milky trans fluid.....

[In2Fords]

morning everyone, on the truck I bought the trans oil is milky yellow. I know it's contaminated but I'm praying it's just from something else then the heat exchanger.....

My 1998 lmtv only has 2800 miles on the odometer, nothing indicates that is incorrect, the wear on everything seems inline with that milage... does the heat exchangers on these trucks suffer from failures from sitting for so long? I'm hoping it's from either someone adding water to the wrong opening, deep water fording or actually heat exchanger failure...
I ordered a sample kit to send in to see the levels of contaminants.

Anyone have heat exchanger failures? How is the trans after coolant in it?
Would a air- liquid unit be better?
Thanks, Jeremy

 

[NDT]

I was wondering who ended up with this truck

 

[rockDAWG]

If you know of someone who has a centrifuge. have them spin the milky oil sample for you. You can tell if it is water or coolant contamination. If you cant find a centrifuge, you MIGHT be able to freeze the sample in the freezer over nite, the oil/water emulsion will break, you may be able to tell.

 

[Suprman]

Coolant has a very specific glycol smell to it. The military uses 100% coolant not watered down. I have seen someone leave the fill cap off the trans fill tube and rainwater will get it. Would take a long time to get enough water to milk up the fluid though.

 

[In2Fords]

Coolant has a very specific glycol smell to it. The military uses 100% coolant not watered down. I have seen someone leave the fill cap off the trans fill tube and rainwater will get it. Would take a long time to get enough water to milk up the fluid though.

Didn't smell like coolant, guess the test will see

 

[In2Fords]

OK, finally got my analysis back, excellent news, no water, no antifreeze, viscosity is in range and all looks fairly normal except copper and silver........
Not sure why it's milky, will change fluid 3 times, drive a while and test again....

 

[tennmogger]

I have tested three transmissions oil and all came back high copper.

 

[In2Fords]

I just read your thread from 2016 that said the same thing.
Basically I fully agree with your description from the cooler.
My truck only has 2800 miles, it's probably the original fluid.

Also I notice you said it's viscosity isn't 15/40w oil...
In the notes the analysis say is 30w......

I still am not sure why it's milky yellow......

 

[MrMikey4026]

I just read your thread from 2016 that said the same thing.
Basically I fully agree with your description from the cooler.
My truck only has 2800 miles, it's probably the original fluid.

Also I notice you said it's viscosity isn't 15/40w oil...
In the notes the analysis say is 30w......

I still am not sure why it's milky yellow......

Water seems to condense in the top of the dipstick tube, if they are not driven often.
Mike

 

[In2Fords]

Water seems to condense in the top of the dipstick tube, if they are not driven often.
Mike

I agree that could be a option but the report says no water, i don't know if so little water could make it yellow milkshake but not be enough to show on the report?
I took my sample from the sample port above passenger tire, filled up a cup after warming up trans, then filled sample container.
I'm going to replace it with trans fluid, just not transcend yet, way too expensive if somethings wrong and I need to flush again....
I'll get 20 gallons, change filters and keep dumping, running dumping, running until I'm out of fluid then change filters again.

 

[MrMikey4026]

Open up the line at the trans cooler, just keep pouring it in until it looks red.
You want to use Dexron 3.