As the title asks...

?

 

FelPro gasket.

 

Rtv can ooze into the pan, and contaminate the tranny, it can clog the screen, stick with a gasket. Fel Pro is the brand I use. rtv will also make a huge mess to scrape up next time the pan is dropped

 

fwiw, the service manager of a large trans building shop told me they use cork gaskets dry on both sides for AW4

have one to fit when I take my pan down to explore the high resistance/ now non-operational TC solenoid issue

I do not like RTV for making gaskets anywhere that has tiny holes, just one blob can do it

 

I did this in December because the pan was getting very wet. It was a PITA to get the 19 bolts off. It was a pain to get the pan to separate from the RTV. It was a major PITA to get the filler tube to separate from the designed joint (I had to cut it). I also broke one of the plastic retaining clips from the cooling line so I had to get a new one. That clip alone cost me a few days waiting for the part to arrive. It was a good thing that I dropped the pan because there were plenty of pieces of broken off RTV at the bottom. I even found a huge piece behind the filter screen when I replaced it (yes I know, I didn't have to replace it).

I also found some broken clips from the solenoid wire harness. I tied them back up with some high temp, chemical resistant zip ties, so they don't melt in the heat of the fluid. I am not sure what these clips do as they go on the wire of the solenoid harness.

Anyway, I hated doing this job so much that I didn't want to risk the new gasket leaking, so I used a very, very light coat of black RTV on both sides of the feltpro gasket. If there was a scratch on the pan or body side, the RTV filled it.

And rookie mistake I made was I forgot to reinstall the pan magnets. Could have kicked myself. So I am planning on putting new, more powerful magnets on the outside.




If you do manage to get the filler tube to separate at the designed joint, be ready to find a gasket that will fill that little tube. I had to try different variety gasket packages to get one that fit. It still leaks a little bit (so small that it does not drip but it looks wet), so I am not sure if I got the right gasket (I will fix it soon).



Good luck.

 

easy tip..dont bother separating trans tube...just undo the single bolt on the block, drop the pan straight down to the ground...it can be twisted and wiggled out under..very easily in fact

if you have to split the tube, (such as a trans replacement), what I did is attach locking pliers to the upper tube, and strike them with uppercuts from a hammer till the upper tube popped out

a generic 3/8 fuel injector filter retainer is the same as the trans cooler retaining clip...mine fell to bits when i took them out...25yr old baked plastic is brittle

 

I tried to drop it straight down but there was no way to clear the trans cooling lines without removing them, hence why I broke the retaining clip. I have seen some threads were dropping the pan straight down with the whole tube is possible and others, like mine, where it does not work. Maybe I didn't twist correctly enough.

Good to know about the clips. I will buy some spares now. Thanks.

 

for the forgotten magnet, get a magnetic drain plug. if you place the magnets on outside of pan, their magnetic force will be fairly weakened by the pan between the magnet and the fluid. for best results, for largest magnetic field, and strength, put the magnet inside.

Also consider a Magnafine tranny filter. they make two sizes for two different sizes of hose. they contain a high pressure can, a magnet, filter media and a bypass valve.

Filter.... https://magnefinefilters.com/NEW-Mag...-P-3810000.htm


I run these on tranny and power steering, install filter in cooler hose before the cooler.

I use the felpro gasket with no glue,

 

Do not use RTV on an automatic transmission.

 

Gasket, don't overtorque the bolts.

 

That you made sure it would be just as miserable next time by putting RTV in place to glue the pan on, guaranteeing it will be a fight to get it off again. (Even though FelPro says not to use any sealant.)



If you absolutely insist on using RTV, this is the way to do it. A very thin coat.


But better yet, follow FelPro's instructions and don't use any sealant.

 

Well, some jobs are never going to be easy.

 

It does have to be lifted slightly, (or raised on jacks)..mine has a 2" lift

I do have a rubber section in one of my lines, as it split the steel prior to my getting it (have good bumpstops!)

you do have to spin the pan around a bit to get the bracket to clear, mine is a '96

 

As if to punish me for using very very small amounts of rtv on the gasket change last December, the solenoids decided to start malfunctioning last weeks and I had to dive back into the pan to change them.

Needless to say, it took me a very long time to get the pan off.

So I will gladly say I was wrong, don't use RTV if you don't have to.

 

Felpro for the win.