Z2TT Member 714 Member For: 12y 8m 24d Posted 08/04/15 12:21 PM Share Posted 08/04/15 12:21 PM Hi Guys.So I've always wondered, what is the best way to detect this disease earliest, would it be undoing the plug and checking the oil with a finger and see if it is changed in consistency or appearance, or does the coolant drain to the bottom?Is there any sort of Chemical test or instrument you can use to test for traces of coolant?2nd Question is - by the time it is noticeable, is the ATF affected that much that transmission damage is done?Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Wiggum Moar Powar Babeh Lifetime Members 19,323 Member For: 19y 4m 28d Gender: Male Location: Perth Posted 08/04/15 01:20 PM Share Posted 08/04/15 01:20 PM Heat a hot plate to 100deg,drop a cc of trans fluid on it. If its sizzels and pops there's coolant in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenDoCo I'm getten too old for this s**t Bronze Donating Members 4,509 Member For: 11y 10m 13d Gender: Male Location: A big bridge over a river in South Australia Posted 08/04/15 01:29 PM Share Posted 08/04/15 01:29 PM (edited) The transmission experts will be able to give you a better answer ( & ralph just did ^^ ) but in the mean time.......If your heat exchanger goes and trans fluid mixes with coolant - it's too late.If you DO catch it on the day the exchanger lets go, you may be lucky and get away with a complete trans service/flush but that means you have to check 'every day'.They say that the zf is sealed for life. This may be true if Ford used a better quality heat exchanger but they don't. The unit could last a week or 10 years - it seems to be pot luck so if your worried at all (and by asking the question says to me that you are) then check out an aftermarket heat exchanger. I noticed the other day that Pit Lane and PWR are doing a group buy on the pwr heat exchanger so imho, I reckon you should jump on that as 700 bucks now could save you (up to) 5 or 6 grand on a trans rebuild in the future and then you can enjoy driving your car instead of worrying about the dreaded milkshake. Edited 08/04/15 01:30 PM by BenDoCo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xpl0sive Member 421 Member For: 16y 30d Gender: Male Location: Melbourne Posted 08/04/15 02:03 PM Share Posted 08/04/15 02:03 PM (edited) If the 2 fluids mix, you'll have trans fluid mixed with coolant in your coolant reservoir/expansion tank. If you see this, then yeah, too late. Don't even bother trying to flush it, you'll just waste your time and money.I also would not be putting that PWR unit on my car. I'm aware PWR make quality gear, but IMO the product hasn't been out long enough to be proven. I'm skeptical I guess. It features the same design really as the factory one, but obviously with a better core, but if it fails and your trans goes, are PWR going to replace the trans for you? No, they're not.I guess because I had this problem knowing what sort of cost and drama it was to rectify, it has scared me from ever using anything even remotely close to that factory design. I do not want any chance of coolant getting into my box again.What I've done is use an air-to-oil cooler. I've been running this for a few years now without a single problem, and no chance of a milkshake, ever. Plus it's a much cheaper solution than that overpriced PWR unit. Edited 08/04/15 02:08 PM by xpl0sive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z2TT Member 714 Member For: 12y 8m 24d Posted 11/04/15 04:35 AM Author Share Posted 11/04/15 04:35 AM (edited) That was my exact feeling about the PWR Unit.But my intention is not to buy myself insurance against a milk-shake, because too much insurance is gambling.Rrather my intention is to find a reliable way where I can regularly do checks before any transmission damage has been done, as I'm not exactly sure how much coolant has to enter the box where it gets to the point where it begins to damage it.But my concern was how miscible is coolant with transmission fluid, or if its not very miscible, does it pool at the top or pool at the bottom?. I like Ralphs Method.I'd be thinking wouldn't a good way be to monitor for the slighest coolant loss on the overflow bottle, or is that prone to errors from time to time? Edited 11/04/15 04:36 AM by Z2TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilko16 Donating Members 1,672 Member For: 17y 2m 30d Gender: Male Location: Melbourne Posted 11/04/15 08:02 AM Share Posted 11/04/15 08:02 AM It's to hard to catch...If it lets go while your driving it will pump tranny fluid into the cooling system (tranny pressure is higher than radiator)And then when you stop the car, the radiator pressure will be higher than the gearbox, an that's how the coolant will be forced into the gearboxImpossible to catch before its to late in my opinion Unless every single time you think about turning the engine off, you pop the bonnet and look at the header tank for sludge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeGe6 Donating Members 1,978 Member For: 12y 7m 13d Gender: Male Location: Perth, SOR Posted 11/04/15 08:05 AM Share Posted 11/04/15 08:05 AM That was my exact feeling about the PWR Unit.But my intention is not to buy myself insurance against a milk-shake, because too much insurance is gambling.Rrather my intention is to find a reliable way where I can regularly do checks before any transmission damage has been done, as I'm not exactly sure how much coolant has to enter the box where it gets to the point where it begins to damage it.But my concern was how miscible is coolant with transmission fluid, or if its not very miscible, does it pool at the top or pool at the bottom?. I like Ralphs Method.I'd be thinking wouldn't a good way be to monitor for the slighest coolant loss on the overflow bottle, or is that prone to errors from time to time?Sound like more of a gamble! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizkets is Drunk? Too heavy needs boost Member 5,929 Member For: 11y 6m 14d Gender: Male Location: Adelaide Posted 11/04/15 10:40 AM Share Posted 11/04/15 10:40 AM my setup wombat bellend did. No chance of trans and coolant mixing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilko16 Donating Members 1,672 Member For: 17y 2m 30d Gender: Male Location: Melbourne Posted 11/04/15 10:50 AM Share Posted 11/04/15 10:50 AM Very nice and yes the only way to guarantee that coolant does not go into the boxDoes yours have the thermo fan aswell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizkets is Drunk? Too heavy needs boost Member 5,929 Member For: 11y 6m 14d Gender: Male Location: Adelaide Posted 11/04/15 10:48 PM Share Posted 11/04/15 10:48 PM Na. Havent had any issues. Did a 3 hour caining down south through the hills on a 34c day and no issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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