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Transmission snake oil update

MarkB_MI

MarkB_MI

Well-known Member
Location
Motown USA
Back in November <a href=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=ttalk&th=2299211>I reported on my results with a product called 'Lubegard Shudder Fixx'</a>. It seemed to fix the shudder that had developed in our 2012 GMC Acadia. Last week we took a drive down to the Florida Keys and back, and it was clear the shudder was back. The Acadia is now in the shop for a transmission rebuild, so the fix was not permanent.

I wonder if when the problem first cropped up, I had done a triple fluid change and used the additive (as suggested by Hobo) it might have worked. That would have been simple enough to do on the Acadia, which has a drain plug on the transmission and no serviceable transmission filter.
 
> Did you go to Key West for FREEDOM DAY?

They were supposedly celebrating the birthday of the 'Conch Republic' while we were there, but we didn't see any activities going on. Pretty much typical Key West stuff: Lots of tourists and the usual local crowd. Actually, we wanted to go snorkeling off Big Pine Key rather than go to KW, but 20 knot winds canceled those plans.
 
I'm not a Key West fan, George. Too touristy and too many people. But we did have some great food and good times at a couple of waterfront bars outside KW.
 

I wonder

To late No need to wonder. You did prove the issue was in the transmission that's a WIN. A torque converter may be the fix its allot of work and $$$ to take that gamble now.

If it did resolve the issue I think it would have been worth changing the fluid. Put another way its all you could do at that point.

I have seen it be a permanent for fix a many Ford but very few GM's.



Recommendations are given in general off the info provided sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you.
 
I knew it would come back. Sine that post. Ive had to replace the converter again, but it was on GMs dime. This time, they repalced the trans to make sure there wasnt a problem there. Since this BUick has some age on it, and miles, and our kids are moving out soon, we wil most likely sell it soon. Wife drives the Tesla more tan anything now, and we just keep the Buick around as a backup.
 
MarkB..... If you are driving back to MI, plan a route through Alabama, wife and I love meeting YT family. I bet we would have an enjoyable visit, and find a lot of common ground.....
 
My suggestion would be to get it fixed. Soon. My wife recently inherited her mom's 2005 Chevy 2WD Trailblazer. While it IS 17 years old now, it has only 100K miles and has been garaged every day that it has been owned. Registered in Texas, it hasn't seen a salt road, has been maintained every 3K by the local Chevy dealership and has never towed anything. The day before Easter, my wife was driving it from Texas to it's new home in Kansas. While driving, it lost cruise control. No problem, my wife thought, probably a fuse. Five minutes later, it was jerking and had a top speed of 35 MPH. She pulled over and called me, but since she was 15 minutes from where she would be spending the night, I told her to just limp it there. Once there, a pull of the dipstick gave off the unmistakable smell of burnt transmission fluid. The torque converter had puked it's guts into the transmission and had destroyed itself. She has since made it here, but had to spend an extra week getting a 4L60 reman tranny installed. The 4L60 has a pretty good reputation, I guess just not in my mind.
 
> A torque converter may be the fix its allot of work and $$$ to take that gamble now.

The shop owner said it's the torque converter, which seems likely. But he didn't suggest just changing out the TC, which is understandable given that he's the one who has to warranty the job. I guess it's a huge job just to R&R the transmission on the Acadia, so we might as well eat the whole enchilada. He's going to rebuild the trans with (supposedly) HD components and a shift kit. $$$$$ I checked with the dealer to see how much they wanted to install a factory reman; it was about the same amount of money but currently that tranny is backordered with no date for availability.
 
> My suggestion would be to get it fixed. Soon

I would have tried to take it back to Michigan, given that it would be simpler to have it fixed back home, but we'll be towing a trailer and I sure don't want to deal with a blown tranny halfway home.
 
> If you are driving back to MI, plan a route through Alabama, wife and I love meeting YT family. I bet we would have an enjoyable visit, and find a lot of common ground.....

Thanks for the offer, GL. This trip we've already promised a friend near Bristol, TN that we would stop by. But we have taken the Alabama route in the past and its not much longer than I-75, so maybe we can drop by in the future.
 
We had a similar problem with a Ford Thunderbird turbo coupe, and it was like your mechanic said, just the torque convertor. Our shop said the same thing, but they wanted to do a complete transmission rebuild also. My wife and I change the torque convertor for <$200, and all was well.
 
> We had a similar problem with a Ford Thunderbird turbo coupe, and it was like your mechanic said, just the torque convertor. Our shop said the same thing, but they wanted to do a complete transmission rebuild also. My wife and I change the torque convertor for <$200, and all was well.

Is that a rear wheel drive car? There's a big difference between R&Ring the trans on a RWD vehicle and doing the same job on an transverse engine AWD car. If I was back home, I'd have no qualms about changing the torque converter on a RWD car in my shop, but there's no way I'd take on a FWD or AWD torque converter swap.
 
I'm NOT a fan of snake oil in general and NOT endorsing any use...Do as one chooses is my advice

HOWEVER I once had a Saturn with as automatic tranny (yes level was fine) that tended to hang in a gear and NOT upshift like it should

I ADDED A SMALL CAN OF LUCAS TRANNY FIX and within 50 miles it started working perfectly, did for a year or more and was still working fine after it was sold.

HOWEVER I once had an engine with noisy ticking lifters, added a can of Rislone AND IT WAS CURED

HOWEVER I have had good luck using Sta Bil in engines for long storage periods

Such was ONLY my own personal experiences and results, no more no less

John T
 
I went aboard my first ship there in Feb 1972. Spent about 6 months there. It was a lazy little town then. I've heard it's all grown up now with massive hotels, etc.
Was at the sub base which I've heard is gone now too.
 
JT
I tried Old's snake oil, ATF. I put 8 oz in the oil in 20 hp Kohler command, holds 2 qts of oil.
Also put some in the gas...
I think I had an intake valve lifter sticking or a valve sticking this past winter.
Used it today, runs like new..
Engine has over 2000 hours on it..
 
My snake oil for stuck engines is a bit different than what Rich uses,

I use Diesel Fuel PLUS ATF PLUS Brake Fluid has always worked best for me

John T
 
Hey there Fritz, good question. Sorry I'm not a chemist so I can't explain how it works but its thinner than ATF (perhaps that helps penetrate more ??) and it mixed with diesel and ATF sure worked good for me ........ Heck I cant explain how ATF or diesel works either, these are just concoctions Ive heard about or used over the years to help free up stuck engines. I'm sure there are all other sorts of home remedies and snake oil people have used...

Best wishes take care now

John T
 
I used it on the wife's Bronco she used to have. Problem solved.
For long term benefit, use LUBEGARD ATF Protectant P/N 60902.
Did you?
That was from the Lubegard website.
 
> I used it on the wife's Bronco she used to have. Problem solved. For long term benefit, use LUBEGARD ATF Protectant P/N 60902.
Did you? That was from the Lubegard website.

No I didn't. Here in FL I don't have any way to drain transmission oil in order to add more fluid than the two fluid ounce Shudder Fixx.
 
precision transmission on u tube would be enlightening in terms of how this stuff works; Basically they say these treatments swell all the seals in the transmission, I know watching him rebuild transmissions he always seems to be able to tell which ones has snake oil added to them when he tears them down.
 
I just bought another old Ford F150 - a guy had a 1985 with a 351W and a 4barrel carb and the C6 transmission - no rust just some baked paint from being in Arizona. It had sat a lot and probably hadn't seen 50 miles in the last year. Son drove it for a couple days and it brought back an old issue - the transmission was slow to engage when placing it in drive or reverse at start up. This is a common issue with the C6 when they are old or have a lot of miles - some seal inside the transmission doesn't seal until its warmed up. Dropped the pan and drained the torque converter so we got 95% of the oil out of it and it looked pretty dark.

Replaced it with 3 jugs of Valvoline Max Life trans fluid and added one bottle of Blue Devil Transmission sealer. Immediately after changing the fluid it still had the issue. A week later the hesitation to go into drive was gone. I think the combination of new fluid and the Blue Devil sealed things up - for now. I have had good luck with Blue Devil products - I got turned on to them watching them work on Road Kill under the worst conditions imaginable.
 
(quoted from post at 17:10:57 04/27/22) Yes, it was RWD, and fairly easy to remove transmission. I don't ever want to do any major work on a FWD, or worse yet, AWD like our Subaru!
Click to expand...

From what I can see on my Subies the engine just unbolts from the front of the transmission like RWD vehicles. The prop shafts for the front wheels come out of the sides of the transmission with a drive shaft out the rear for the rear wheels. However, not sure what is inside the beast.
 
Mark, my brother is a big time chemist, advanced degree, department head, etc. He'll try just about any or all potions or lotions that come in a can or bottle; then he takes it apart and fixes it right. I find it hilarious on account that he is a DARN good mechanic in his own right. He's just wasting money if you ask me, but then again -if I had his money I'd throw mine away!
 
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