94 Dodge Caravan Transmision fluid change.

Hi,

First of all, I'm a big ford guy, I work on 4r70w transmissions for
the rear wheel drive mustangs/tbirds/etc all the time.

My father bought this little 94 caravan with 60k miles on it the other
day. It has the 2.5 4 banger. It looks to be well maintained, and
has a telephone book of receipts for it, including gas fillups and oil
changes. Anyway, I just wanted to get it ready for him for the
winter, and change all the fluids for him.

I am going to do the tranny fluid change for him in a week or so when
I get a minute, anyway I have a few questions.

I see that this tranny has two rubber hose lines going from the tranny
to the heat exchanger in the radiator, not metal hardlines. I have
never seen this, but it will make my fluid change job easy.

Could someone tell me what line is the return line? Is it the top or
bottom? I'm looking for the one that will squirt fluid when i pull it
and start the motor.

After I pump the fluid out the lines, I usually stop the car, then
drain the torque converter, then drop the pan.

Is there access to a torque converter drain bolt on this car, or
should I just proceed straight to dropping the pan after pumping the
fluid out the lines?

So, next I would drop the pan and clean it up. Does this car have a
regular push on type filter?

Lastly, how many quarts of tranny oil does one of these vans hold, and
what type of oil should I use (atf+3, etc)

Thanks,
JH

 

....with the 31TH 3-speed hydromechanical automatic transmission. A very
durable combination, if somewhat gutless in the minivans.

There is no torque converter drain.

"push on" type? It's screwed to the bottom of the valve body.

You *must* use at least ATF+3. You *may* use ATF+4, which is a better
fluid. Of course, there are a lot of things you *may* do to improve this
transmission's operation. Increase the line pressure 10 or 20 full turns,
block the accumulator in the "up" position, set the bands on the tight
side of their adjustment spec...

(...use Autolite 925 or Champion RN13LYC extended-nose spark plugs,
service the *entire* PCV system including the inlet filter inside the air
cleaner housing...)

DS

 

If you let the tranny pump (noun) pump (verb) the fluid out of that line
(with the engine running, replenishing with fresh fluid as needed thru
the fill tube througout the process), that will force an "out with the
old, in with the new" flow thru the converter (a less-than-100% dilution
process as everywhere else in the tranny, but as good as you can do).

As Daniel said, the ATF+4 is a better fluid, but it is $5 to $7 per qt.
depending on the dealer you get it from. Do not substitute *anything*
for either ATF+3 or ATF+4 no matter what anyone, including a shop, tells
you.

Chrysler sells a metal gasket as an alternative to the special silicone
sealer for the pan. Either use the special sealer (made specifically
for automatic trannies) or the metal gasket, but not "regular" silicone
sealer. People (including me) have had good success with the metal
gasket. It's less mess and re-useable.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")