What does it mean when you see black sludge in the bottom of a trans pan? I've seen this mentioned in several threads and noticed some in the old trans when I swapped in the new 2004r last month.

Andy

It's a lot better than finding metal in there like on mine. Probably the result of not changing the fluid frequently enough. Most places recommend every 30,000 miles these days.

That is normal wear from the clutch packs. It is supposed to be there. If there is an excessive amount, then you should be concerned.

That is normal wear from the clutch packs. It is supposed to be there. If there is an excessive amount, then you should be concerned.

how much is considered excessive? Would misadjustment of the TV cable cause an excessive amount do you think?

A typical symptom of a misadjusted TV cable is "stacked" shifts. You are half way thru an intersection and you are already in third gear and the shifts were very soft. If thats you then you would expect that your clutches were slipping way more than they should as they engage and "sludge" in the pan would be expected. TV cable adjustment is critical to the life of the 2004R transmission.

If your shifts are "crisp" and seem to be happening at a relatively normal RPM then what you are seeing is probably normal.

Very few transmissions won't have some sludge in the bottom of the pan after a few thousand miles. But if you just installed your 2004R a month ago I would be concerned if I were you.

If you do a bit of searching in the transmission forum you'll find a wealth of information about adjusting the 2004R transmission TV Cable.

how much is considered excessive?

What I'd also like to know

Andy,

Is your trans brand new or just newly installed?

How many miles on the tranny since the build?

How much material was in the pan?

Why was the pan dropped?

How has the transmission been operating?

Andy,

Is your trans brand new or just newly installed?

How many miles on the tranny since the build?

How much material was in the pan?

Why was the pan dropped?

How has the transmission been operating?

Well, I was actually just curious because I had seen posts talking about it. I had gotten a 2004r from a junkyard and installed it along with the TVmadeez kit from BTO, but it had no reverse. When I R&Red the rebuilt that I got from Oreilly's, I noticed a BUNCH of black sludge in the pan of the old trans. There hadn't been any when I removed the pan after I first got it. I used new fluid when I put it in, which may account for the sludge. Even with the TVmadeez kit the old trans didn't shift worth a crap - very late and hard. The new trans did the same thing. A little investigation indicated that I had put the stupid TV return spring/pivot assembly on the trans together wrong :clonk:. When I took the pan off to fix it I noticed a very little itty bitty tiny bit of sludge in the bottom of the pan (after prehaps 10 miles of test driving). After fixing it I was able to set the TV cable according to the GM procedure. It seems to shift well so far. The only thing i;ve noticed is it shifts a little late and hard but I think it's because I am used to the old PG, which sllliiiiiiiiid into 2nd at around 15 mph. Also when I kick it down it seems to stack shift a little and sometimes the shifts are a little slidey. I've been holding off driving it a bit until I can get a chance to test line pressures and to call BTO, since I was also having trouble with their TC lockup kit NOT unlocking like it's supposed to.

Andy