- To avoid contamination of the transmission, thoroughly clean the exterior of the oil pan and surrounding area to remove any deposits of dirt and grease.
- Position a suitable drain pan under the oil pan and remove the drain plug. Allow the oil to drain from the pan. Set the drain plug aside.
CAUTION
Check the fluid in the drain pan, it should always be a bright red color. It if is discolored (brown or black), or smells burnt, serious transmission troubles, probably due to overheating, should be suspected. The transmission should be inspected by a qualified service technician to locate the cause of the burnt fluid.
- Loosen and remove all but two of the oil pan retaining bolts. Try to remove them in a crisscross pattern.
| Fig. 1:
Remove the transmission pan retaining bolts in a crisscross pattern
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| Fig. 2:
Remove all of these bolts when lowering the automatic drain pan
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- Support the pan by hand and slowly remove the remaining two bolts.
- Carefully lower the pan to the ground. There will be some fluid still inside the pan, so be careful.
| Fig. 3:
Always use two hands to lower the pan
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- On the A46DE and A46DF, oil tubes cover the strainer area. Pry up both oil tube ends with a large tool and remove the four oil tubes. Disconnect the wiring from the No. 1 and No. 2 and the No. 3 solenoids.
| Fig. 4:
On some models, the transmission tubes will need to be removed
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- Remove the oil strainer attaching bolts and carefully remove the strainer. The strainer will also contain some fluid.
| Fig. 5:
Disengage the wiring for the solenoids if present
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| Fig. 6:
Remove the oil strainer retaining bolts . . .
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| Fig. 7:
. . . then lower the strainer
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NOTE: Some of the oil strainer bolts may be slightly longer than the others. Make a mental note of where the longer bolts go so that it may be reinstalled in the original position.
- Remove the oil strainer and discard the old gaskets.
| Fig. 8:
Scrape any old gasket material from around the mating area
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- Drain the remainder of the fluid from the oil pan and wipe the pan clean with a rag. With a gasket scraper, remove any old gasket material from the flanges of the pan and the transmission. All van automatic transmissions use FIPG (08826–00090), Three bond 1281 or equivalent.
NOTE: Depending on the year and maintenance schedule of the vehicle, there may be from one to three small magnets on the bottom of the pan. These magnets were installed by the manufacturer at the time the transmission was assembled. The magnets function to collect metal chips and filings from clutch plates, bushings and bearings that accumulate during the normal break-in process that a new transmission experiences. So, don't be alarmed if such accumulations are present. Clean the magnets and reinstall them. They are useful tools for determining transmission component wear.
| Fig. 9:
Clean and inspect the magnets in the bottom of the transmission pan
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| Fig. 10:
Clean all the mating areas around the transmission
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| Fig. 11:
Clean the gasket material from the pan
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| Fig. 12:
A rag can be used to thoroughly clean the inside of the pan
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To install:
- Install the new oil strainer with new gaskets. Tighten the retaining bolts in their proper locations.
- Tighten the oil strainer bolts to the following:
- A46DE and A46DF — 48 inch lbs. (5 Nm)
- A340E and A340F — 7 ft. lbs. (10 Nm)
- When installing the bolts on the A340F, insert as specified:
- A — 0.63 inch (16mm)
- B — 0.79 inch (20mm)
- C — 1.10 inch (28mm)
| Fig. 13:
The A340E oil strainer is retained with 3 bolts
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| Fig. 14:
A340F automatic transmission bolt locations
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- Install any components such as the oil tubes.
| Fig. 15:
Install the oil tubes on models equipped
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- Install the new sealant onto the oil pan. Position the magnets so that they will not interfere with the oil tubes.
- Raise the pan and gasket into position on the transmission and install the retaining bolts. Tighten the retaining bolts in a crisscross pattern to:
- A340E and A340F — 65 inch lbs. (7 Nm)
- A46DE and A46DF — 39 inch lbs. (4 Nm)
- Install and tighten the drain plug to 15 ft. lbs. (20 Nm).
- Fluid is added only through the dipstick tube. Use only the proper automatic transmission fluid; do not overfill.
- Replace the dipstick after filling. Start the engine and allow it to idle. DO NOT race the engine!
- After the engine has idled for a few minutes, shift the transmission slowly through the gears and then return it to P. With the engine still idling, check the fluid level on the dipstick. If necessary, add more fluid to raise the level to where it is supposed to be.
