macevanscb

I have a 71 Fury III with a 360.

I had something happen that's never supposed to happen: The trans cooler in the radiator cracked. The guy at my local radiator shop says he's never run into that and had to special order a new cooler. He had piles of Ford and GM parts, but no Mopar parts. Now I have a rebuilt radiator with a new trans cooler in it.

So: I had the transmission flushed and refilled ... ditto the cooling system.
But the guy at the transmission shop said that wouldn't really help. And he was right. The transmission is toast right now.

I have no problem rebuilding the transmission with all new bands, clutches and a new torque converter. I have a couple of 727s under my belt.

What I really want to know is: while I'm rebuilding, what can I use to clean the rest of antifreeze out of the transmission???? I've never run into antifreeze contamination before and searching the internet hasn't helped.

1966sportfury

id just drain what i could of the antifreeze. then refill it with tranny fluid and change it again after 1000 miles. antifreeze has no agents that will swell seals or oxidize. i think you will be fine

78D200

Hot tank the housing and whatever else you are going to be reusing while you have it apart. Also install an external tranny cooler so that this never happens again and moutn it infront or the radiator.

78D200

You may not have an issue with the anitfreeze but you will with the water mixing with the oil. Once you get it in there, there is not way to get it all out without tearing it down.

scotts74birds

Water dissolves transmission clutch materials. Just powerwash the case and valve bodies with a mild detergent made for powerwasher use, rinse well, and compressed air dry should be fine.

raindance654

The antifreeze will simply dissolve into the trans fluid and do no harm. Excessive amounts of water will damage friction plates, etc since when the trans gets hot it will simply steam the material off the backing.
This is a common problem in the UK with other makes that have the trans cooler in the radiator.
Small amounts of water will just evaporate as the trans gets warm anyway but if you're rebuilding, I can't see any need for special measures -just the normal proceedures. Clean, clean, clean.

macevanscb

I'm learning ... it isn't the antifreeze ... its the water damage. So any normal degreaser should work. And I like Tim's hot tank suggestion and aftermarket cooler suggestion. I have to replace the head gaskets on the 360 and I was going to have the heads hot tanked and lapped. I'll just have all the tranny parts hot tanked too.

raindance654

One thing with hot tanking. Many shops use some very aggressive chemicals to "hot tank" blocks and heads which is fine for iron heads, etc but you may find them damaging an aluminum trans case.
How funny would that be? In goes oily trans, out comes............nothing...!!!!!!!!!!

78D200

We use to hot tank housings all the time at a Chrysler dealership when rebuilding trannies and never had an issue. By the time that you are ready to start rebuilding the tranny, the hot water has evaporated.

volaredon

the trans shops have a cabinet with a rotating "lazy Susan" and is like an "industrial dishwasher"; parts go in dirty come out like new; many use a water based detergent; as long as it's blown out and dry before reassembly it will be fine. I've built several trannys; powerwashed every single one while the case was bare..

raindance654

Yep. That's the one -like an industrial dishwasher. So long as all you have is water based detergent then it should all be fine.
Some (non trans) shops use much more aggressive chemicals which dissolve all the soft metal on cam bearings if they are left in and will make short work of a delicate ally trans case.
Just saying -be aware of this................