fins2fuselage
01-04-2009, 12:49 PM
I just went into my transmission without removing it from the truck.
I replaced the filter and all of the seals (except front seal), cleaned everything up, adjusted the bands and installed a sump drain for future maintenance. I removed the valve body to facilitate replacing the shifter shaft seal and found that all but a quart of tranny fluid drained out of the transmission's various servos and circuits and the torque converter (no drain plug) by so doing -- man, was I happy!
When you remove the valve body, you'll find that not only can you easily drive out the old shifter seal but you can also install a new one easily with nothing more than a bolt, a nut and a couple of flat washers.
I used a neoprene gasket to reinstall the pan. If you straighten out the pan rails, you will find that the neoprene gasket helps keep them that way and you will have fewer leaks.
One more thing: if your truck has a driveshaft yoke which bolts onto the tranny's tailshaft (as does mine with the two-piece driveshaft), don't forget to assemble it clean and put a bead of red RTV hi-temp sealant behind and in front of the locking flat washer. I also smeared some into the threads for good measure. This will (hopefully) keep the fluid from leaking past the splines and out behind the washer as I have found that this can happen.
I can't believe how much difference that work made in the way my truck takes off from cold, shifts gears, backs up without "shuddering" and doesn't leak tranny fluid.
Jeff Dreibus
I replaced the filter and all of the seals (except front seal), cleaned everything up, adjusted the bands and installed a sump drain for future maintenance. I removed the valve body to facilitate replacing the shifter shaft seal and found that all but a quart of tranny fluid drained out of the transmission's various servos and circuits and the torque converter (no drain plug) by so doing -- man, was I happy!
When you remove the valve body, you'll find that not only can you easily drive out the old shifter seal but you can also install a new one easily with nothing more than a bolt, a nut and a couple of flat washers.
I used a neoprene gasket to reinstall the pan. If you straighten out the pan rails, you will find that the neoprene gasket helps keep them that way and you will have fewer leaks.
One more thing: if your truck has a driveshaft yoke which bolts onto the tranny's tailshaft (as does mine with the two-piece driveshaft), don't forget to assemble it clean and put a bead of red RTV hi-temp sealant behind and in front of the locking flat washer. I also smeared some into the threads for good measure. This will (hopefully) keep the fluid from leaking past the splines and out behind the washer as I have found that this can happen.
I can't believe how much difference that work made in the way my truck takes off from cold, shifts gears, backs up without "shuddering" and doesn't leak tranny fluid.
Jeff Dreibus