coolant in tranny fluid...not good

[chewychevy67]

My radiator must have started to leak at the tranny cooler and now I have coolant in the tranny fluid and oil in the coolant. Obviously not good. Has not driven this way. It warmed up once to move it out of the garage. Tranny doesn't like to move easy which is how I found this out. I can flush the engine but my worry is of my tranny. I drained the oil and it is bright pink. Is the tranny going to need a rebuild? Will it be ok if I have it towed to a garage without running it anymore and have all the fluid flushed or is this just a waste of time, pull it and have it checked out by a pro. It was just rebuilt the summer of 2012. It is a 700r4.

[MARKDTN]

I had an '71 Eldorado that did this. I flushed the fluid but apparantly the glue on the clutches was water soluable. I ended up buying a used trans. It would be OK for about 20 miles then it was like it was in neutral until it cooled off. Then you could go some more. If it was me, I would flush it immediately. Hope for the best.

[hugger6933]

I have in my course of business built some flood trucks. I've done maybe ten in the years that I have been building wrecks and I would only buy them after the first few "learning curve trucks" jumped up and bit my butt with all the electric parts off salvaged others. See back then a 89 Silverado was pretty much that, you line up the right motor trans and few other options and you were good. I would change anything that had a plug or voltage going to or from it. That pretty much left me with great body panels and some drive train stuff to work with. On the ones I did I never had a problem with water in any of the drive train parts. Now some times the trans may take two flushing to be done be I just don't think you have a big problem. Later on after the water rigs got so high that I could no longer buy them [semi local place had a "drying chamber"] where they would open the doors and place those big jet heaters in the room and a big fan to swirl it all around and run it for three or four days. Most times they would start and run after the plugs were pulled and drained and then he sold them for about the loan value. Some would quit at the stoplight from his place and never start again. Those guys are the ones that make it hard for me to make a living because people lump us all in one group. anyway the trans should be fine I had a cooler rupture on a later truck like a 98 the cooler did as yours ans it was fine as well. Good luck Jim

[19673ontree]

Drain the tranny put fresh transmission fluid in it get you one of those external transmission line coolers you put in front of theradiator block off the radiator tranny line ports with two plugs then drive it a few miles and change transmission fluid , bet it will be fine then ,,,

[19673ontree]

Change antifreeze but keep in mind oil in the antifreeze won't hurt anything so no harm done there

[chewychevy67]

I found this article and it said to do this. I am going to do this tomorrow. I hope it isn't too far gone and this solves my problem. ill let you know. " I pumped out the pan and dropped it and changed the filter. Then I pulled the upper radiator transmission line off and slid a clear hose over it and ran the hose into a 5 gallon bucket. Pulled the dipstick and put in a funnel. Had my girlfriend start the car and as fluid pumped into the bucket I added into the funnel. By three gallons it was flowing out pretty and red so I had her shut it down. Reattached the line and topped fluid to proper level "