First pan-drop, woot!

[Eosyn]

Performed my very first pan-drop and changed my 10 yr old transmission filter on my Corolla yesterday and it was a success! The toughest part was getting the gasket on and keeping it on until the bolts were tightened and the best part is, no leakage!

Filled it up with 3L of Valvoline Import blue bottle ATF and it filled up to between the hot and cold marks on the dipstick. The shifting is so nice and smooth.

I took pictures to post on here, but can't find a free image hosting site with direct-linking but here are the links to the pics.

New vs. 10 yr old used filter. The new one is a WIX.


One of 2 little magnets with gunk on it.

New filter on, Yay!

Just had to share with you guys!

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Congratulations. Doing something yourself rather than paying someone else to do it provides a great deal of satisfaction, as well as a great deal more money in your pocket.

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Congratulations. Doing something yourself rather than paying someone else to do it provides a great deal of satisfaction, as well as a great deal more money in your pocket.


+1 Great work

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Eosyn
The toughest part was getting the gasket on and keeping it on until the bolts were tightened and the best part is, no leakage!


Is this one of the ones where you can prethread a couple bolts through the gasket which helps hold the gasket, and the bolts, in place?

 

[mrdctaylor]

Congrats. I did my first pan drop last year myself on a 12-year-old Chevrolet Traiblazer. It wasn't a lot of fun but went pretty smoothly. I agree--messing with the gasket (and getting the petrified old gasket off!) was the worst part.

 

[Donald]

Did you use a good gasket and not a cheap cork one that comes with many filters?

The best scenario would have been to do a cooling line flush immediately after you filled the transmission back up with ATF.

Install a Magnefine inline filter and forget about changing the one in the pan again.

 

[JTK]

Good work! Have you been doing regular drain/fills of this AT? Looks nice and clean.

 

[Eosyn]

Thank you all. The gasket was one that came with the filter, it was rubber. Didn't think to thread the bolt through the pan and gasket while reassembling.

.

Yes, it was a very satisfying project to get the experience and save some cash. I owe it all to the helpful people here to give me the confidence to work on my own vehicles. Since I've been on this site, I've replaced the spark plugs, coolant, ATF and PCV valve all on my own. You guys rock!

 

[SargeBB]

I was impressed with your very clean work and it looks like, from the residual ATF droplets on the valve body and from the amount of gunk on the magnet, the transmission is likely in great shape and the visual appearance of the original ATF looked good for its age as well. That car has an Aisin transmission and nobody produces better units. All I've done to mine (A541E Aisin in a 96 Camry V6 with 319,000 miles) is to replace one interior sensor. It still shifts perfectly. By the way, I agree with Donald's post. I pan drain mine every 15,000 to 20,000 miles via the plug and pull the pan, change the filter & then a coolant line fluid exchange every 100,000 to 120,000 miles. I also agree that a Magnefine in-line is a good idea on your transmission.

 

[Eosyn]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Good work! Have you been doing regular drain/fills of this AT? Looks nice and clean.


The fluid has been changed twice in the life of the car but the pan has never been dropped. First time, a technician talked me into it at Firestone Car Care Center. I suspect he only drained and filled because the level was way above the "Hot" mark and said he put in 3L. That was at 34k miles.

At 70k miles, I drained and filled it myself with Maxlife. Then this time, I decided to replace the filter but was hesitant to drop the pan because seeing all those bolts "scared" me away from doing so. I told myself to take my time and don't panic (more importantly, don't lose parts), and I should be ok.

 

[Eosyn]

Originally Posted By: SargeBB
By the way, I agree with Donald's post. I pan drain mine every 15,000 to 20,000 miles via the plug and pull the pan, change the filter & then a coolant line fluid exchange every 100,000 to 120,000 miles. I also agree that a Magnefine in-line is a good idea on your transmission.


I have no idea what Donald was talking about, so I didn't touch his post

. I don't have a clue to what a coolant line fluid exchange or a Magnefine in-line is

, but am willing to listen (in this case, read) and learn.

 

[Neely97]

Real men service their own transmissions.

It is amazing what shops charge for this, you would think it was brain surgery.

Congratulations on a job well done .

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Eosyn
Originally Posted By: SargeBB
By the way, I agree with Donald's post. I pan drain mine every 15,000 to 20,000 miles via the plug and pull the pan, change the filter & then a coolant line fluid exchange every 100,000 to 120,000 miles. I also agree that a Magnefine in-line is a good idea on your transmission.


I have no idea what Donald was talking about, so I didn't touch his post

. I don't have a clue to what a coolant line fluid exchange or a Magnefine in-line is

, but am willing to listen (in this case, read) and learn.


When you drain ATF from the pan you get about 1/3 of the total ATF in the system. Your car has a cooler for the AT transmission. You disconnect the supply line going to it and drop it in a bucket and start the engine and watch 2 QTs go into bucket. Add 2 QTs to transmission. Do this until you have cycled in the full transmission capacity + 1 QT. Now you have exchanged a high percentage, like 95%.

A Magnefine inline filter is a small filter you install inline with one of the rubber hoses going to the cooler. Its about $15 and has a 30 micron media filter and a magnet that the ATF goes past. About a 15 minute install. Cut a few inches from the line, slide in the filter, tighten 2 clamps.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: Eosyn
Originally Posted By: SargeBB
By the way, I agree with Donald's post. I pan drain mine every 15,000 to 20,000 miles via the plug and pull the pan, change the filter & then a coolant line fluid exchange every 100,000 to 120,000 miles. I also agree that a Magnefine in-line is a good idea on your transmission.


I have no idea what Donald was talking about, so I didn't touch his post

. I don't have a clue to what a coolant line fluid exchange or a Magnefine in-line is

, but am willing to listen (in this case, read) and learn.


Good job! You're set for another 10 years. No need to do anything else. I've never dropped my pan or changed a filter in my Corolla tranny. Still going strong.

 

[SargeBB]

Again, Eosyn, Donald's second post is correct. Quite frankly, most people don't keep a vehicle 20+ years. My wife and I own 3 much newer vehicles, but my goal is to see just how many miles are in the 3.0L engine & the transmission of the old Camry. I just returned from a 750 mile Interstate trip in the 96 at an average cruising speed of 75 to 80, much of it thru mountains between Santa Fe & Albuquerque. Perfect shifting and zero engine oil usage. In reality, however, I don't think
you need to do more than you've done if your goal is say 250,000 miles from your Corolla...except to do A/T pan drains every 30,000 to 50,000 miles from now on. But if you want to really treat that little Toyota right, do a search on older Toyota Corolla/Camry, etc. A/T fluid exchanges via the cooler lines as well as adding a Magnefine in-line filter. Lots of information as well as pictures are available. In my opinion, both procedures are actually easier than the pan removal/filter change you've already done. Again, those older Corollas like yours are some of the most durable and best vehicles ever produced by any manufacturer in the world. Also, if that little 4-cyl. engine has a timing belt, be sure you change it every 60 to 90,000 miles...and for that particular job, you'll want to find a good mechanic.

 

[mclasser]

Congrats on a job well done! It's satisfying knowing the job was done right using your own fluid of choice.

That's why I love doing my own oil changes. Can play around with different oils and filters.

 

[Eosyn]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Did you use a good gasket and not a cheap cork one that comes with many filters?

The best scenario would have been to do a cooling line flush immediately after you filled the transmission back up with ATF.

Install a Magnefine inline filter and forget about changing the one in the pan again.


Thanks for your explanation. Now that I kind of know what it is, I will research it and add it to my procedure 40k miles from now.

Just curious, do shops charge over $100.00 for this procedure? Just trying to get an idea of how much I saved myself in labor costs.

 

[cjcride]

They charge around that. Nobody cares as much for that car as you do...DIYers know that.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

The only grade I can think of on I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe is La Bajada Hill and it isn't that much of a grade anymore. Now In 1947, on old US-85 it was a grade. So steep that 1920/30 autos often backed up the hill.