2013 1500 Ram Hemi 4x4 Bighorn diff fluid change+

[Nyogtha]

I did my plugs in the fall and transmission fluid & filters in the spring when I lived in NW Ohio, near Lake Erie. I streched out plugs across two afternoons - I bought a pair of gloves with knucle protectors from HF after the first day. The breakaway torque on the factory installed plugs plus the short free travel path available for the wrench for most plugs made knuckle impacts inevitable for me.

https://www.harborfreight.com/professional-mechanics-gloves-large-62525.html

I recommend a straight shouldered magnetic spark plug socket with a variety of socket wrench extension lengths. Additionally, I used a socket wrench with a pivot head. I used nickel based anti-sieze on the spark plugs although if I'd had copper base anti-sieze laying around I would have used that instead.

Maybe chase down & purchase all the parts & fluids over the winter, then come spring decide what labor you'll supply & what labor you'll farm out?

 

[irv]

Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
I did my plugs in the fall and transmission fluid & filters in the spring when I lived in NW Ohio, near Lake Erie. I streched out plugs across two afternoons - I bought a pair of gloves with knucle protectors from HF after the first day. The breakaway torque on the factory installed plugs plus the short free travel path available for the wrench for most plugs made knuckle impacts inevitable for me.

https://www.harborfreight.com/professional-mechanics-gloves-large-62525.html

I recommend a straight shouldered magnetic spark plug socket with a variety of socket wrench extension lengths. Additionally, I used a socket wrench with a pivot head. I used nickel based anti-sieze on the spark plugs although if I'd had copper base anti-sieze laying around I would have used that instead.

Maybe chase down & purchase all the parts & fluids over the winter, then come spring decide what labor you'll supply & what labor you'll farm out?


Great info/tips, and all the more reason why I should just take it to my buddies shop. He would have all those plus he has experience doing the Hemi's plugs.
I have quite a few Mechanix gloves laying around so those should do the trick as well.

Thanks.

 

[Nyogtha]

I've been on blood thinners since 2011 so a few extra bucks for the gloves with extra knuckle protectors was worth it for me to minimize continued lecturing from the wife after the first day plus avoiding the inconvenience of busting & bandaging again the second day.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
I've been on blood thinners since 2011 so a few extra bucks for the gloves with extra knuckle protectors was worth it for me to minimize continued lecturing from the wife after the first day plus avoiding the inconvenience of busting & bandaging again the second day.

Anything spent to keep the wife from nagging is money well spent in my opinion.

 

[BrianF]

I did my 1500 and my Trailblazer in the dirt driveway. The Tb was on ramps and the 1500 on a few chunks of 2x6.

The Tb was extra easy to do the trans flush. It had a rubber pan gasket and the filter opening is [censored] near on the pan so it pumped the pan empty. The 1500, even with the 4x4 factory filter left a pile of fluid in the pan, which made things precarious when dropping it. I never spilled a drop with the Tb. Take your time with the pan bolts, some are a pain to deal with.

The cooler lines on both were a breeze to disconnect and re-attach.

Budget several hours for the job to give you enough time as to not rush.

 

[Nyogtha]

I used one of these inexpensive fluid transfer pumps first and got around 4 qts ATF+4 out of my 4X4 transmission pan via the dipstick tube.

https://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use-transfer-pump-63144.html

It brought the fluid level below the pan seam, about 3.5 quarts were still in the deep part of the pan. After loosening all the pan bolts and removing all except 4 (2 front & 2 rear) I broke yhe RTV factory seal. Then I dropped it into a full size disposable aluminum steam table pan front-first to minimize spillage.

The most time-consuming task for me was removing all the factory RTV.

 

[BrianF]

Oh yes, the fun or removing all that RTV..... oh yes........

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
Originally Posted By: irv
I was watching this other Colesfixitright video about doing a transmission fluid change and I was surprised to see another filter in there just like an oil filter.
Is this the norm just on these trucks or do a lot of other manu's trucks/vehicles now have these?
I see he only uses transmission silicone/sealant on the pan, not the supplied gasket.
Got to hand it to this guy for doing everything on a creeper on the floor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Be-gYhshY


Two filters is the standard design for this particular transmission through several model numbers: one pan filter and one spin-on canister filter internal to the transmission case.

https://www.allpar.com/mopar/transmissions/545RFE.html

Several board members have modified the spin-on filter to something high efficiency, both internal to and external to the transmission case.

The only thing I dislike is Mopar's use of RTV for the transmission pan gasket. Fortunately there are plenty of aftermarket filter pan gaskets available, often included in a filter kit. I avoid the cork gaskets but have had good performance with the fiber gaskets included in kits from ATP and one Parts Master kit I have included a rubber gasket.

Be careful to make sure you get the correct pan filter for yor transmission; there's a 2WD version and a 4WD version with different dimensions.



Yup. An XG7317 is a dead ringer for the factory in-pan spin-on. Although probably not necessary, I took a wire wheel and whacked all of the paint off of the outside of it.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
Originally Posted By: irv
I was watching this other Colesfixitright video about doing a transmission fluid change and I was surprised to see another filter in there just like an oil filter.
Is this the norm just on these trucks or do a lot of other manu's trucks/vehicles now have these?
I see he only uses transmission silicone/sealant on the pan, not the supplied gasket.
Got to hand it to this guy for doing everything on a creeper on the floor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Be-gYhshY


Two filters is the standard design for this particular transmission through several model numbers: one pan filter and one spin-on canister filter internal to the transmission case.

https://www.allpar.com/mopar/transmissions/545RFE.html

Several board members have modified the spin-on filter to something high efficiency, both internal to and external to the transmission case.

The only thing I dislike is Mopar's use of RTV for the transmission pan gasket. Fortunately there are plenty of aftermarket filter pan gaskets available, often included in a filter kit. I avoid the cork gaskets but have had good performance with the fiber gaskets included in kits from ATP and one Parts Master kit I have included a rubber gasket.

Be careful to make sure you get the correct pan filter for yor transmission; there's a 2WD version and a 4WD version with different dimensions.



Yup. An XG7317 is a dead ringer for the factory in-pan spin-on. Although probably not necessary, I took a wire wheel and whacked all of the paint off of the outside of it.


I don't think I would have done that thinking that paint is on there for protection/rust? I'm likely just being anal again, but I'd be worried, if I did that, if somehow the tranny fluid would eat through that with the paint removed?
More knowledgeable people need to reply that me, however.