What happens if a rock falls into an auto transmission?
 

This is going to sound really silly. But if someone is changing the transmission fluid and they're finished draining and they're filling it in now through a funnel, if a rock let's say the size of about a half of a green pea were to fall in there, what would happen?

Would it thrash the insides of the transmission? Would it fall harmlessly to the bottom of the oil and drain out of the case when the fluid is changed next? Other transmissions have pans so I can kind of visualize where contaminants would fall if they're heavy, but Honda's seem to just have a case and I can't really tell where the fluid goes and what it does other than obviously circulating around.

What would happen? Anyone want to guess? Would it jam up the valve body? Because I was doing a change and I didn't realize that there was some small pieces of sand stuck on the underside of the ATF bottle I had on the floor. I poured it in, tipped the bottle completely vertical and left it in the funnel, only then noticing the dirt on the underside of the bottle and quickly pulling the bottle out gently. I didn't see anything fall in there but now I'm getting paranoid.

You get my vote for authoring the "Most Fabulous Thread Title of the Year." :D



Since you have no evidence, there is only fear to contend with; fear can be dealt with
by contacting a quality friend and applying $8 towards a six-pack.
Luck.


Someone else can try to be analytical ...

Unless you removed the filter from the transmission, then the rock will just sit there until the next pan drop.

You have two cars in your sig. IDK about the '09, but I wouldn't worry about it for the '95. There is a filter in the trans that would stop the pebble from getting sucked into the trans internals. The filter can be replaced only by disassembling the trans. There are bosses inside the bottom of the case that block all the fluid from completely draining so there's no assurance that you'd get the pebble out even with repeated drain/refills. In all likelihood the pebble will just stay at the bottom of the case.

Oh yeah! I totally forgot about the filter! It'd have to get sucked up into the filter which I don't know how strong it sucks up the oil but maybe a rock won't be able to make it up to the filter and even if it does, it will just get stuck there and that will be that.

If it never drains out, I don't really care. I don't even know if it went in there but now I know that even if it did the possibility of damage is probably non-existent. :cool:

Great idea!

Now that I think about it the title is funny, I didn't think much of it when I made the thread but now that I think about it, it's just bizarre. Ahahaha