I know this is probably a stupid question but I have never done much transmission work.

I need to remove the pan on mine because the seal is leaking...is there a drain plug that one can use to drain the fluid before starting to remove the pan?

 

the pan is the drain plug.

just loosen the bolts and gently pry it free from the case with screw driver and let the oil drain from the gap between the pan and case... then remove the pan

 

Like said, there is no drain plug. I leave the front bolt and one behind it in, on a corner. After all the other bolts come out, then start loosening the last 2. Just crack them loose at first. Pry the opposite corner with a screwdriver if it doesn't fall on its own. Then they can be removed. Leave the one in the corner til last. This allows the pan to angle towards the opp corner (funneling the fluid so you don't get a 6" wide stream of fluid coming out.) Once the majority of the fluid is out, push the pan back up while removing remaining bolt with your fingers (there will still be fluid in the pan.)

While you have the pan off, you can buy drain plugs to put back in for the next time.

 

A simple way to minimize what can be a HUGE mess. Put jack stands under the front and a large drain pan under the transmission. Then remove all but one of the bolts from the back end of the pan. Leave the front two but remove all the side bolts. Now you can loosen the last bolt in the back about 4 threads, then tap the pan just hard enough to get it to come loose. Some prying can work too, but dont bend the pan. Once it drains down, remove the rear bolt and one of the two front ones, then you can unscrew the last bolt slowly and it will allow more fluid to drain out as you loosen it.

Tap the bolt holes back down so they are flat, they get pulled towards the trans case when they are overtightened, that makes them leak. Clean the pan with brake cleaner and wipe down the rail where the gasket goes. Apply a 1/4" bead of black RTV around the pan, now place the gasket on that and turn it over, then put something heavy on the pan to hold the gasket down firmly. DO NOT put RTV on the transmission case, after the RTV has cured a bit, you can bolt the pan back on, and dont over tighten the bolts.

You dont put RTV on the case because the pan is removable and easy to clean, the transmission isnt. Also you dont want a bunch of RTV being squeezed out into the trans. If done this way draining the fluid is easy and minimizes the mess, and you will cure the leaks.

 

Thanks for the tips Thumpin...I have a pretty decent leak at the moment. I looked under there today and there is a puddle about 12 inches by six inches....probably a little over 1/4 of a quart on the ground.

My guess is I have to pull the pan off and replace the gasket. Not sure where else it could be leaking from...

 

A cooler line... perhaps one of the cooler lines that run to the radiator has cracked at the fitting on the trans. But the pan gasket is a better bet...replace that first then if the problem continues investigate the cooler lines.

-Gun

 

Thanks Gun...I'll check out things.

The tranny was just apart last week for some work and my first guess was the gasket didn't seal well, hard to say since I wasn't doing the work. Guess it might also be the dip stick?

The cooler lines are pretty new (I replaced them in June as part of another project) but the leak seems at least to be on the opposite side from where the lines bolt up.

 

Did some investigating....I am pretty sure it is the gasket.

Two questions...

First one is how do I know how tight to tighten the bolts without over tightening them? Is there a torque spec or something along those lines?

Two, roughly how many quarts of fluid does a C4 hold? When I go to the auto parts I'm going to need to buy some more type F. I only have about half a quart on hand here at the house.

 

you'll probably need about 4 quarts.

Not sure on the torque specs I just matched to the torque required to remove them by feel.. I think I started on the middle of the pan then moved one bolt forward then one bolt back (doing both left and right sides at the same time). making about 3 or 4 passes.
Someone might have a better suggestion but that worked for me.

-Gun

 

If at all possible, don't use a cork pan gasket. They are JUNK! Get a paper one if you can. Whenever we end up with a cork gasket at the shop I work at, we send it back or throw it out. It has gotten so that all of our suppliers know not to even send us one now.