My 02 is feeling mushy. Is there any trani filters I should stay away from?? I'm gona do a fluid/filter change, prolly get a Autozone, or Oreileys. I'm puttin the ATF back in.

 

I would prolly go for like an ams oil filter if they make one or a wix filter or even a oem filter. Im not a huge fan like frams and napa brand ones. And i would buy new atf fluid if the fluid is dark which means it got hot and wont be as efficient in lubricating and helping cool the tranny. But thats just my opinion

 

Just look at a couple different ones while you are at the auto parts store. You will be able to tell the better quality ones.
I wouldn't put the old ATF back in; if there is an issue it is the fluid; not the filtration.
If you just drop the pan you will get 4-6 qts out of it. If you have a deep pan like I do it will be around 8 qts.
If you loosen the VB, you will probably get a couple more.
Spend the little extra money (going through the hassle anyways) on new oil and change that too.
Make sure it is ATF+4.

 

I will change the fluid for sure, is there any adjustments I can handle on my own that may help, or may need done

 

Band Adjustments.

94+ Ram AT band adjustment

 

Get the open type filter. It's yellow. Don't get the metal ones with the small openings.

 

depending on how many miles are on the tranny, or how long its been since the last fluid exchange, the transmission may go into shock and die. if its an auto tranny your going to want to have a shop do it, they get the fluid out of the torque converter too, which is about a good 4 quarts. if its a manual its just a drain and fill but the same principle applies for sending the tranny into shock.

 

There are 2 thoughts on this.
I have heard to get the open style element (no plastic shroud) and I have heard to get the shrouded one only. I went for a few years with the open style element on my stock tranny, but I didn't have a deep pan. When I had the new tranny installed, they said to use the shrouded one.

I think they said this because the pick-up opening is on the bottom of the filter and will be guaranteed to be in the fluid. The open style element will draw fluid from all around it, but will also draw air if there is an air pocket between the fluid and the valve body.

They used the open type element on the older trucks; for the newer trucks they went to the shrouded style. I would go with the shrouded style and have for the last 5 years.

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I also wanted to say that if you get a tranny shop to do the flush, make sure they do not use the backflush type machine.

 

The couple shops that I called all have the backwash machine. Any other way, I was just gona do it myself, let the trani drain overnight. I need a deep pan, but it's highly doughtful I get one any time soon. There's 75K on my trani, and I had a fluid change about 35K ago, little over a year. My fluids still nice and red, but I want to change it.

 

You'll be fine. I change mine (Amsoil) at about 50k.