Citroen XM Forum

MTXM wrote:As mentioned earlier there is also the gearbox oil radiator Dean, which I suspect does more cooling work than the water cooler once the car is warmed up and in motion! Even when stationary the two-speed fans obviously provide some good airflow. I appreciate the 2.0i does not have the feature, but the V6 generates a lot more heat and there is also not much too space in the engine bay!! With regards, Matthew T.

Not fitted to all uk cars either. . K yog doesnt have the air radiator on her.. i do have a spare fluid to air changer in the shed..

I'm not sure whether rinsing the TC with diesel would be a bad idea at all, but it might be awkward to drain it as the pumping action is a result of it spinning, as well as the pressure of the gearbox pump.

Atf base stock is kerosene, which is the same as diesel light.

mmm, official internet advise, mostly from jean wearing, ass crack showing north American types is to drill a hole in the housing from which to flush and drain, then have it balanced again which seems a little excessive considering its already got a massive hole in the middle of it.
I just wanted something with good degreasing action that's very fluid to really wash it out, I could then fill and drain three times with ATF to remove the Diesel, I thought about petrol but the new age stuff with bits of plant in doesn't do well when left in the open air, it seperates and emulsifies, Paraffin isn't that far down the food chain from Diesel, of course I could use Alcohol or gun wash thinners but I am wondering what these could do to the clutch lining or fixing adhesive, if i'm honest I am not sure if its glued or what its held in with. I do have a spare torque converter I could cut open for testing I suppose but I would rather not ruin one needlessly.

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drill a hole in the housing from which to flush and drain, then have it balanced again

This is what my local gearbox specialist suggested when I asked about checking the balance of the t/c, for which the oil has to come out! Due to the donut shape and cavities etc. I think there is no other way to remove all the oil. Regards, Matthew T.

You might be as well to just waste a few litres of cheap ATF then perform a couple of ATF changes shortly after comissioning the gearbox.

Dirt from the TC shouldn't end up in the gearbox workings as the TC is after them and once it has passed through the TC and cooler it returns to the sump.

A drain plug on the TC is a good idea, my old Merc had one. You could drill and tap it, than use a flat headed bolt and washer to seal it. Obviously, it would mean getting it ballanced, but does facilitate a full ATF change at each one.

K yog doesnt have the air radiator on her.

That is rather surprising Paul as my 'K' reg. car has one. Are you sure it was not removed?

but does facilitate a full ATF change at each one.

If you can get to the t/c Will, which is certainly not accessible on the V6! Regards, Matthew T.

if you positioned it just so you may be able to access the drain plug by removing the rear or lower bell housing covers or drill a hole in the bell housing to access and remove the drain plug without removing the covers, a 30mm hole would not cause any structural issues and would give ample access...........i just dont like the idea of making a second hole in my torque converter though.

The additional gear oil coolers were standard fit for some contries/regions and i believe part of a tow pack or optional extra in other countries for certain engines

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I think you would have to cut a hole in the bell housing Dean as the starter ring blocks access from the two covers! Regards, Matthew T.

good point Matthew, i forgot about that.

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A fairly small hole through thebell housing would suffice. The merc had drainage slots only about 10mm wide, which were used to remove the plug from the TC.

If I was in your situation, I would investigate the possibility and cost of adding a drain plug now as it is the easiest method of ensuring a full ATF change. The only other way is to disconnect the cooler return pipe and run the engine while topping the ATF up and catching the spillage.