lakesideguy

Hello,

Project restore Grand Cherokee 1999 WJ 4.0L is coming along well.
I bought it for 800 at the junkyard and it was just neglected.

But , Ive got transmission fluid change and pan gasket replacement questions.
I bought the duralast (crap) filter and gasket from autozone.

And a few concerns come up.

1) The rubber black gasket is slightly pushing out in one corner.
I followed the circular tightening pattern at 13ft lb pf torque when putting the pan back after cleaning everything up and where it seals (took forever to get it sparkling).
This has me concerned has anyone had any issue with the Duralast rubber gasket leaking from it doing this or is it a concern really?

I've not put fluid in yet as I await direction.
Due to massive gasket leaking it threw and leaked oil just about everywhere under the chassis. It was a HUGE mess. I cleaned it all up FYI. Man the previous owner just didn't care.

2) The filter itself had a cork ring. I just put it in with the two star screws nice and snug. The one that came out had rubber washer (think it was stock) the transmission fluid was black. I did not put any sealant on it whatsoever. Should I have? Will it be fine?

3) There is a magnetic washer that was found in the bottom of the pan I just cleaned it and put it back on the nipple on the pan. I'm guessing thats where it goes or did it fall? What is that for? I have an attached picture showing it.

4) Should I add anything to the transmission fluid at all? Like that additive stuff purple stuff or anything??? Is that risky?

Thanks for claryfying these questions. It's greatly appreciated.
Before putting fluid back in (I did seal all back up) I wanted to confirm it's ok to pour new fluid back in. I got 8 quarts. Alot came out and I had a transmission fluid bath. In the hair all over. Yuck! It's the messiest I've ever had to do on a car.

Sincerely,

Travis

lakesideguy

I have decided to get a new pan, OEM gasket and filter.
The pan though I'm going to get the Dorman with the drain plug.

Screw the Duracrap. It's going in the garbage.
I read too many posts on this matter that I've seen. And the cork around the filter hole sounds like it may become a problem later as well.
I'm going Mopar on the filter and the gasket as the pan itself definitely is not flat on where the seams meet. IT appears to have been over torqued.
I pulled it back off. I didn't over torque it but I was curious as to why the holes were slightly raised. Now I know.......

The question of the magnetic washer remains if it goes in the pan or where it goes for that matter. It's shown in the picture.

dave1123

The dealer has a Mopar reusable neoprene gasket that's a sandwich of steel and neoprene. I've reused mine twice already and it doesn't leak at all, DO NOT use sealer on it. You can resurrect the pan by putting something flat behind the holes and hammering them flat again. My manual says torque the pan bolts to 144 in/lbs. I don't like the cork gasket on the filter either. Remember to use ONLY ATF+4 or equivilent fluid. Many companies make this and it should state on the bottle if it meets Mopar standards. The pan only holds 4.5 quarts and the rest is in the converter. If you do multiple changes over a short time, you'll get most of the old fluid out. Some guys will tell you to disconnect a cooling line and pump it out while filling it thru the dipstick tube. I don't like doing this because if the pump cavitates, it can do damage to it. JMHO. If you go with the Dorman pan, multiple changes are easy. Remember to check the fluid level hot and idling in NEUTRAL, not PARK. My personal preference, do not use additives, period! The ATF+4 has all the additives you'll ever need.

The magnet just sits in the bottom of the pan to catch the steel shavings from the clutch pressure plates so they don't impregnate the clutch linings and cause slippage. You can generally tell the condition of the clutches by the amount of "hair" on the magnet. Fine powder mud is normal, but little stikey slivers are not. They show scoring of the plates with little pieces torn off.

One other thing! When it comes to sensors, buy only MOPAR. They'll cost a little more, but you'll only buy them ONCE!

If you want to know a lot more about your WJ, check out wjjeeps.com

lakesideguy

Ok thanks so much for this explanation.
It sounds like a new pan is in order. This one even has the enamel chipped off at the seal. So its in pretty banged up. The reusable gasket?
Wow ok I suppose I guess I can just throw it back in. It's not bent or anything?

Thanks

jon-d

Dave, the neoprene gasket has been superseded with a reusable plastic gasket that has two rubber beads that run along it. when I picked it up the other day at the dealer I asked about the neoprene and the parts guy said this is the new replacement. same price, about 25 bucks.


changing out the fluid is a real mess. I removed all bolts except a couple of corner ones to allow the pan to sag and direct the fluid to one area. then I used a turkey baster (99 cents store) and some tubing to suck out as much fluid as I could. then I removed the pan, replaced, refilled. I noticed more than 4 quarts came out and thought the previous owner overfilled, but it turns out it needed 5.5 quarts put back in. the jeep had been sitting for about a week so perhaps most of the fluid drained into the pan.

dave1123

Yeah, it's stated in the FSM that it may take more depending on how long it's left open. Some additional fluid may drain out of the case and valve body. Also there is an anti-drainback valve in the converter that might leak.