draining auto trans

I have a 98 S10 and just drained my auto and replaced filter. AutoZone has a book on the unit for $16 or so There is no drain plug . The pan is too close to the inside parts for a drain I think. You are to loosen all 15 or so bolts and leave the back or front ones in and remove the others and let the fluid in a pan. Then carefully remove last three or four and pour that in pan. remove old filter and put in new clean pan and old gasket off. refill with 3 3/4 qt dextron III in my case. Hope this make sense and helps :-} Jim

. . . . . =3D=3D=3D=3D draining auto trans Group: alt.trucks.chevy Date: Wed, Oct 15, 2003, 11:07am (CDT+1) From: snipped-for-privacy@REMOVETHISpobox.com (Mike=A0Copeland)

I have 99 Blazer with the auto tranny. This is my first auto tranny in a loooonng time.

What is the "easy" way to drain it?

Did they ever put a drain plug in the pan somewhere?

Years ago I used a dab of grease to hold the new gasket in if I had to drop the pan is this still ok?

I'm gonna change the fluid and filter, any other tips or gotchas I need to know? Thanx Mike =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Mike, the easiest way is drop the pan...

sorry......nothing fancy or tricky about it.

I wouldn't advise using the grease trick if you're using a cork gasket. It tends to let the gasket "squirt" out with slightly overzealous tightening of the pan bolts.

If you insist on using anything to steady the gasket with.......I would suggest using gorrilla snot.....(3M weather strip adheasive). Just put a DAB in a FEW spots to hold the gasket down. DO NOT use it on the whole pan.......I may have to service it some day... and that sheet just makes the job take a little longer, when you have to use the die-grinder to get it off.

TIPS and GOTCHAS.......

Check for drips and leaks on the tranny before you drop the pan......jest take a look and see if there's any problem areas down the road.

Bend the two tabs that hang down on the rear pan area.......that sit near the cross member. It will make the removal and installation of the pan go easier....and you won't have to loosen the tranny mount to jack the tranny up.

Loosen the 2 bolts on the rear-center of the pan about 1 turn.....then take all the rest of the bolts out...doing the front ones last. The pan should drop and drain out the front....then take the 2 rear bolts out and angle the pan down towards the front to drain it the rest of the way before trying to just get it down.

Wiggle the filter a little as you take it out.... the seal may hold it a little tight. I use a pry bar and pop it out....

Don't worry about the sludge on the magnet unless you see an ass of metal flakes or metal chunks.....jest clean the magnet up.

After you get the pan back on....clean it up real good with some 99cent carb cleaner. If any got inside the front dust cover and is dripping out the little hole at the bottom of the cover....use the straw that's attached to the carb cleaner can and spray it up in the hole to clean it out.

Use high grade fluid.

Put in 4 quarts.....crank it up....hold yer foot on the brake and run the gear selector through all the gears...pausing in each one.......work yer way back to park doing the same thing..... THEN CHECK YER FLUID LEVEL.....and bring it up to the line while it's cold.

Add a Bottle of "Lube Gard" before getting the level to the line. here.....read about it.....it works....

LubeGard Transmission Fluid Supplement - Address:

Next....... drive it down the street for about 5 minutes or so....come back and check the level and crawl under there and check for drips.

LAST..... punch the time clock and go have a beer..... Crown Royal would be nice.....but a Budweiser will do jest fine.....

oh....by the way.......

good job

Scrib Abell ~fires up a dooby and takes a big hit off the bottle of Hiram Walkers ~

Very nice Scrib!!! Thanx!!

I went to the lubegard site and it appears that you want me to use the red and not the black product. There is no listing for GM under the black product. Is lubegard available at most parts stores? What is the best gasket to use? Do I need any gasket sealant at all? You mention "high grade fluid", do you mean stick with a name brand like Valvoline or get the GM stuff? Thanx Mike

1) red

2) the fiber one that looks like cardboard

3) no

4) Valvoline, Mobil, and quality brand

Here's something that I did to make it easier. I cut the heads off of 6 bolt that were about 1-inch longer than the pan bolts. After rounding and smoothing the heads, I screw them in at various locations around the trans body and use them as guide pins for the pan and gasket. I lay the gasket on the pan and, after lining up the bolt holes in the gasket and pan with the pins, I install the pan bolts - no adhesive needed.

If you insist on using anything to steady the gasket with.......I would suggest using gorrilla snot.....(3M weather strip adheasive). Just put a DAB in a FEW spots to hold the gasket down. DO NOT use it on the whole pan.......I may have to service it some day... and that sheet just makes the job take a little longer, when you have to use the die-grinder to get it off.

---- Gorilla snot on a few dabs, yes. Never, EVER use *any* type of RTV. That's the surest way to trash your tranny.

Jeremy

It'll clog up the tiny passages and restrict hydraulic piston movement when it manages to circulate with the fluid.

first it has to 'manage' to get past the filter...................

That's an interesting technique Rich. I've been buying FelPro gaskets in a box. They provide instructions for their products. The gaskets I buy have holes that are sized to hold the screws in place so they can all be put on the pan ahead of time. I use a pump to suck out the fluid from the pan so there's little mess when I take it off.

That sounds better than what I've been doing. I began by making guide pins to help install valve covers. It worked great on them because the gasket was always aligned perfectly and no need to "maneuver" the gasket with a pick or screwdriver to get the bolts in. I've never tried it on things like heads but, it does work well when installing an engine oil pan.

Most tranny filters are simple brass screens to keep metal chunks out, yet they let the slivers of RTV by.

By all means, if you want to use RTV on your tranny pan gasket, go for it. Slather the damn thing with some blue or black. Hell, use copper if you're afraid of heat. Just don't come crying to me when it blows up on ya. After all, my advice is free, and you don't have to adhere to it if you don't want to.

Jeremy

you haven't cut many filters open, have you ?

with the exception of the C6 Ford and 'performance' filters for the TH-350, most are NOT 'just screens'

good thing, too

Excerpt from Popularmechanics.com:

"Don't use a thick bead of silicone sealant, as it will squish out between the mating surfaces into little silicone worms, which will eventually break off and clog the pump intake."

Not exactly the transmission trashing warning I gave, but nevertheless.....

Aside from that, the shop foreman that I used to work with, and personal experience (how else would you explain a torque convertor locking up solid after only a few hundred miles of a transmission service in which RTV *was* used), have taught me to *never* use RTV on a tranny pan.

As I said before, if you want to, it's your transmission.

Good luck

Jeremy, One question, Do you own and operate a transmission shop full time?? If not I'd say Gary has a bit more experience in that area since he does... Just my opinion though..

Steve

nevertheless.....

personal

It will work on heads too, as long as you get a long enough bolt. I saw that trick used by my engine builder associate in the UK for 4 cyl Fords, and Mini engines. But most heads already have small guide posts sometimes doubling as an oil passage...depending on the motor.....

No, I don't. I was just offering some advice. Won't plan on doing that in the future. Thanks y'all.

Don't sweat it Jeremy, your advice was sound even if not for the reason you gave. Bob