Powershift Primary Oil Filter Replacement

[AlanM]

A really poor bit of design: The primary oil filter in the Getrag 6DCT450 (officially) cannot be replaced without removing and completely dismantling the transmission. Even worse, with the valve body cover and the valve body itself removed, you can see and get hold of the filter.

But it can be done. All you need is a bit of determination and a heat gun. The torx screw that retains the filter is where the determination comes in. It's quite tricky to access, you can only move it a fraction of a turn at a time, and it is RIDICULOUS how long it is, given the job it does.

But eventually it'll come out.

Then, to get the old filter out you just remove the magnets, which gives a bit more clearance, and use the heat gun to soften the plastic top half of the filter a bit. Then push it down while levering it out. You have to deform the top half by enough to get the spigot out of the oil pump inlet. It's actually not much, maybe about 10mm.

Getting the new filter in is pretty much the reverse process. A bit of heat (I had the gun set to 150C) to allow the filter top to flex without cracking and a blunt lever, (I used the handle of a small hammer) you push the top of the filter down and in, getting the spigot under the oil pump pick up.

Once it's under you can push it back and forth until the spigot pops up into the pick up. Then a couple of screwdrivers under the filter to push the spigot all the way in.

Now comes the hard part: getting that ridiculously long screw back in. I actually ground the tip of the screw into a bit of a point, since there's no way of seeing when the screw hole in the filter is aligned with the hole in the oil pump pick up. Grinding a point helps it to align itself.

Then it's just another 45 minutes screwing it in a 16th of a turn at a time... it probably wasn't that long but it seemed longer.

So anyway, it can be done, and a lot quicker and less work than removing and splitting the transmission.

[oldgun]

the question is , do you have to replace that main filter which is only for big chunk of particles.

[AlanM]

Originally Posted by oldgun

the question is , do you have to replace that main filter which is only for big chunk of particles.

It's a paper filter, not a strainer, so it would get at least partially blocked by just the material that comes off the clutch plates. The magnets in these boxes get a thick coating of sludge on them, and they certainly wouldn't be as effective once covered like that. So that leaves the other two filters to keep the muck out. But the external one is in line with the oil cooler so only actually works when the oil is hot. All the oil constantly circulates through the internal one so having a clean one in there certainly can't hurt.

These transmissions rely on oil pressure to properly engage the clutches. The internal filter is on the suction side of the oil pump so restrictions here could quite possibly impact on the operation.