Transmission Pan Replacement

Wild one said:

The gouges i wouldn't worry about,if the wire harness is staying in place it's probably okay. Spray the exhaust bolts with penetrating fluid and let it soak in for an hour or so,before you hit the exhaust bolts with an impact gun.You want to use an impact on them instead of a ratchet,as the hammer effect of the impact works better at loosening off exhaust bolts

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JCHunter62 said:

I threw a zip tie on to be safe.

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Wild one said:

I'd be a little leary of using a ziptie there.It's not going to last long when it's subjected to the hot fluid inside the transmission.If the wire harness is staying in place with out it,i'd probably remove it,but that's just my opinion.A better option would probably be a thin piece of wire,even if you melt the covering off a tiewrap and use it,it'd probably last longer then a ziptie

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JCHunter62 said:

Well I messaged ZF to see what the official solution is.

I also messaged valvoline hoping they'll give me a compatible materials list.

Likely solution is remove ziptie and broken piece and reinstall pan OR remove generic ziptie and use super duty ziptie. If i would have done a high temp 250 d f ziptie from home depot I probably would've been fine between filter changes.... but with a 180 dF I am worried now. Might try to order some tefzel zips but that is gonna take a week likely to get in, but would be a more permanent solution.

Still unsure why the beast drank 9+ quarts and wasnt full, but imma drive it for a few days until I figure a solution out. This will get some more of the nasty original fluid out on the next flush.

Stay tuned..


Also for those doing this, just save yourself the trouble and start with taking the three tranny bolts off and jack that some beech up to get your clearance. Had I done that first I wouldn't have broken this piece your scuffed up my new pan lip

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Wild one said:

The 2 quart deeper PPE pan adds a fair bit more fluid,but even still i'm surprised it took 10 quarts to fill it. It used to take about 7.5 to 8 quarts to fill my 8 speed with the 2 quart deeper PPE pan,depending on whether i let it drain overnight,or just for a 1/2 hour

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JCHunter62 said:

I would suspect jacking the tranny up threw it out of level. Once the pan is on and you lower it back install, how is to say it's level anymore. Best i could tell it was a little off, and I had to jack the rear up a little more but it was still levelish during my second attempt. Going thru the green sheet process twice I was still under 122.

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Wild one said:

The ideal checking temp is between 100 and 105,that 122 is the max temp,not the ideal temp.But that wouldn't really affect your fluid level by 2 quarts.By chance you didn't blow out the cooler or lines with compressed air did you.

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JCHunter62 said:

Also for those doing this, just save yourself the trouble and start with taking the three tranny bolts off and jack that some beech up to get your clearance. Had I done that first I wouldn't have broken this piece your scuffed up my new pan lip

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Wild one said:

I'd be a little leary of using a ziptie there.It's not going to last long when it's subjected to the hot fluid inside the transmission.If the wire harness is staying in place with out it,i'd probably remove it,but that's just my opinion.A better option would probably be a thin piece of wire,even if you melt the covering off a tiewrap and use it,it'd probably last longer then a ziptie

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04fxdwgi said:

I guess this post #9 indirectly answered my question in post #6

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JCHunter62 said:

I have a question I have seen in any of the other threads on this job. Of course I am having serious issues with getting my new +2 qt ppe pan into place. When trying to jack up the transmission and see if the pan fit. This little wire guide snapped off for a little length. Fortunately there is a snap on the broken piece that lets it snap together. Should i add some zip ties to keep it installed, leave just the snap holding it, or leave it Uninstalled?

I loosened the three Rear trans bolts to help pick it up. I get about 3/4" clearance on the trans before the truck starts picking up. Any clues how how to get enough clearance?View attachment 590162

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JCHunter62 said:

Got the second drain, correct zip tie(etfe) installed, and all put back together. Kinda glad I got to do a second flush, here is what the fluid looked like.

if anyone else ever breaks this plastic part here were the recommendations: ZF said you can try ro repair with a ziptie, dont cinch it down to hard though. Local RAM dealership master mechanic said leave that piece off. For zip ties I ordered Tefzel (ETFE) from McMaster-carr standard 2 day delivery for $9. You could also use temp stabilized Nylon 6/6, specifically Garden Bender 45-308UVBHS. They said there productos is fine in ATF service. Its max temp range is 238°F so if you run hot or tow maybe not the best, but menards carries these and youd be back in Service same day. ETFE should never need replaced but Id replace Nylon enhanced every filter change.

Other than that the second time around went much quicker. System took about 7-8 quarts this go around. Question when doing the final fill, do you let the level stabilize before putting the plug in or do you try to install it if fluid is still coming out the fill hole?
View attachment 590415

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JCHunter62 said:

Got the second drain, correct zip tie(etfe) installed, and all put back together. Kinda glad I got to do a second flush, here is what the fluid looked like.

if anyone else ever breaks this plastic part here were the recommendations: ZF said you can try ro repair with a ziptie, dont cinch it down to hard though. Local RAM dealership master mechanic said leave that piece off. For zip ties I ordered Tefzel (ETFE) from McMaster-carr standard 2 day delivery for $9. You could also use temp stabilized Nylon 6/6, specifically Garden Bender 45-308UVBHS. They said there productos is fine in ATF service. Its max temp range is 238°F so if you run hot or tow maybe not the best, but menards carries these and youd be back in Service same day. ETFE should never need replaced but Id replace Nylon enhanced every filter change.

Other than that the second time around went much quicker. System took about 7-8 quarts this go around. Question when doing the final fill, do you let the level stabilize before putting the plug in or do you try to install it if fluid is still coming out the fill hole?
View attachment 590415

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