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700R4 issues

RingMaster4x4

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I have a 700R4 that is built, I have been driving it for about 1 year. well I noticed that the trans fuild is turning a gray color and smells a little like diesel. I have a trans temp gauge that is mounted in the remote trans filter and it nevers gets over about 180. Most of the time it is 150ish. I have a remote oil cooler that is not inline with the raditor. I checked the line pressure and at idle with the cable hooked up there is 150PSI and with it disconnected there is the same. I have instant line pressure to over 200PSI.

What could cause the fluid to smell like that and and turn gray?
 
Not shure aout the smell could be some kind of conditioner that has been added? Not a burnt smell is it? As far as the gray, more then likely fine metal shavings. You may want to pull the pad and inspect. Most cases if theres a lot of it the converter could be going bad but theres a lot else it could be. If you put some fluid on something dark and not shiny like black paper look at it cloesely and see if it looks glittery.. Hope it's not though
 
The only thing I can think of that would make it turn gray is the clutch material...like the goop you wipe out of the bottom of the pan when you change the fluid. I would drop the pan and see what's in the bottom.:dunno:


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Not shure aout the smell could be some kind of conditioner that has been added? Not a burnt smell is it? As far as the gray, more then likely fine metal shavings. You may want to pull the pad and inspect. Most cases if theres a lot of it the converter could be going bad but theres a lot else it could be. If you put some fluid on something dark and not shiny like black paper look at it cloesely and see if it looks glittery.. Hope it's not though

I would not call it a burnt smell...this is not glittery. I will post a picture of the with paper towel I check the fuild with just this AM.
 
The only thing I can think of that would make it turn gray is the clutch material...like the goop you wipe out of the bottom of the pan when you change the fluid. I would drop the pan and see what's in the bottom.:dunno:


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I just changed the fluid and both filters about 1 month ago when I first saw this happening. (as much of the fluid as I could) I had to add about 7 new quarts. there was a little gray flim in the bottom but what I would call alot. No big shaving or any thing.
 
here is the rag I used today. I was clean and I only checked the trans.

IMGA0007.JPG







IMGA0006.JPG
 
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i can still see plenty of pink on the paper towel. the gray stuff looks like metal shavings. do you still have the pan magnet?
 
i dont no much about trannys/torque converters, but could it be an aftermarket torque converter with metal fins shaving off a little instead of the stock plastic ones?
 
Is it slipping any or seem like it's holding back?

If it's not metalic it almost has to be clutch material. The only other non metal friction surface would be some plastic thrust washers but they would normally just break, wear down or melt and you woulden't see anything. I'm no tranny expert but if your getting that much material on a paper towel from just checking the fluid it doesen't look good. Make shure you let us know what it ends up to be if you can.

-Todd
 
Is it slipping any or seem like it's holding back?

If it's not metalic it almost has to be clutch material. The only other non metal friction surface would be some plastic thrust washers but they would normally just break, wear down or melt and you woulden't see anything. I'm no tranny expert but if your getting that much material on a paper towel from just checking the fluid it doesen't look good. Make shure you let us know what it ends up to be if you can.

-Todd

nothing odd that I know of right now. it has a really hard 1st to 2nd shift. It will bark the tires ever time it shifts
 
I would have to go with clutch shavings but who knows. I had a little slippage in my 700R4 but a shift kit took all that away. Now it awesome. I would pull it apart find out for sure.
 
ok to day I have something odd happening. the trans is short shifting( shifts in to OD at 55 and will not down shift to third untill you are at about 50.
 
The shift characteristics are changing because there is material in the fluid. It gets in the valve body and affects the movement of the valves. You should be able to remove the valve body and spray it out with brake cleaner to restore normal operation (temporarily), but you have to figure out where the material is coming from.

Is it possible you have a lot of wear going on in there, like one piece rubbing on another? I know that there was more than one design of the planetaries, where one used an integrated lock-ring and the other used a plastic thrust washer. Replacing one with the other could result in the thrust washer not being inserted and not being missed. It would work fine, but over time, the material will rub and wear. This is just one scenario. It could be one of several similar things.

If material keeps appearing, something is wearing and eventually the tranny will have to be pulled.
 

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