So what would cause this. It does not have air bubbles in it, and is smooth to the touch.
No oil in the radiator that I can tell.
this car is new to me.
What do I do to it now?
This is the 83 300sd

Thanks
Doug

__________________
83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

All of my past experience has pointed to water in the fluid if it is milky pinkish.
You definitely need to change the fluid and find the leak. Most likely, it will be a small leak in the heat exchanger in the radiator, especially with your description saying there is no oil in the radiator.

__________________
87 300SDL - 215K Miles !!
99 F-350CC Dually PSD - 190K
86 300SDL - 189K
All on B-100

It sounds like the same thing mine had. Pink milkshake. About the only way that can happen is a leak from the radiator into the tranny cooler. I had to have mine flushed 3 times to clean it out, and I installed an aftermarket trans cooler to make sure it never happens again.

Your trans can survive this but I recommend you get that pink stuff out of there as soon as possible.

__________________
'81 300CD - 180K, cannot be killed by any conventional means
'99 Ford Escort - good MPG

Did you use a complete separate cooler and bypass the radiator? what cooler did you use?
I have one from towing with a truck, but will that provide enough cooling for this trans?

Will a power flush from the local lube place work? sounds like for $100 it would be not much different than 3 changes of fluid.

__________________
83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

Here's the one Lee Myles installed in my 300CD. I don't know what brand it is.



Jeez look how rusty my rad. braces are!

__________________
'81 300CD - 180K, cannot be killed by any conventional means
'99 Ford Escort - good MPG

Sorry I forgot to answer the question: yes they bypassed the original trans cooler in the bottom of the radiator and just ran the hoses to the new one.

__________________
'81 300CD - 180K, cannot be killed by any conventional means
'99 Ford Escort - good MPG