<VV> powerglide pan debris

[Tony Underwood]

At 10:16 PM 8/12/2007, Frank DuVal wrote:
>Finding debris in the pan of automatic transmissions is normal. It 
>is fine particles from the wearing of clutches, plates, drums and the case.
>
>Until it quits working, just change the fluid and keep driving! And 
>when it quits working, the case is typically fine for rebuilding. I 
>have not taken an original pan off yet and not found a pile of debris.



I'll second this.    When I pull an automatic transmission pan off 
something made in the '60s, even if the transmission is working 
flawlessly I *expect* to see some debris in the bottom, and likely 
stuff in the filter as well.   It's normal.   Automatic 
transmissions, particularly older ones, shed stuff as they wear and 
it ends up in the bottom of the pan and in the filter 
screen.   Nothing to worry about.   I'd be much more concerned if the 
fluid was brown or smelled burned.

If you drop the pan on a Powerglide and there's no debris in it, the 
transmission is either unused or has been recently serviced or 
overhauled etc.   If it's been run for any length of time, you'll 
find stuff in the pan.

By the way, you will also find steel particles among the 
stuff.   Drag a magnet through it and it will come out fuzzy with 
former gear tooth surface.    It used to be an old trick at garages 
during a fluid and filter change to show a customer the transmission 
pan, "mechanic" runs a finger through it or drags the magnet etc and 
tells the customer the transmission is "worn badly" and needs an 
overhaul.   This old scam is not done so much anymore, especially 
with modern transmissions that don't "shed" like the transmissions of 
the '50s and '60s.


tony..