Pulling trans pan, mess or what?

[Fran Blacker]

Pulling trans pan to switch valve body, trans is in the car. Trans is full any ideas about how not to make this not as messy? For me not practical to pump out of dipstick tube, may try but my balance is not too hot. Thinking to pull neutral safety switch then the pan. Any other options?
The car is off the ground, that's I'm looking for ideas.

 

[iraqivet01]

if you never done it before, yes you will make a mess. I service transmission all the time and I have a system down. all I can say is take your time, and don't remove all the bolts or it will look like a murder scene from the chainsaw massacre.

let it drain into a good size pan, not one of those cheap ones you get a Walmart.
Have plenty of rags to dab the valve body and wipe down the edges because even after you get the pan off, it will continue to drip.
I usually loosen the bolts and slowly remove then from the end your going to let the fluid drain out of. Slower the better, rush it and you will go all over the place.

 

[Ironbuilt]

SLOWLY!! Just like iraqivet01 said, DON"T remove all of the bolts at once. I, personally, remove all of the bolts except 2 in the same corner. With a large drainpan, I then loosen those 2 bolts VERY slowly. Once the mad gush stops, you can remove those bolts completely. If you're doing it lying on your back with jackstands, some mess in inevitable. Good luck.

 

[oldbee]

Fran I can guarantee you’ll have a little “red stuff” in your armpit also,lol. Slow & easy & let it drain.(it’ll never stop dripping)

 

[493 Mike]

I like to place old newspapers/advertisers/etc. under my drain pan to save clean up time. There are large, flat funnels on the market that fit on a drain pan and provide a much larger area to drain into (they are square, tapered to a round depression with drain holes). As explained above leave 2 bolts tight and remove the rest, then crack the gasket loose opposite the 2 tight bolts to start the drain.
When it slows down loosen the filter screws and more will come out.
Mike

 

[67belvedere/225]

i jack it up and disconnect the pressure line and start it and pump it out as much as possible
you might have to put it in drive depends on model , some transmission only pump into cooler line when in drive
be careful

 

[Ironbuilt]

i jack it up and disconnect the pressure line and start it and pump it out as much as possible
you might have to put it in drive depends on model , some transmission only pump into cooler line when in drive
be careful

I wouldn't ever recommend starting your car, putting it in gear and letting your front pump do the work. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Fran Blacker]

i jack it up and disconnect the pressure line and start it and pump it out as much as possible
you might have to put it in drive depends on model , some transmission only pump into cooler line when in drive
be careful

I don't think I would do that. Without looking at the hydraulic schematics it might not be lubing trans. Would make it easy.

 

[moes]

one suggestion I would offer you is, after you get the pan off is to install a drain plug. You never know when you will have to take it off again, it's cheap and doesn't take long. The first thing my transmission guy said was install a drain plug (never make a mess again) and a Mopar plastic hard Transmision pan gasket 2464324AC. (I've never had a leak since) he was right, I've had my pan off a couple of times over the years.



http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/60175/10002/-1

 

[Fran Blacker]

one suggestion I would offer you is, after you get the pan off is to install a drain plug. You never know when you will have to take it off again, it's cheap and doesn't take long. The first thing my transmission guy said was install a drain plug (never make a mess again) and a Mopar plastic hard Transmision pan gasket 2464324AC. (I've never had a leak since) he was right, I've had my pan off a couple of times over the years.



http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/60175/10002/-1

Yes, just bought an aftermarket pan after seeing your post. Don't want to pull the pan again but you never know, don't want to chop original.

 

[moes]

Yes, just bought an aftermarket pan after seeing your post. Don't want to pull the pan again but you never know, don't want to chop original.

I have a couple of extra transmission pans sitting around so I was not worried about him cutting into the pan and he did say I could use an aftermarket pan to, I forgot to mention that. He also placed a magnet in the corner of the pan to catch any metal shavings from use.

 

[MrJLR]

one suggestion I would offer you is, after you get the pan off is to install a drain plug. You never know when you will have to take it off again, it's cheap and doesn't take long. The first thing my transmission guy said was install a drain plug (never make a mess again) and a Mopar plastic hard Transmision pan gasket 2464324AC. (I've never had a leak since) he was right, I've had my pan off a couple of times over the years.



http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/60175/10002/-1

A big plus one for the drain plug...i added one and LOVE it!

Jeff

 

[Don Frelier]

I've removed the pressure line and pumped out several transmissions. Never had a problem.
It's my preferred method.
You're not driving it, just idling in neutral until the stream subsides.
The 727 in my Charger has been run with low fluid level at least 100 times (due to a leaking shift selector seal).
It's never been apart.

 

[wyrmrider]

after you get the pan off and you loosen the valve body you will get more oil
getting a new converter get one with a drain plug

 

[Ironbuilt]

I've removed the pressure line and pumped out several transmissions. Never had a problem.
It's my preferred method.
You're not driving it, just idling in neutral until the stream subsides.
The 727 in my Charger has been run with low fluid level at least 100 times (due to a leaking shift selector seal).
It's never been apart.

That makes you lucky my friend. Still would never recommend using the front pump to drain a trans.

 

[rlem1977]

i jack it up and disconnect the pressure line and start it and pump it out as much as possible
you might have to put it in drive depends on model , some transmission only pump into cooler line when in drive
be careful

There is not one factory service manual that recommends this method.

 

[AR67GTX]

I have one of those big cookie sheet pans to catch undercar oil drips. I set a big oil catch pan on it and crack the bolts and then loosen the rear-ward ones incrementally until I can crack the gasket loose and let it drain into the pan. I haven't made too big of a mess yet. I really should install a drain valve though.

 

[hoover]

You can buy a big plastic pan at the home improvement stores pretty cheap.
They are usually in the area that they keep bags of cement.
They are as bout 2'x3'

 

[WileE]

If you're installing a drain plug, you can carefully drill a 1/8" hole where the plug will be, let the fluid slowly drain out before removing the pan. Have a rag over the drill head, for the first drip. Do not let the bit go past the point where the hole opens.

 

[moper]

Buy one of the wide transmission pan catch pans. Fairly cheap at most jobber auto parts stores. Drain into a clean drain pan or line what you have with a clean trash bag and run it through a funnel with a coffee filter or paint strainer in it to reuse the fluid. You will only lose about 5-6 qts of fluid out of the pan.

Or (what I do), using a larger diameter oil drain pan, unbolt all the bolts except the driver's side pan rail ones. Then very slowly remove the drivers ones, leaving two loose. Crack the pan's seal (messy part), and then loosen the two bolts a little at a time. It will lower the passenger side edge slowly, and allow the oil tp drain that way. Then drop the pan. You will get some splash on you...