How much ATF should I add?

KD6ICZ · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2015 3:56 pm

I've had a very slow leak in my front transmission seal ever since I had my Suncoast installed 2 and a half years ago. I haven't added any fluid for 2 years and today it started shifting hard and I could hear the pump in the Trans making a slight intermittent sound. I knew it was low so I added two quarts and everything is back to normal.

Since the dipstick is completely useless and tells me it's always WAY over full I don't really know if there is enough or if I should add more ATF?

SFHLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2015 4:12 pm

KD6ICZ wrote:

I've had a very slow leak in my front transmission seal ever since I had my Suncoast installed 2 and a half years ago. I haven't added any fluid for 2 years and today it started shifting hard and I could hear the pump in the Trans making a slight intermittent sound. I knew it was low so I added two quarts and everything is back to normal.

Since the dipstick is completely useless and tells me it's always WAY over full I don't really know if there is enough or if I should add more ATF?

The dipstick measurement needs to be taken with the engine running and I can't remember if it is in Park or Neutral. The owners manual says.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2015 4:25 pm

Engine idling for at least 60 seconds before taking a reading in Park. Forum chat indicates the tranny likes to be a bit overfull so look for a reading a bit above the cold or hot max marks. Cold = fluid and dip stick are coolish to the touch. Hot = too hot to comfortable touch with your fingers.

You might try a bottle of Lucas transmission fix instead of adding more fluid right now. The Lucas stuff has been reported to do a decent job of stopping small seal leaks.

KD6ICZ · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2015 4:25 pm

SFHLibertyCRD wrote:

The dipstick measurement needs to be taken with the engine running and I can't remember if it is in Park or Neutral. The owners manual says.

Yes I've tried both. The dipstick itself says Park I believe and other Chrysler transmissions say Neutral. Neither renders a accurate reading. I've said before that I think the stick is too long and hits bottom. So educated guess is all I have.

KD6ICZ · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2015 5:53 pm

papaindigo wrote:

You might try a bottle of Lucas transmission fix instead of adding more fluid right now. The Lucas stuff has been reported to do a decent job of stopping small seal leaks.

Do you think the Lucas additive is safe to use with Amsoil ATF?

geordi · **Posted:** Thu Jun 04, 2015 7:11 pm

Yes, the Lucas won't bother any brand of fluid. As for the right amount - if it feels like it is running right, that is the correct amount. A trans fluid change could be 7 qt according to the book, but could also be up to 9 before it runs right. Go with your gut on this, and more won't bother it. It has a HUGE system.

KD6ICZ · **Posted:** Fri Jun 05, 2015 1:03 pm

Ok. We'll I added just under 3 quarts of ATF and one 24oz bottle of Lucas. It seems to be happy again and I didn't see any new fluid on the garage floor this morning.

The only thing on the dipstick I have to go on are the tiny holes. I filled it until the top hole above HOT had fluid in it. It was after I had driven on the freeway for a few miles and it was HOT!

SFHLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Fri Jun 05, 2015 1:38 pm

KD6ICZ wrote:

Ok. We'll I added just under 3 quarts of ATF and one 24oz bottle of Lucas. It seems to be happy again and I didn't see any new fluid on the garage floor this morning.

The only thing on the dipstick I have to go on are the tiny holes. I filled it until the top hole above HOT had fluid in it. It was after I had driven on the freeway for a few miles and it was HOT!

Perfect!

papaindigo · **Posted:** Fri Jun 05, 2015 1:50 pm

Sounds good but keep an eye on the level for a while; hopefully the Lucas will stop the small leak. FYI DCJ transmissions are pretty robust with respect to low fluid; they either work or they do not. On my old Dodge Cummins D250 one of the bronze/brass tranny coolant fittings cracked in its thread right at the tranny. Darn near pumped all the fluid out; refilled; drove like 15 miles and had almost no fluid left. Local "real" tranny shop replaced fitting and refilled transmission. Fast forward XX years some 35k miles and one trip from Tallahassee to Tempe, AZ later my son sold the truck for Kelly Blue book retail cash with the tranny still operating just fine. Bottom line the fact that you got low should not hurt just don't do it again.

mk38tech · **Joined:** Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:25 pm **Posts:** 72

im having a similar problem. i had suncoast install a TC and valve body kit in ft walton just 2 weeks ago, now im leaking atf pretty steady. need to get under it today and do some more searching. i noticed when i got it from the shop it felt really under powered. after shifting through all gears ie low, reverse.... and 3-4 qt of additional atf(i have a mag-hytec pan btw) it began to feel right. ive never trusted the stick to tell me if it was right or wrong. ive always added a quart and drove, add another quart and drove till it felt right. hoping its just a pan gasket. but if i cant find it today, i bought some uv dye to put in it so i put a light on it in a few days and see whats up. i also have a small water leak somewhere. i took the egr system off and installed the weeks 1 and 2 kit before i drove 800 miles to florida for the tc install, drove all the way back with no problems... not sure whats going on

mk38tech · **Joined:** Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:25 pm **Posts:** 72

i pulled the pan. looks like suncoast used some kind of harder gasket. wasnt like the ones ive always used. it was a little roughed up in 2 spots, enough to make me think it could have been the problem. so i poked around a little longer and put on one of my driveworks gaskets on there. i added some UV liquid to both the tranny and coolant so... we'll see. maybe ill check it tonight or tomorrrow. i changed over to the cheaper green glycol 50/50 coolant since i had it laying around. i read somewhere that its harmful to the engine but the service manual states the requirement as 11.8 quarts of gylcol base coolant/water in a 50/50 mixture. but i have been filtering it for a few weeks through a baldwin B5134 which i think is 12 micron. im about to leave the states for a few months. when i come back ill be swapping over to evans waterless coolant... if i ever find this leak that is haha.

How much ATF should I add?

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