fairy dust in the atf

[discolaw]

Hi All
Decided to check my ATF level. Was ok & I ended up a small amount which sloshed out into that well known hi tech home mechanics container--the 'ol ice cream bucket. I noticed a swirl of bright small metallic "dust". Is this normal? Fluid looked a little used but not burnt. Maybe it was just more noticeable in a small & shallow container. I changed the fluid and filter approx 10ks back without noticing anything unusal and nothing excessive stuck on the drain plug. Transmission is running normally.
Just a case of LR paranoia?
Cheers
Discolaw

[Blknight.aus]

metallic contamination is normal however it depends on how what colour the metal was and how much you're talking and if you have the magnet in the sump or not.

[justinc]

If its ally, then beware it may be beginning to rotate the stator in the case.

JC

[discolaw]

Thanks for the replies. I am now a little concerned. The metal specks were brightish silver. D2a has done 120ks and the AT has not been showing any problems. I'll drain on weekend for a better look.
Justinc, thanks. The internals of the AT are a bit voodoo to me & search doesn't give much. Is a stator problem common for d2s & likely to give any malfunctioning signs thru the torque conv.
Cheers Discolaw

[Blknight.aus]

if youve kept the sample bring it over and I'll check it for you when I get home.

the auto is easily demystified by reading the thread on here about the grey box of evil.

the ZF's fitted to landrovers use wet clutch packs to do the holding of the various planetary parts and as part of their job they wear out (like the clutch in a manual) so a slight contamination of a brass like colour and a magnetic silver is OK as are long "spires" of metal "clay" on the magnet. Non magnetic Silver bits in the oil is almost always bad as are flakes and chips in either the oil OR on the magnet

[discolaw]

Thanks Blknight. I'll do some panning for silver & hope it likes magnets.
Discolaw

[discolaw]

False alarm--laughs on me. I had kept the atf with the metal "dust" in the original collection container & noticed the metal sat on the bottom-duh. The atf I collected came from the filler plug with AT cold. Thinks--doesn't make sense--metal bits would have to be in suspense to be in the atf if it came from the filler plug. Thinks more--the plastic container I used had been sitting under the workbench for some time -just grabbed something to catch usual spill.. Light bulb moment--I had been hacksawing some ally tubing on the bench just about above where the container would have been a few weeks before. You can work out the rest.
My happiness at not having a potential big tranny problem overcomes the embarrasment of this confession.
Oh,the emotional highs & lows of LR ownership
Cheers Discolaw