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Antifreeze and Transmission Fluid Don't Mix

G

gregsheets

New CEG'er
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Messages
10
Location
Branson, MO
I need help with my daughter's 98 Contour. Long story short, she put it in the ditch, busted the radiator, got used radiator from salvage, installed it, started it to test for leaks...
Only to have coolant recovery tank over flowing with a chocalote milk colored liquid, shut it down checked engine oil OK, checked tranny fluid same chocalote milk color
The used radiator tranny cooler must have blown...

Big ? Do I have to rebuild or do you think I can flush the tranny enough to get the antifreeze/water out?
Only ran it approx. 5 min, transmission was never moved out of Park.

Called salvage, told them what happened, they said they would order another radiator for me. Ask about coolant/water in the tranny, they said just flush it and the tranny would be okay as long as I didn't drive it...

Back in my teen years I remember pulling my 283/powerglide out of my 64 chevelle and putting it in my 65 chevelle... thought I would degrease everything
while it was out... got water in the powerglide (didn't know it-didn't change fluid or filter) put 283/powerglide in 65... NO foward gears... but had reverse. BAD MEMORIES...

Anyway don't want to have a flashback!

Any Ideas?

Thanks,
Greg
 
I guess try it. You'll soon find out. Why skimping & buying used parts on vital item can be very bad news.
 
Like I said it's my daughter's car, she's 16, this is her second one, last year her 1st car was involved in a T.A. when a lady coming from the opposite direction made a left turn in front of her and totaled it, we had it 29 days. This one she had it 2 weeks and already had it in the ditch, this is the 6th incident with it and you don't go throw good money at a vehicle in this condition, you DO skimp and buy used parts... this is her transportation, she treated the car like crap now she has to live with it... the radiator was 1/2 the price of the parts house, 1/3 of what the dealer would charge, and should have been pressure tested it before selling it to the comsumer...

This was a sweet little car when she got it, 80,XXX, dual fuel (gas & cng), 4 wheel disk brakes, had a few cig burns on int and knob off window crank, good paint, good rubber etc... I would have loved to have it, it would have lasted me 10-15 years... She's totally trashed it 5 months...

Now, that said does anyone else have any input?
Thanks,
Greg
 
Hey Greg,
I'd try a flush and filter change from a service station or a dealer, cause you need to get as much of the water out of your transmission as possible. Hopefully nothing will be damaged, and since you didn't move the car, hopefully it'll be alright. You might try posting over on NECO (www.newcougar.org/forums) too, since the New Edge Cougars and the Contours are pretty much identical mechanically, the only real difference being the body pieces.

Off topic: You're from Branson, eh? I live in Aurora, MO and go to school at Missouri Southern in Joplin, so if you ever need any help with any thing, just shoot me a PM and I'll hopefully be able to come and help. I'm probably half your age (20), but I'm always willing to help if I can. Good luck!
Nathan
 
Last edited:
Daughter just called me... she just hit a deer with her uncle's pick-up...
BUY USED PARTS THEY'RE CHEAPER TO REPLACE!!!
7th incident...
 
gregsheets said:
Daughter just called me... she just hit a deer with her uncle's pick-up...
BUY USED PARTS THEY'RE CHEAPER TO REPLACE!!!
7th incident...
Click to expand...

...Holy crap man...I hate to be a jerk, but maybe its time to do to her what my parents did to me after I totalled two cars in two weeks when I was 16, and that was to make me start taking the bus back to school and pay my own gas/insurance. Granted, my grandpa rebuilt me a car, so I didn't have to buy my own, but the 3 months on the bus were killer when you're 16, plus I would have to buy my own car if not for him. Dude, your insurance rates must be through the roof!
Nathan
 
Hey Nathan,
BTW, your less than half my age... I'm an ol fart...
I'll go ahead and flush it, the filter is non-serviceable, from what I've read you have to disassemble it to change, might as well rebuild it!
Waiting for my daughter to get home to see what kind of damage on the pickup!
Thanks for the offer, so many projects and so little time (and money)
Greg

-- @page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->
 
She has been riding the bus, but she has to work so... and she does pay her own insurance, we just use liability, it still doubled putting her and our other 16 year old
on the policy...
 
Ah, I didn't know that the CDE4 used a non-servicable filter (I have a 5-speed(MTX) Cougar, not an automatic), on my ZX2, you just had to drop the pan and it was right there.

gregsheets said:
Thanks for the offer, so many projects and so little time (and money)
Click to expand...

I know how that goes, its coming up on summer, so I have all these concerts and sporting events that I want to go to, plus I need to buy my lowering springs/struts and headers so I can finish my Cougar. Eh, its only money, right? lol

If you ever need any help, there are a few guys in the area who could probably help with things. More on NECO than here, but its all good.
Nathan
 
Just checked the deer damage... just cleaned the mud off the right front bumper...
GOOD OLD DODGE PICKUP!!!

See ya all later,
Time for LOST,
Greg
 
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