When did this become SOP?

Had the transmission "serviced" in the Bravada last year. Was expecting the routine drop the pan, clean the gunk in the pan, new filter, and voila new pan gasket. Instead I got the trans flush two step. Should I be the least bit concerned about this procedure.....for one how clean is  the filter????  

At least 20 years ago, sadly. I've even been told that filters in a transmission are just a myth 

I've even seen it on internet "answers " that transmissions only have a screen in them to block gravel size stuff. 
 

On the plus side, a flush does clean the filter some, and usually does not damage the filter much. It CAN sometimes do catastrophic damage, but not always. 
a flush does change out more fluid than a pan drop, due to most of the fluid is in the torque converter, so a combination of the two is good. But I don't know the best order of combo!!!

So for chitz n giggles I went to RA and there were the components I was expecting. You mentioned the TQ being flushed, is there really that volume of fluid (old) to be concerned about?

I really wish spin-on automatic trans filters (like Saturn) caught on.

In general, if there is a pan, there is also a filter.  Not so with Asian Warner, they have used a screen since the 70s.  

A transaxle without a pan has a screen.

Now, if there is enough junk floating around in there to block the screen, you need a new transmission anyway.

If I want to do a full fluid change, drain, refill, take off a cooling line and catch the fluid in a bucket as you run the engine.  The fourish liters you put in are pumped into the converter, and the converter oil is sent to the bucket.  Refill and off you go.

It's like a flush, but messier.

Messy would give me peace of mind.....and what's a good number between service intervals (rule of thumb/manual)?

My wife's Hyundai Santa Fe has a 100K interval on a flush.

I've heard some TQ converters have a drain plug, but I think most do not. I've heard the speck that a pan drop only changes about 1/3 of the fluid. I'll let the more knowledgeable confirm or clarify. 
for just a scheduled change, with no problems, probably plenty good, even if only 1/3 is true. 

If an entire 4l60e holds 12ish quarts and you only put in 5 or 6 on a pan down filter change then I think the converter holds pretty close to the same 5 or 6 quarts.

759NRNG said:

So for chitz n giggles I went to RA and there were the components I was expecting. You mentioned the TQ being flushed, is there really that volume of fluid (old) to be concerned about?

Transmissions definitely hold a heck of a lot of fluid outside the pan.  A pan drop on the 46RE in my Jeep (with a stock pan) will take 5 - 6 quarts depending on how long you let the thing drip for and your luck.  I think the spec for a pan drop is 4 or 5, but I've always seen them take a bit more.  Spec is 9.5 - 10 quarts for a full dry fill, so a pan drop only gets 40 - 60% of the fluid out (the rest is trapped in accumulators, the torque converter, cooler circuit, etc.). 

ProDarwin said:

I really wish spin-on automatic trans filters (like Saturn) caught on.

 

Subaru had them too.  Ask all the SpiffyLube joints that drained the engine oil, and then replaced the transmission filter with an engine oil filter.  Quick $5000 replacement job for the transmission.