How-to: Transmission PMF (Poor Man's Flush) - Second Generation Nissan Xterra Forums (2005+)

Rook · #1 07-01-2010, 08:05 AM

Ok....many people cannot find this little how-to I did a while back...and i suppose that was my fault for never making it it's own official thread....well now there is a thread for it...so no more excuses for not knowing how to flush your own trans...if i see another person asking if there is an ATF flush how-to...I'm going to get cranky...

this is really really easy and can save you a lot of cash. you could honestly prob do it in 30 min or less with a little practice....check it out.

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so first....the bypass if you are interested in not having a cooked tranny.... The mod is super easy...it's just a switch of two hoses.

u just switch this one:

with this one (down connected to the passenger side bottom of the radiator.....in this pic it is bottom right.):

if this is confusing refer to the OP (post#1) of the No More Transmission Eating thread. Logisense spells it out clear as day.

Also, JOSX2 was kind enough to make a thread dedicated to the bypass for dummies

. Its well laid out and very easy to follow: that can be found here

to flush the trans...this is the stuff u want or something compatible with Nissan Matic-S (got it from brian at cherry hill nissan for cheap)....I know people have used Amsoil ATF with success but i don't mess around with my trans...or my warranty...so you can be DAMN sure I personally used Matic-S...everything ELSE in my rig is Amsoil. in the end...use whatever you want as long as it is compliant. I got 12 quarts of it from Brian at Cherry Hill Nissan for a very very good price...i suggest you give him a ring

Now i went one step further and flushed the fluid...

First i loostened up the bolt on the bottom of the transmission pan:

and then i let it drain out:

notice that crap is brown and filthy looking...it NEEDED to be changed cause it was all burnt up

and got it all over myself....cause I'm special like that:

I then put the bolt back....torqued down to spec (25ft-lbs) filled it up through the dipstick fill tube in the engine compartment with 4 or 5 quarts of matic-S. You will need a 10mm socket to get the cap off the tranny tube.

so Then i took the hose off the supply tranny line and hooked a longer hose up to it.

and stuck it into a bucket...so it didn't go all over the place.

I had a buddy of mine let the truck run for a bit until the fluid came out red like the sh*t I was putting into it. I then put the remaining 6-7 quarts back in through the dipstick tube using a funnel...checked the fluid level...and ran it through all the gears with the truck off. I then ran it for a few min with the truck and the trans pump on and checked the levels again to make sure everything was good. After this fun, I drove it down and got more beer cause I ran out doing all this and needed to restock. Running smooth as heck! Hope this helps everyone with their PMF fears. Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to hit me with a PM, call, text, whatever.

-Rook
NJ Station Wagon Pilot

Mark · #2 07-01-2010, 08:32 AM

Come to JS and tell everyone about it.

Rook · #3 07-01-2010, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcampana

Come to JS and tell everyone about it.

not this time around...I'll reserve it for ECXC.

MikeStaten · #4 07-01-2010, 10:35 AM

I did the bypass last night. Took all of 10 minutes. I drained the small amount of fluid that dripped out of the lines into a plastic water bottle. When I looked at the fluid in the bottle it was definitely not as red as the fluid draining in your picture and it wasn't transparent either. It was more like a redish/brown and was cloudy. The cloudiness was really only noticeable in the fluid in the bottle, the fluid that leaked on the cardboard on ground looked clear but still looked brownish red. Would you be concerned that the fluid is contaminated with antifreeze?

bucksnort · #5 07-01-2010, 10:41 AM

no, if it was milky i be concerned.

MikeStaten · #6 07-01-2010, 01:19 PM

Rook,
When you were draining the fluid with the engine on did you need to shift to reverse, forward etc... to get all of the fluid out? Also, weren't you concerned that the fluid might run dry as you were draining it? I think I read in another post that they had someone pouring fluid in as they watched the other fluid draining but that would require 3 people (one in car, one watching & one pouring). Am I exaggerating the importance of this or would it not be that big of a deal if ran dry for a second and then you shut the engine? I stopped at Somerset Nissan today at lunch and bought a case of the Matic S and plan to do this tonight right after work.

Rook · #7 07-01-2010, 01:33 PM

the only thing you would hurt if the fluid ran dry is the trans fluid pump...and only if you ran it long enough without fluid to let it overheat. Still you will not run it dry if you let it run until you see the red coming out of the hose look like the red you put into the trans after you first drain (by unbolting the trans pan bolt and letting 5 qts. come out). If you are that concerned with running it dry. turn it on and run it for a few seconds...then fill it up a little. do this a few times and eventually you will see the fluid coming out get redder and redder. This will ensure you dont run it dry. I ran it through the gears before I drove it after I did the flush. You can also run it through the gears while you are filling it..but honestly....I did not find it necessary. I have had no issues with my trans for over 12k since this flush.

just my .02...

Surf and Snow · #8 07-01-2010, 03:31 PM

Hope Rook doesn't mind if I add my tip on using free 5 gal veggie oil jugs from fast food joints.... (Rook, if you dont want this here, let me know and I'll delete.)

Hey guys. I just wanted to let you all know that I did the simple tranny bypass a few weeks ago, no problems whatsoever. Trany comes up to temp and shifts just fine. I also flushed my tranny fluid with 12 qts of genuine nissan type-s. I won the case of trans fluid for $54 with free shiping on eBay!

(my local dealer wants $13.80/qt)

Just a tip for those who flush, I dont like messes, so what I always do is go to a fast food place (McDonalds, Dairy Queen, BK etc...) and ask for their used 5 gallon veggie oil cans. They always give me a couple for free. They are great for tranny flushes and to put your used motor oil in to bring to recycling etc... I also used some leftover clear hose from my rear diff breather mod so that I could easily monitor the fluid coming out. I added the Trans fluid through the dipstick tube, while my gf sat in the X and went through the gears and worked the key.

MikeStaten · #9 07-01-2010, 03:50 PM

Surf n Snow,
It looks like you are draining from a different tube than Rook. Can you explain which one you're using and why you think that may be a better way to do it?

Thanks,
Mike

Rook · #10 07-01-2010, 04:12 PM

surf and snows way is prob a bit easier in terms of not worrying about mess. I didn't have any veggie oil containters on hand...but from now on I will prob use this method. he also used a clear hose to see the color of the fluid easier which I also like. I didn't have this either. Finally it appears (and i could be wrong) he used the line at the exit of the OEM tranny cooler...which would work perfectly too....that just gets the fluid out of the tranny cooler which is honestly prob a little bit better than my way as well. you can break the fluid at many points in the loop. I just chose to break it at the supply line (shown in my pics). They all get the job done.... In the end use what you have. those two items make everything easier. Otherwise..he and I pretty much did the same thing.

and Jay no I do not mind you posting that. that's great. i'd like to collect all the how-to info here in one central place for people to find easier than in the middle of those giant and verbose threads.