1998 legacy tranny ?

[djmark7]

I have a '98 legacy auto 2.2 with 265k on it do you guys think i ought to change the tranny filter? and if so, how much of a PITA is it?

[Fairtax4me]

Depends on if it even has one. Somewhere in the mid late 90's they started using external filters that are either in line with the trans cooler, or a spin on type similar to the oil filter on the engine. Both would be on the drivers side of the transmission, the spin on directly on the side of the trans, the inline type is mounted under the frame rail separate from the trans more towards the front of the car IIRC.

Either way, it does tend to enhance performance and extend transmission life to change the filter if it has one. If there is no external filter, there is an internal "filter" which is merely a wide guage mesh screen type filter, and it doesn't usually help anything to change that. Though it doesn't usually hurt to remove the pan and clean the goo off of the bottom, getting the pan to reseal properly can sometimes be an issue.

[djmark7]

thanks for the info

[ivans imports]

the fillter is not as important as the o ring that seals it to valve body if old or flat spoted the oring will alow the trans to suck air into it and whine

[idosubaru]

external spin on filters: definitely change them. they were introduced around 98 or 99.

 

do not change the screen in the pan if it doesn't have any issues (like due to that oring possible). inside the pan is one of those transmission pan screens - while they are called a filter, they hardly rate as a filter and are pointless to replace.

 

nice hit with 265,000 miles!

[Rooster2]

I have both a 98 and 99 OBWs. The 98 does not have the external spin on filter, while the 99 has the external spin on filter. So, I am thinking the change over to the external filter started in 99.

 

From my experience, there isn't a true filter on a 98 tranny. If you drop the pan on the 98, you will find a screen wire mesh filter, that does very little filtering. It is not worth changing this screen mesh filter. I did that once, only to find it a royal pain in the butt to grind off the super hardened gasket off the bottom of the tranny, and pan bolt up surface. Even after that, the pan leaked tranny fluid with a new pan gasket installed along with some permatex.

 

My advise is to change the ATF three times, with min 5 minute drives between changes. I do this, because only about half the ATF can be drained at one time. The remaining half stays in the torque converter, and can't be drained out. Yes, the 3 changes uses a lot of ATF, but it is not difficult to do, and is less costly then taking to a shop to change the fluid.

 

Also, remember the dip stick for ATF is calibrated at one pint of fluid from low to high level on the stick.

[djmark7]

THANKS ALLL for the responses, heres to ya