Didn't really think about how tiny these external tranny filters are in our cars

Nice to see all metal construction in these filters.
No metal specs found but the filter media was just filled with grime from all the tiny metal particles in the fluid. The media felt rough and brittle like sandpaper too.


Here's what the inside of a transmission filter looks like after 25,000 km. Was just curious to see how much material these tiny filters collect and after cutting this one open I'm thinking I should probably cut down the tranny service intervals to 12,000 km for fluid and filter.

 

Grimey!!
thanks for sharing your findings!

 

Wow. That's awesome. Thanks for sharing!

 

No problem, it hit me to cut it open since I was gonna dispose the filter at work anyway. But yeah I changed this filter after a 3x3 fluid change and I even changed the fluid once more last year 12,000 Km.

Now I'm definitely changing the filter each time I do my yearly tranny fluid change.

Its so much easier to change the filter now that installed my AEM V2 intake, gives me so much room I don't even need to take it off like with the OEM air box :p

 

wow, thanks for sharring!!

 

Either the filter was not replaced, when the trans was rebuilt, or the trans in question, was never rebuilt in the first place, in my opinion! I can't imagine how a filter element, from a supposed 20K mileage rebuilt transmission, could be this contaminated. This filter was removed from a supposedly rebuilt 2G trans with 20K miles on it!!!

 

I believe it just has to do with how small the filter is and how contaminated transmission fluid becomes with microscopic clutch material and metal. I mean oil filters are much bigger and look like crap after 10k now I realize how bad these tiny trans filters get when I left mine in for 20k. I'm gonna change mine every trans service which should be done once a year or every 12k to 15k with these transmissions.