For us, there really isn’t really a routine maintenance task we like undertaking a lot less than switching the fluid and filter in an automatic transmission. Even if you are blessed with an automatic that has a transmission pan with a drain plug, it is really aggravating. And if your tranny pan would not have a drain plug, be ready for ATF to cascade all in excess of your driveway and by yourself. But it is really something you require to do if you want ongoing good performance and prolonged everyday living. So employing a 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ with a 4.0L motor, AW4 transmission, a swapped in NP231, and a manufacturing facility exhaust downtube as an case in point, below are some strategies to contemplate when switching your Jeep’s automatic transmission fluid.
Draining Your Automatic Transmission Fluid
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| 02 How To Change Your Jeep Computerized Transmission Fluid Drain Fluid
Unfortunately, not all manufacturing facility automatic transmission pans occur with a drain plug. The AW4 in this 1999 Jeep Cherokee did have a factory drain plug, but due to the fact a drain plug is a potential resource of leaks that can drain an automobile transmission to the point of dropping function or long-lasting problems, the greater part of auto transmissions arrive with no provision for simply draining the fluid. If you do have a plug in your manufacturing unit or aftermarket pan, use a substantial-quantity drain pan and clear away the plug bolt and enable it drain for a superior, extended while. Automobile transmissions keep a lot of fluid up in their case and will drip for several hours in some cases.
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| 03 How To Alter Your Jeep Automatic Transmission Fluid Loosen And Get rid of Pan Bolts
If your pan will not have a drain plug, then loosen all the bolts of the pan. Depart a few bolts in a person corner to keep the pan from falling and then use a flat-edge prying software to gently crack the pan seal in the most obtainable corner of the pan. You want to angle the pan downward so the transmission fluid inside pours neatly out of it the very same as if you were being pouring water out of a baking pan and into a cup. At the time you have gotten the the greater part of the fluid out of the pan, you can take away the past remaining pan bolts and carefully dump the rest into your receptacle. It sounds straightforward, but be geared up to make a little bit of a mess.
Getting rid of the Transmission Pan from the Vehicle
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| 04 How To Improve Your Jeep Automatic Transmission Fluid Clear away Pan
Sometimes, but not generally, the transmission fluid stage dipstick will be portion of the transmission pan. In the situation of this 1999 AW4, the dipstick inserts into a tube that is welded to the side of the pan. Make positive you take out the transmission dipstick very first and then cautiously decreased the pan, creating sure not to bend or break off any protuberances on exhaust, driveshaft, or crossmember factors. Recall also that there will most possible be a great total of residual ATF in the pan, so be thorough not to dump a big amount of money on your driveway or garage ground.
Altering the Transmission Filter and Cleaning
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| 05 How To Alter Your Jeep Computerized Transmission Fluid Enable Fluid Drip And Swap Filter
Most automated transmissions have a flat filter that strains out contaminants from the oil right before they’re pumped as a result of the rest of the transmission procedure. Most of these, as is the circumstance with this AW4, are bolted to the transmission valve physique, whilst some insert with a unfastened press match into a plastic bushing or with a rubber O-ring, or some blend of all. Also, some vehicle transmissions might make the most of two inside filters, a person staying the flat filter and an additional a cannister filter that resembles a little, limited engine oil filter. No make any difference what the situation, just after you take out the outdated filters, thoroughly clean the mounting surfaces with a small aerosol cleaner and examine for grooves or problems. When setting up your new filters, lube any O-rings, bushings, or gaskets with some ATF to support protect against nicking and galling as it truly is inserted. Also, if you are installing a cannister filter it truly is normally very good apply, like with an engine oil filter, to incorporate fluid to the within of the filter so it is not working absolutely dry when you fire it up for the initial time immediately after the fluid swap.
You can also want to cautiously cleanse away any old RTV or gasket product from the pan mounting surface at this time. If at all achievable, try to steer clear of using significant-velocity rotary equipment that can fling compact particles of RTV into the transmission in which they could possibly block wonderful passages. It can be ideal to use a sharp gasket scraper or razor blade, then changeover to the rotary device only if vital.
Reinstalling and Sealing the Automated Transmission Pan
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| 06 How To Adjust Your Jeep Automatic Transmission Fluid Seal Transmission
Auto transmission pans can occasionally be a bugger to seal appropriately, and most synthetic transmission fluids like the ATF+4 essential by most Jeep autos is very high priced. So failing to get a fantastic seal and recognizing just after filling your transmission up with $75 value of new fluid that you have got to drop the pan and reseal it again will never be a welcome practical experience. For that reason we commonly you should not use cork or rubber pan gaskets since they can squirm out and are unsuccessful to seal. In the past we’ve often experienced superior luck with Mopar Anaerobic gasket sealer, which stays in an practically liquid point out unless acted on by air. But it can be considerably high priced and our benefits with it are not often stellar, so frequently we use Permatex Extremely Black RVT silicone. As we explained earlier, automobile transmissions have a lot of cracks, passages, and crevices and can drip fluid for several hours, at times even times. It truly is not uncommon to be installing your pan and as you are positioning it in area to have a dribble of ATF spill out on to the properly degreased pan surface area you have just well prepared. The Ultra Black is tremendous robust and typically seals even if a little bit of transmission fluid inadvertently drips onto the transmission situation pan seal surface, even though we are not indicating no surface prep is necessary for best effects.
To clean up our pan gasket we’ve found no superior instrument than a Snap-On Crud Thug. We’ve utilised this rotary wire wheel instrument for decades now, and it can be generally remarkable how promptly it strips automotive sealants away.
Reinstalling Your Automated Transmission Pan
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| 07 How To Transform Your Jeep Automated Transmission Fluid Replace Pan
When it really is time to reinstall your transmission pan, if you happen to be using RTV you’ll need to have to choose for you if it is improved to apply a bead to the transmission scenario or the pan alone. In this circumstance, we experienced to snake the pan up previous the exhaust downpipe, and in undertaking so the rear of the pan almost contacted the transmission crossmember. We did a dry run before basically applying the RTV and found that, experienced a bead been laid on the transmission pan, it would’ve gotten messed up on the crossmember, so as a substitute we used the RTV straight to the tranny situation and then positioned the pan beneath. We hung the pan just less than the transmission and then employing two of the pan bolts at opposite corners, loosely positioned them to make sure all the bolt holes would line up and we wouldn’t want to slide the pan aspect to side, messing up our RTV bead. At the time the two pan bolts found it effectively, we mounted the relaxation of the bolts finger restricted and then torqued them to spec performing outward from the center of the pan.
Once the pan was on and we let the RTV cure for a very little little bit, we additional numerous quarts of ATF until eventually it showed on the tranny dipstick and then gave the engine a speedy fireplace just before shutting it off. We checked the tranny fluid once more to make confident it was showing on the dipstick and then started off the engine and place the transmission in Neutral. Most automated transmissions have to have the equipment selector to be in Neutral when examining the fluid stage. With a secure degree showing in Neutral, we carefully shifted into Reverse, then Push, then checked the fluid amount all over again, incorporating as essential and repeating the course of action until the level was in the middle of the hash marks on the dipstick tube. We examination-drove the Jeep, checked for leaks, and termed it career accomplished.