it's not that tough if you're mechanically inclined and have a few tools. I think the most specialized tool I needed was a torque wrench.

 

[apcnc]

I think most everyone is in agreement. I was under the assumption that Vicarod meant fluid as well. Idk why he would drain it and put it back in! Lol

 

[Tatsngats]

I did my filter and pan drop a few months ago. Not difficult at all. This is how I justify it, if the local auto shop quotes me $275 do do the pan drop and filter and I buy $75 in materials and spend 2 hours doing it myself, I just made $100/hour which is more than I make at my regular job.

 

[CKNSLS]

The truth of the matter is the dealers as a matter of course do a flush. I changed (flushed) my fluid at 50,000 miles-half of the miles were towing my 5,500 pound travel trailer and even then the fluid still looked good.

I have no reason to believe that doing a flush is any less effective than doing a pan drop.

The dealers do a flush as "routine" and the manufacturer (at least on the older trucks) have to guarantee the power train for 100,000 miles. So GM must think it's satisfactory as well.

 

[apcnc]

I don't think most of them do anything that they don't absolutely have to unless you're paying for it specifically. I'm sure they would be happy to for $275 :lol:. Even CPO inspection really doesn't require anything to be done not even change the oil. It's wide open to interpretation. The only thing that is claimed to be done is that the items were checked. It's just a way to make you think your getting a better deal. Just a gimmick.

That's my thoughts on flushing the transmission with clean fluid. It's just a gimmick. If you think about what's in there stop anything up that's not caught in the filter. There is no combustion. The gears wear very little and usually caught on the magnet and in the filter. The band's and TC clutch are main source of wear. If they are wearing fast enough to stop something up before cycling through the filter and leaving the oil clean something is wrong. Especially under 100k ! The fluid could be degraded and both fluid and the filter will obviously need to be changed If it actually needed to be flushed. So unless it's severely neglected and very high mileage. I say a flush is a gimmick. Just needs fluid and filter.

Any other wear points ideas? Is there is anything else I'm not thinking of?

 

[ericlw]

My issue is unless you can actually watch them do the work. If you pay for a tranny pan drop and filter replacement will they actually do it? If the customer isnt watching it would be way to easy to flush the tranny and the customer would never know the difference.

 

[apcnc]

Doing it yourself if the only way to know usually. I've actually never had anything done by anyone but myself. Even company vehicles that weren't mine! Lol. Except once I had to fly out and didn't have time to replace an O2 sensor. But it didn't belong to me.

 

[esox07]

If it was me and I ABSOLUTELY couldn't afford to do both, I'd do the pan drop with a new filter. You'll end up with close to four quarts of new fluid just dropping the pan.
IMO that's a better service than flushing and leaving the old filter.
Anyone have an opinion on this?

I have the 6l80e transmission. Six speed. When I dropped my pan and replaced the filter, I put 5.5 quarts of new fluid back in. So you really get about half of the fluid replaced with a pan drop. If you keep up with it, say every 50,000 miles, you will likely have a well functioning, long lasting tranny.