So im thinking of redoing my transmission pan gasket as my engine doesnt leak but my trans pan is soaked in fluid (having to put in a quart every 2-3 months) but at the same time in leery of doing this as my trans has 240k miles and was NEVER changed in its lifetime and thats why i havent changed it as well cause im sure if i do im gonna kill my transmission. so if i decide to do the pan should i save as much of the old fluid as possible?

The AW4 is a pretty sturdy transmission. I'd just change the pan gasket, top it off with some fresh fluid and drive it. If "old fluid" is the only thing holding the tranny together, you've got a problem that you need to correct.

Thats what im afraid of. shifts fantastic, one gripe is the clunk when shifting too fast but i believe thats due to driveline slack. otherwise its smooth as butter. no burnt fluid smell and is only dark. the only time i think i potentially damaged it was when it was a quart and a half low when i initially discovered how much it leaked from the gasket. but been topped off since. surprised it isnt red yet from how much i put in lol.

There are a lot of other threads debating this, and the conclusion in most is that you need to change the transmission fluid at the intervals noted in the owners manual (I think every 30,000 miles). I too thought that and didn't want to change the fluid at first but eventually I did it. It shifts better now. The AZ ATP fluid I used last time has been working real good. The shift from Park to Drive clunks are gone.

Don't try to reuse the fluid, just use new Dex. Dropping the pan dumps 3-4 quarts, and the total capacity is around 8.5 qts. I wouldn't waste the money on a "filter" unless it's cheap. It's really just a fine screen that can be rinsed out with solvent. Make sure the edge of the pan is straight, especially around the screw holes. Also be careful you don't overtighten and strip the screws, as they are going into aluminum threads.

You will not kill your transmission. That's an old wives tale. Just don't get a high-pressure flush done at a shop.

so far so good, i tightened it back up and thought oh crap these feel a little tight so i removed the pan again and sure enough i overtorqued the bolts and bent the bolt holes in the pan but easy enough i took a piece of wood and hammer to it and bent it straight again and so far no leaks! and no more *****ing landlord about a spot of transmission fluid on the driveway (which i promptly sanded the spot to remove)

I think that's true to an extent.... and definitely do NOT high-pressure flush... that will stur up sediment in nooks and crannies and cause all kinds of problems, especially for an automatic trans. (ie..."let sleeping dogs lie" )
The ones saying never to change the fluid is for those that the trans is already pretty much shot and the dirty fluid is what is keeping the discs from slipping...so they just keep the old fluid in to keep the damaged trans from pooping itself... a band-aid basically.
But if yours is just dirty and no burnt smell to it... I seriously doubt your trans is shot. Even with those miles on it.

See my sig, #3. 100,000 more miles on that trans before I totaled the Jeep. Zero problems.