Transmission pan gasket

[Nebraskan]

When you folks change the transmission fluid and filter, and put the pan back up do you:

A: Use automotive sealant under the cork gasket?
B: Use just the cork gasket?
C: Use automoive sealant and pitch the cork gasket?
or
D: Use sealant+corkgasket+ more sealant on top that will apply next to actual transmission?

 

[alreadygone]

Anything but dry gasket is unnecessary. If equipped with reusable gasket,,do so.

Bob

 

[Nebraskan]

I saw at the Advance Autoparts "Know How" series, that they recommended oil solvent grease of another compound. but it appeared there was no mention of any particular gasket sealant, silicone or otherwise.

 

[passcord]

Do not use cork gasket, it will leak. Try to find rubber gasket. I know AA sell filter kit from Pro-King and it come with Fel-Pro rubber gasket. The grease they talking just to hold gasket in place but bolt holes on Fel-Pro gasket kind of tight and hold gasket in place so grease not needed. And no any sealant needed.

 

[oilcan]

The trick to not having a leak at the pan gasket is TAKE THE PAN TURN IT SO YOU ARE LOOKING IN THE PAN. PUT THE EDGE OF THE PAN (BOLT HOLES) ON A HARD SURFACE TAKE THE PEEN SIDE OF A BALL PEEN HAMMER LAY IT ON THE BOLT HOLES ONE AT A TIME TAKE ANOTHER HAMMER A PEEN THE BOLT HOLES OUT. THEN WHEN YOU BOLT UP THE GASKET IT WILL PULL THE BOLT HOLES FLAT. WHEN YOU TIGHTEN THEM UP SUCK THEM IN AND WHEN YOU PUT ON A GASKET YOU HAVE VALLEYS BETWEEN THE BOLT HOLES THAT START TO LEAK. CORK IS ALL I USE AND HAVE NEVER HAD A LEAK DOING WHAT I JUST SAID. I LEARNED THIS WHEN I WORKED FOR A TRANNY SHOP IN THE 70s. IT'S WORKED FOR 30+ YEARS.

 

[Nebraskan]

I have a replacement pan I bought at the salvage yard. I put in an aftermarket drain plug for future drains. So I have the pan very clean. I deburred the holes well, inside and outside.

Autozone has 2 different pan gaskets (20 hole) for the GM 4T60E transmission. One is a FELPRO at $12.99 and the other is a ROL at $6.99. Which one is the rubber gasket?

 

[Clyde65]

If it's a cork gasket - I use Permatex #2 gasket sealant by coating both sides.

 

[Clyde65]

quote:

---

Originally posted by oilcan:
The trick to not having a leak at the pan gasket is: ( ... )

---

That's a good idea, but only if you're working with a steel pan.

[ August 03, 2006, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: Clyde65 ]

 

[Clyde65]

quote:

---

Originally posted by passcord:
Do not use cork gasket, it will leak.

---

I have the same opinion, but towards rubber gaskets.

 

[mechtech]

Plain cork will work if everything is perfect.
If you use silicone RTV, it will seal well, but be careful when tightening the pan. The slickness of the RTV will cause the gasket to ooge and squeeze out easily.

 

[Nebraskan]

Called Autozone and ordered a Fel-Pro gasket. Boy, what a pain dealin' with that gal. All she knew was to sell me a transmission filter w/gasket. I gave her a number and she looked it up and said it was special order. Told her I thought it might, but just checking ahead. I could have bought it online or had it shipped to the store and would probably have been easier.

You guys have been GREAT though in the feedback and information!!

Who would have thought so many ideas just about a gasket??

 

[m2200b]

The $20 gasket is the cost of the rubber gasket that goes with that GM Trannie and no rtv as its reusable.

 

[dwendt44]

Felpro is one of the best gasket makers, go with that one.
Factory gasket is close to $30.

 

[Jim Spahr]

I like the rubber style gaskets as offered by AC Delco. I would only use RTV to keep the new gasket in place while bolting it on-IOW, to tack it on. If I had to use a cork gasket, I would use the RTV but only on one side, the pan side. That makes it a whole bunch easier to remove the old gasket on the next pan drop.

 

[Nebraskan]

I got the FelPro gasket last evening when I was in South Haven at the Auto Zone. BOY! What a gasket! Nice smooth rubber, stiff and yet adjustable enough to move around. It has smaller holes for the pan bolts so you can just put the bolts into the pan AND gasket and then put the pan back up on the car's transmission. On my new pan, I put in a drain plug that I got from Advanced Auto Parts. Cost me 1.98. It is a hollow bolt with outside and inside threads. On the one end is a smaller plug with gasket. The other end fits into the 1/2 inch hole you drill in the pan. There are 2 nylon gaskets. One goes on the outside of the pan and the other goes on the insides. You just snug them up good and tight, and don't have to do any welding.

I'm adding synthetic fluid Modil 1 ATF full synthetic. So, next month I can just drain out about 5 quarts and add another 5 quarts in there and help with the "dilution" over to synthetic rather than go though the draining of the torque converter method of pumping out the transmission though the cooling lines.

The Fel-Pro is a good high quality gasket, and being the property it is, looks to be re-usable.
Vern

 

[beanoil]

deleted

 

[beanoil]

Nebraskan,
Buy 2 copper washers of the right size in the HELP! section, and red LocTite that drain plug. Eventually, the nylon washers will degrade, and the plug will get loose. Might want to drill the small drain bolt head, and safety wire it to a pan bolt also. I don't trust a 1/4" bolt with an o-ring to stay tight and keep several expensine quarts of fluid in place. YMMV