AW55-50SN woes-easy to repair? Topic is solved

[precopster]

I ordered a Magnefine filter from a local supplier last night. Thinking this through it will be a next weekend job because I want to have the Magnefine in place first.

Yes the spot is pretty easy to narrow down. I wish I had a full width pic of the bottom of the case so I could scale it to an exact measurement but I think I won't miss in any case.

If I refill the transmission is this where new fluid will collect? I suspect the drain plug isn't far away. If that's the case I should be able to catch the aluminium filings in a screen as they drain away.

[mrbrian200]

With all the commotion about this I decided to do a drain an fill on mine before I forget and this is on my mind. I wanted to do it before winter, preferably twice...one now and again in about a month.
I hate to break it to y'all, but the 'pocket' the filter pickup sticks down into exactly where the drain plug is. With the LH side of the car jacked, and the RH wheels on the ground anything you manage to back flush from the screen would go out the drain hole that's already provided.
Is it possible that the engineers at AW designed it with that drain plug at that location precisely for this reason, and their intention simply didn't 'filter down' ?

Edit. It also occurred to me just a few minutes later: If you disconnect the cooler line and leave the dipstick in, the point of entry for air at the cooler line would pull fluid backward across the screen, pulling junk off it and out into your drain pan.

[precopster]

I tried leaving the dipstick in the other day and using compressed air back into the cooler line and that got me further (2 kms). With dipstick out only 1 km was achieved.

The first time I used compressed air it was with dipstick out and ended up with fluid everywhere.

I think that screen is so badly plugged that air isn't enough. I've used air on it at least 5 times now.

Mbrian I don't know what you mean by "hate to break it to y'all" because this is good news that the drain hole is in the same region. As I mentioned it will give a greater chance of getting out those filings.

[cuhfs]

That sounds like a win... That said, I cant recall... but I think when I did the air thru the radiator that I flushed with the drain plug open.

[precopster]

I think the answer here is to break up the screen. Air is only good to get you around the block or to the next garage.

[cuhfs]

I agree. You are right.

[precopster]

Taking stock of what I have at home for this job:

12mm x 1.75mm thread bolts for the hole (they will be cut to size) I'll probably use thread tape as a seal.

12mm x 1.75mm tap (thread maker)

10mm drill (I think I need at least an 11mm drill to suit the taper of the tapping tool).

Don't want to spend money on a 18mm x 1.5mm tapping tool as they are over $50 locally as well as a 17mm drill bit worth over $30.

[cuhfs]

I disagree with the thread tape. Please reconsider
Permatex High Temperature Thread Sealant (white) - most auto stores carry this.
https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-59214-T ... B0002UEOP0

[mrbrian200]

Mbrian I don't know what you mean by "hate to break it to y'all" because this is good news that the drain hole is in the same region. As I mentioned it will give a greater chance of getting out those filings.

That was meant as sort of a 'revelation with a bit of humor' intended. Sort of like damn I can't believe I didn't see that before.

This looks to be the same type of stainless steel screen (80-100 micron) that's in my septic system to protect the drip tubing emitters from plugging with larger um- 'stuff'. The system is set up with valves controlled by a box back in the house that back flushes particulates caught by the filter back to the first tank in the system. 3 tanks.. standard anaerobic tank, aerobic tank with an air bubbler and an air pump located back in the house/basement and a 3rd processed/grey water holding tank with the pressure/dosing pump.

The point of using the stainless filter is that junk doesn't really stick to it and is cleared at the end of every pump cycle by reversing flow and opening a valve that sends this 'stuff' back to the first anaerobic tank for further processing.

This looks to be the same type of fine stainless particulate screen used in these trannies. Being in the same area as a drain plug suggests to me that the engineers who designed this trans may have intended that it be flushed out somehow rather than replaced unlike older style trans filters which used a thick media filter that trapped particles/contaminants in the media which had to be replaced.

The trick to this may be running fluid (or maybe a solvent/cleaner?) back though the cooler line instead of compressed air so that you get a flow to carry the particles out. An idea that comes to mind: rig the cooler line to a jug of trans fluid (plug the open side where you disconnected it) and suck it with a vac out through the drain hole. You might be able to hit the screen with brake parts cleaner through the drain hole using a tube with a couple bends in it to loosen things up first, then run trans fluid through to carry the junk out. The largest particles and metal filings don't really restrict flow on this type of filter screen- it would be a 'cake' of worn friction material causing the larger problem that I would expect to suspend and flow out with the thicker trans fluid.

This is all try at your own risk type stuff. If the car is effectively immobilized, not worth much, and you're going to junk the car over it I see no reason not to try - if it damages something no harm done as the car was destined for the bone yard anyway. But if we can figure out something that works... You wouldn't experiment like this on a vehicle which has nothing wrong with it or newer/worth money. But if a procedure can be worked out and performed on a number of older disabled vehicles that would otherwise end up in the bone yard which restores them with no harm done then we can cautiously think about applying the procedure to newer/higher value vehicles. Any solvents being considered need to be chosen so as not to damage various seals--which amounts to a bit of research.

[cuhfs]

When we blow air thru the radiator trans line there is some fluid in there that carries out the drain. I do know that. So in effect we kinda did have the fluid as a carry vessel for the friction material. I agree maybe pumping more fluid and a solvent might have worked. I just cleared the line and then air took over.