[VY] How to change transmission filter and fluid.

[Vzniko]

Very good tut. I used petrol rather than water to clean the pan since it dries much faster.

It stumped me as to why there was no drain plug either.

Yes, I would not recommend water either for this as it does not dissolve oil-based liquids. Either use a degreaser spray etc, or even methylated spirits / mineral turpentine which all dissolve the oil. They also evaporate within minutes so no need to wait for drying etc. I personally use methylated spirits (can be bough from any auto store or hardware store) and it does the job and evaporates in seconds.

 

[Vzniko]

Thanks for this thorough write-up mate! Does this also apply to the VZ? Will be of great help for me in the future. I'm sick of the GM service center ruining my car and charging me heaps for their "service". Just wondering... is this easier said than done? I am no mechanic, and yet this doesn't seem to be too difficult... I suppose I just need the right tools and plenty of time.

Hello, I am 24 years old university student and did it all by myself in about a day and a half. No mechanic experience whatsoever. So if I can do it, anybody can. They will charge you $200+ for doing this at the service center. And I bet they will probably cut some corners...Oh btw, I did it on the VZ 4-speed auto...

One thing, that has not been mentioned before on this thread, PLEASE DISPOSE OF OLD OIL PROPERLY. Do do flush it down any drain, Put it on a container and take it to your nearest oil disposal facility. Contact your council and they will give you an address. Most of them require no charge and they will even take your oiled rugs, old filters etc

 

[Trojan]

How much of a Pain is it to change that O ring ? Is it a solid plastic type ?

hard enough to not be worth changing. Chances are you'll cause more damage to the tranny (scratching) trying to pull it out than the benefit of putting a new one in. So my advice.......keep the old one on unless for some reason it's destroyed which is very unlikely.

 

[Trojan]

IT took me 3-4 hours to figure out a way to remove that O ring from there. If it is in place just don't worry about it (it is not worth the trouble). I had to change it, because I tried a million ways to remove it, and I had totally destroyed it. Used pliers, screws, knives, finger, hooks etc! I finally took it out by using a very very thin flat screwdriver and gently using a small hammer to bend it, then pulled it out with a pointy nose pliers.
The problem is that the new one is also so hard to get in, as the hole is so tight. They surely must have a specific tool for that job. What I did, I found a nut that it is the exact same circumference as the 'O' ring, and using a hammer I banged it into place. That worked like a charm as it gives an even load of force around the O ring as so it does not bend. If it is still hard to get in, sticking it into the freezer for about 40min also helps as it shrinks the metal enough to make a difference.

Regarding the whole flushing procedure, 5L of oil is not a full flush. The way it has been shown here does NOT remove the oil from the torque convertor (I think). According to holden's specification for the VZ 4-speed auto (would assume other models are similar) for a DRY TRANSMISSION the trans oil capacity is 7.9L. 5L is only for a refill which I am assuming meaning the torque convertor fluid is not replaced. Please someone correct if I am wrong.

I believe this thread here explains a more comprehensive transmission flush https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/transmission-fluid-change.32283 I used the exact way shown on that thread, and worked like a charm. Also 5L of fluid was no enough (For me at least) when I checked from the dipstick it was below the minimum level.

Spot on.....Keep the old O ring on....i got it out after trying everything u mentioned and finally got it out with the flat screwdriver and hammer.....causes more damage than it's worth.....putting the new one back in...what a pain!! I put it in half way, should be ok but will service it again in 20K and check to make sure it's tight still.

As for a proper tranny service, you should also flush the old liquid out of the torque converter too.....just emptying the pan and changing filter is half the job.

 

[Calaber]

I posted the photo above on another thread in the VT forum last week. It's a seal installer I made up to make installing that filter seal very simple. (Doesn't make getting the old one out any easier though, unfortunately) Its a short length of PVC 25mm O/D electrical conduit, ground down to slip inside the seal. An old mag wheel washer is pushed onto the tapered part of the conduit, making sure it is perfectly square, to seat against the seal properly. A small bit of insulating tape is wrapped around the end below the washer, to protect the lip of the seal during installation.

 

[VYMAD]

Some people may wish to flush the torque converter as well, but I don't. I just keep the service intervals regular. The amount of fluid specified in the owner's manual does not include the torque converter. If the car was regularly thrashed or does a lot of of heavy towing, then maybe it would be worth it, but if not, then I wouldn't bother.

 

[goobie]

Transmission lines!

When I was replacing my engine in my vs, the tran lines would not conme out as the person before me had tried to do this and threaded the nuts at the gearbox end. the lines have been bent before and I think this is now causing me my problems. Is it possible to cut the lines at the base and then put in new rubber transmission lines?

 

[Jaymz]

When I was replacing my engine in my vs, the tran lines would not conme out as the person before me had tried to do this and threaded the nuts at the gearbox end. the lines have been bent before and I think this is now causing me my problems. Is it possible to cut the lines at the base and then put in new rubber transmission lines?

I had huge trouble getting the lines out of my old gearbox when i removed it. bloody things were stuck then there good and proper! ended up getting a gas torch on them to loosen them up some!

I would also like to know if they can be replaced with rubber hoses or not. i do know they run right close against the engine block, so some steel or alloy tubes would be needed.

 

[goobie]

The transmission service kits cost only $16 from super cheap auto, repco don't have them in stock any more!

 

[goobie]

I have found a way of doing it now! you have to undo the larger nut on the gearbox, then remove the hoses and place in a vice to undo them, new lines are only about $15, the problem with the rubber hosesis that they are under alot of pressure, so I have been told this is not a good why to go with the rubber ones! hope it helps you out!