L400 Delica Complete Transmission Flush

The fluid in this vans transmission was so bad that just performing a drain and fill was not going to be good enough. This is one method of performing a complete transmission service at home with no special tools.

[@stevejanejamesjassteph5903]

I have L400 Mits Starwagon, 2.4L petrol auto. Smaller capacity trans, but I got a lot from your vid & did the job myself, All good thanks dude!

[@mightycarmods]

Great video mate, keep it up

[@projectaddiction]

Cheers guys! Means a lot, can't believe MCM watches my little channel.

[@mightycarmods]

@@projectaddiction Keep it up mate, there's so many vlog style ones that dont actually show a process, yours are really clear and concise and I appreciate the tips!

[@MikeZ32TT]

Wow, Mighty Car Mods commented. You know your doing good. Keep up the great work.

[@DannyCoolBeanss]

I was just going to do a drain n fill till till I saw 1) how dirty that was coming out of the cooler 2) it took 5qts of flushing to get clear fluid Huge help!! And great videos!!

[@noelmcelwee1604]

Good man!..... keep at it, I just did a full top end rebuild on my 4M40 Delica recently and this is my next job 👍🏼 I’ll tackle it the way you have dude 😁 thanks and keep the videos coming

[@projectaddiction]

Thanks Noel, glad you found it helpful!

[@neilfoden1411]

When I did my Delica I put my foot on the brake and ran it through all the gears and Hight/low to get all the oil out, it is one of those jobs that you do need 2, one under the front looking at the oil, and one working the gears. I used the Mopar-4 but it cost a lot, so 2 men and none on the floor

[@CHYouTube496]

Thanks for making this video. It's inspired me to do my own Delica transmission flush

[@projectaddiction]

That is great to hear! Glad I could help :)

[@jamesk796]

very helpful for me as a KZbin mechanic, thank you

[@projectaddiction]

Glad it helped

[@pyromaniac354]

Good video mate. On the do list for my delica and adding a aftermarket trans cooler for when I'm towing the trailer. Keep it up👍👍

[@projectaddiction]

Cheers, trans cooler is definitely a good idea if you are planning to tow.

[@edwardlawson9200]

there's actually a trans cooler on the L400 near the sliding door auto step and front step, it's also got a fan which probably doesn't work....

[@josiahdegroot5341]

@@edwardlawson9200 that’s actually a second condenser for the AC

[@Fjsbdjdh]

Wicked. Thanks for the help my guy.

[@aircooled76]

Thank you for the video! Just about to try this! (don't have a hoist though :( )

[@awbrey6468]

Hi Great Video, Thank you so much for taking the time to do it and post it! What year Delica are you working on? We have a 1994 Delica L400 Diesel. Not sure which specific Trans fluid to use on our year? any Advice? thank you in advance!

[@projectaddiction]

Not a problem. Ideally you are looking for something that is Mitsubishi SP2/SP3 compatible.

[@richardlathan240]

Great tutorial, I came here as I was worried about the ATF pipes to the radiator (which I need to change). Can I just go ahead and change the rad, then reconnect the ATF pipes on to the new one, or do I need to run the engine with the supply pipe connected first to remove the chance of an air blockage? Thank you in advance.

[@projectaddiction]

Hi Bat Man. You should be able to just go ahead and swap it out, the air will purge itself once you fire it up with the new rad in. Just remember to pinch off the hoses so you don't end up with a huge mess. Have fun!

[@jmracer86]

Nice Job Cam!

[@pacceo]

great tutorial, which ATF spec did you use? I am about to flush mine on my 1994 L400. thought a Dexron II would do and I can still source it.

[@projectaddiction]

Try find something which lists SPIII compatible. I believe Valvoline Maxlife is SP3 rated and readily available in North America. The fluid used in the video was provided by my friend and owner of the vehicle.

[@WildernessExcursions]

Is the process the same for the 3.0L Gas L400? Thank you for these videos.

[@projectaddiction]

For the most part yes, the line routing may be slightly different as the gasser uses a different radiator. Otherwise the general process would be the same.

[@WildernessExcursions]

@@projectaddiction Is the type of AT fluid the same regardless of diesel or gas? Thanks

[@projectaddiction]

@@WildernessExcursions same fluid

[@tallianb]

Excellent explanation, thanks! I'm planning something like this when the weather warms up (UK). One question - my recent research seems to suggest that this transmission needs diaqueen or SP2 fluid, not dexron. Any thoughts?

[@projectaddiction]

I have found documents saying everything from Dexron III, Penrite ATF MHPMM, SP, SP2, SP3, ATF+4... I've always just used regular old Dex3 without any issue because honestly I can't even find SPII locally. Perhaps somebody else can weigh in on this as I'm not 100% sure, but as far as I can tell Diamond SP2 is a Mitsubishi proprietary synthetic oil. Just make sure you don't mix Synthetic and non synthetic together.

[@tallianb]

@@projectaddiction okay, if it works then that's good. I've also seen various suggestions in different places - although SP 2 or 3 seem to be preferred by some well renowned folk I've followed. It seems relatively easy to get hold of here so I think I'll go with that when I tackle the job.

[@AliF-qk8qu]

​@@tallianbdid u get round to changing the fluid. Also in the uk here, what fluid did you use?

[@kriscorkran658]

Hey mate. Could you tell me what the second connection beneath the transmission cooler return line on the right hand side of the radiator is? I’ve just noticed on my Deli that the transmission cooler return line doesn’t return to the transmission, it just hooks back into the connection below it.

[@projectaddiction]

Hi Kris, without seeing in person I can only venture a guess. The two trans lines running to the lower portion of the rad are the feed and return line. If these are not connected I suspect your trans cooler has failed and this was a previous owners solution to the problem. The trans really doe need a cooler hooked up for reliability and longevity.

[@sebastianfloresescobar7276]

Hola Consulta sobre el aceite. No logro ver la característica sae .....me ayudas con eso por favor. Gracias.

[@projectaddiction]

Las especificaciones piden Mitsubishi Diaqueen SPII. Sin embargo, SPII es antiguo y ha sido reemplazado por SPIII. Puede usar Dextron III si SPIII no está disponible. [Spec calls for Mitsubishi Diaqueen SPII. However SPII is old and has been superceded by SPIII. You can use Dextron III if SPIII is unavaible.]

[@luchaury4617]

This maybe a silly question but, is it possible to air lock the transmission? Asking before I do a service myself on my first L400

[@projectaddiction]

Hi Luc, I am not sure if the Delicas trans pump is self priming but I would suspect it is. However if air is introduced into the pump it means there has likely been an error made during the flush, and the pump was run dry. If done correctly there should be no point where air is drawn into the pump, meaning the conditions to even create an air lock should never be met.

[@luchaury4617]

Thank you, I suspect at this point I may just bleed and fill, for right now, anyways. Thank you for being so quick to respond and for taking the time and effort to make these videos.

[@grahamward4126]

Thank you!

[@jakeeffect6252]

i have mitsubishi spacegear 1994 diesel automatic.what fluid do i need for a change?thanks for your help.sp3 pr dexron?

[@projectaddiction]

Diaqueen SP2 is factory, however it has been superseded by Sp3. Mitsubishi list Dex III as an acceptable alternative. Which is what I use, as SP3 is much more difficult to obtain locally.

[@jakeeffect6252]

thanks so much mate.

[@65cj55]

What about the filter in the trans ?

[@projectaddiction]

It's not really a filter, it's just a piece of mesh. Not much point in changing it because if it's clogged... You already have way bigger issues at hand.

[@65cj55]

@@projectaddiction Shouldn't it be checked & cleaned ?

[@projectaddiction]

@@65cj55the flush itself will clean it out due to how course the mesh is. If it has stopped anything large enough you would likely already know due to trans problems. If one were inclined they could go in a and clean it manually I suppose.

[@alphonseSaintSivar]

Remember kids flushing your transmission will make it slip, specially in a really old jdm drain, chance the filter and refill it. You'll be surprised how many transmission I change because people got a "complete transmission fluid" and the people" mechanics who did them never fix their mistake after.

[@projectaddiction]

Like I said in the video, everybody has their opinion. This isn't a power flush machine. Over two decades in the auto service sector... never once have run into a slip, flare, or failure due to a service.

[@alphonseSaintSivar]

Most of the people who have a transmission problem after a flush never go back to that same mechanic 😆. I've met people who work in the industry for a long time and makes me wonder how they made it that far lol. This isn't just an opinion it's facts. I personally don't like to brag about my time in the trade but I have work in almost every brand there is out there for a long long time, cars, suv, trucks and sports cars to already know. Take it however you like but it'd be better if you take it as a constructive criticism.

[@androidemulator6952]

Trans fluid too high- just use a manual or electric fluid extractor ... easy!

[@projectaddiction]

I do my best to avoid using specialty tools for these vids for those who only have a basic kit at home :) An extractor is definitely the easier, faster, cleaner way to go though and well worth the purchase.