How much would an automatic to manual transmission swap cost?
It depends on what vehicle and what manual transmission. In general, on a rear wheel drive vehicle, swapping out the auto for a stock style manual isn’t terrible. Stock manual transmission assemblies can run anywhere from $1000 to $2000 on common vehicles. Removal and replace usually takes between 5 and 8 hours. Adding a clutch pedal and mounting a cylinder depends on the vehicle and again, whether it is aftermarket or stock bolt in. The problem is, you can’t always just bolt stock replacements back in. If the parts aren’t modular, then adding a pedal can take some time.Swapping out the flex plate for a flywheel and installing a clutch only adds about 15 minutes to the overall labor time.I doubt that manual and auto trans on any vehicle are exactly the same length, so the driveline probably needs to be cut and re-welded. This part of the job would be outsourced by most shops and may run 100–300 bucks. Measuring everything properly so accurate info can be given to the driveline shop takes time. Pinion angles must be checked with the new driveline and in some cases must be adjusted which sometimes requires different spacers being installed under the rear axle.Measuring and cutting a hole for the shifter and boot takes time. Re-wiring the neutral safety switch takes time as well.So, you have the parts cost of transmission, pedal assembly, reservoir, clutch fluid hose or cable, clutch kit, flywheel, driveline modification, any additional brackets that must be bought or made, shifter boot and neutral safety switch swap.Then you have the standard labor of removing and installing the trans, plus the extra labor of making everything work. The extra labor cost is very hard to pin down without knowing what vehicle and if you are going with nice, aftermarket parts or trying to stick with stock parts.Trying to covert a front wheel drive vehicle to manual has potential to be easier. It would be (possibly) easier and cheaper to just buy a complete motor/trans assembly and swap out the whole thing. Sensors might need to be modified and some holes cut in the firewall, but anything can be done.So, I dont know. On old trucks you might be able to do it for 2500 if you buy all new components. On newer vehicles it gets more and more expensive the newer you get as more and more components must be modified or swapped.
Does adding transmission fluid to oil clean the engine?
That was an old trick we used to clean out an engine. It’s not much different than using STP or some other ‘engine cleaning’ product.We would put it in about 50 miles before the next oil change, run the car for 50 miles, then change the oil.If you feel the need to “clean” your engine, use something like SeaFoam and follow the direction exactly. This is not a place where more is better.I wouldn’t recommend it. I don’t think it’s necessary with modern engines. You should follow your manufacturer’s recommendations on oil and filter changes. Unless there is a manufacturer’s defect that causes an engine to sludge (thinking 98–04 VW gas engines), there is no real reason to need to clean the inside of your engine.Use a good quality fuel. All of the major gas stations have detergent packages in their fuel. Pick a name brand oil (Castrol, Valvoline, Royal Purple, Mobile, whatever) and use the viscosity that your manufacturer recommends. Stick with your brand and type of oil - some competing brands do not mix well with each other. Change the oil and filter at the recommended intervals for your type of driving. You will be fine.
What does it mean if there's oil in my radiator?
Means you have a leak between the oil system and the cooling system. Probably means you also have coolant antifreeze in your oil... check the dipstick for water contamination. That's a worse problem.This is bad and is a sign that the walls between the coolant and lubrication system have corroded through (from depleted coolant - too old) or your engine block is cracked from freezing or severe overheating. Both oil and coolant travel through passageways in the block and the walls between them can be thin. Another possibility is a head gasket failure.This is not a totally uncommon ocurrence I have heard, and to fix Head gasket is not too bad but the corrosion or cracked block will likely be expensive. Continuing to drive this way will eventually destroy the engine totally (it's not that far from there now, even though it may be running). The watery oil will foam and be ineffective. the metal parts will rust and eventually the engine will seize as the hole gets bigger and the leak worse.
Why is transmission fluid in my coolant?
Mike Allen hit the nail on the head.The transmission cooler “lives” inside one of the tanks of your radiator. Most modern radiators have end tanks. Older cars have the tanks on the top and bottom. Regardless, you can tell where the tranny cooler is by looking for a pair of steel lines that enter the tank. The tranny cooler is the only interface where coolant and tranny fluid could possibly be intermixing.In order to fix your problem the radiator will have to be replaced; the tranny cooler is built integral to the radiator and not a separately replaceable component. It will no doubt be strongly suggested you flush and replace the transmission fluid …possibly replace the fluid filter …and flush and replace the coolant. This might cost the better part of $1000 …like 6 or 700 …depending on how expensive the radiator is.And like Mike suggested you need to get it fixed. I’ll go one better …like yesterday.
What happens if I use the wrong transmission fluid?
For an automatic transmission car a lot of things can happen.The transmission might start slipping, not engaging into gear properly, shifting rough or literally not work at all.You might see progressive damage to the tranny. At first it seems fine, but then it starts slipping or shifting poorly. The transmission might fail altogether.Sometimes you’re lucky and putting the right fluid in makes it work normally again, sometimes you’re not so lucky and the damage has been done, requiring a complete rebuild or replacement of the transmission.It can also get quite interesting for manual transmissions. You see, manual trannies use synchronizer rings to match internal gear speeds. The synchro rings do their work while you’re moving the stick into gear. It very rapidly synchronizes the speed between the input shaft and the gear you are selecting.If you use the wrong fluid, these rings might work less effective. This can cause the shifter to feel stiff, or you cannot get the shifter into gear. It might even grind as you try to put it in.Using the wrong fluid can over time wear up your synchronizer rings to premature failure, requiring an expensive transmission rebuild.Without the synchronizer rings the transmission cannot shift normally. You will grind the gears or not shift at all. You will need to double-clutch and rev-match, like the big rigs that don’t have synchromesh units at all.Using the wrong fluid, can in BOTH types of transmissions wear out bearings and gears faster than usual, making for strange noises or catastrophic failure.I have no experience with CVT transmissions, but from what I have found is that putting the wrong fluid in a CVT transmission will most likely royally mess it up. It might work for a little while due to the little bit of CVT fluid that is still in it, only to very suddenly stop working and never work again.Use the right fluid for your tranny. Fluid isn’t expensive. A new tranny is.