my 96 olds 88 has 157500 miles on it and the tranny fluid is orangish red in color. should i just drop the pan and drain what fluid i can and change the filter or is getting a tranny flush a good idea?

Some will tell you flushing a transmission will stir up all sorts of nasties, and could cause problems. Others will say if a flush causes problems, you were going to have those problems anyway.

My vote is a flush, but I am sure you will get other opinions.

Flush it as long as you change the filter too. The filter is a dacron screen and needs to be changed.

I just go with a pan drop and filter change. Some of the quickie-flush places refuse to do that, though, so check with your local mechanic if you don't feel comfortable.