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View Full Version : Internal VR-4 gearbox filter (FAO: Nick Mann!)



Kieran
14-12-2005, 12:16 PM
Nick

Have you managed to get out the internal ATF filter from your old gearbox to see what shape it is in?

I want to know:

1 - how dirty/blocked it is
2 - how to remove the damn thing without it becoming a dismantle-tastic job....

Brunty
14-12-2005, 01:33 PM
1 - how dirty it is

You're absolutely obsessed aren't you?

Kieran
14-12-2005, 01:56 PM
You're absolutely obsessed aren't you?

/grr /pan

It's important - if the internal filter is blocked, ATF won't flow properly and so the line pressures will drop - this can cause a myriad of faults ranging from poor shifting to the clutches burning out. Now, seeing as an internal filter is not easily changed, I would expect it to be a 'lifetime' filter..... But how long is a 'lifetime'?.....

Especiallt when you bear in mind that these 'boxes were a JDM-only unit when the VR-4 was first released, and that Jap cars tend to cover far less distance during their lifetimes. Couple that with the fact that a lot of UK cars have had burned/dirty ATF in them for quite a while and I think you have a recipie for trouble.

My car will has covered 160,000 Kms (100,000 miles) and has already had two lots of very dirty ATF pumped out of it - hence I'm interested to know - Nick's old 'box had 120,000ish miles on it, so it should be a reasonable yardstick for seeing how they hold up.

Nick Mann
14-12-2005, 02:34 PM
I haven't got there yet, K. Not played with the old box for a few weeks. And I am hoping that the filter is in good condition, because the Johnson family paid for an overhaul on it this time last year.

vampirej
14-12-2005, 02:46 PM
So how many of these "Filters" are there???
I take it when you change the ATF, you need to change the filter that looks similar to an oil filter (although I have yet to discover where the heck that thing is)... but internal filter?? :inquisiti :rolleyes4

amsoil
14-12-2005, 02:56 PM
In the motor trade they tend to talk about 100K miles as being 'life' which all starts to get very dodgy when modern cars can easliy exceed this figure by a very long way. It starts to get worse now that auto boxes are tending to be filled / sealed for life! As for filters I thought you would have internal or external but am no expert on mitzys. On many cars its a drop the auto pan job and fit the new funny flat filter with new 'o' rings and a new sump gasket. Now would you change the oil in your engine and not change the filter?

zentac
14-12-2005, 03:28 PM
Ive stripped an FTO Auto box, which Im guessing is the same and the filter looks like a maze, I have some pics somewhere, but from what I can remember its not easily blocked.

amsoil
14-12-2005, 05:29 PM
I would go along with whatever the manufacturers recommend; Pure guess would be 80-100k miles. Afterall the insides of a tranny should be nice and clean(!) and don't have to deal with the results of combustion. I can see that a manufacturer might design a filter to last the 'life' of the tranny (100k miles) Must be some Mitzy engineers who could comment on this.