Thanks Spike. I figured that I would drain it all out and put in a new batch of transmission fluid. It was really dirty the first time when I drained it.

 

How long do the filters last? I want to change my tranny fluid (no idea when PO did it last) but I'm wondering if I need to drop the pan or if I can get away with just fluid. Disco 1 with 175,000.

 

I have exact same mileage on mine... I did my fluid last year and I just did fluid. I don't really want to take the crossmember off... I am worried that if I do the frame will shift on me. I had some metal gunk come out but I don't know when the last time it was changed... New owner as of last year.

 

How do you just break off the bolts?? Did you drill them out or something? I could see rounding them off but then how do you get them out of there?

 

I did not take the cross member out. I unbolted the exhaust y-pipe from the exhaust manifold and then I unbolted the cross member. I rolled the cross member toward the the front of the engine and then it was just a matter of rotating the tranny pan between the cross member and where the y-pipe comes together. Just have to go slow and easy.

 

Man, jobs made so much easier with a lift. Must be nice...

 

The bolts have a nut on the other side of the frame. They broke just under the head of the bolt and just pulled them out by hand.


Honda50r
Yeah the lift does make it so mutch easier but its still a PITA job either on the ground or in the air.

I would recomend flushing the fluid out a few times before replacing the filter, I ended up changing my filter twice because I figured most of the fluid would drain out when I dropped the pan.

 

Long Haul,

I will be doing this job, probably next weekend - As such I have a couple questions..
You recommended flushing the fluid a couple times - What do you mean?
Putting new fluid in and then running for a week/day/hour/ and then draining? Then putting more new fluid in and doing the same thing? Then doing the filter change?
What if I did the steps to remove the exhaust pipe and crossmember, then warm up the transmission? Then do the draining? Would this be sufficient?

Definitely appreciate your input on this, and the pics you've taken. Great Help!!!

In peace and Agape,
Trav...

 

Trav-since your fluid is already clean looking, just change the filter and put new fluid in.
If you want then you can do a drain and fill a 1,000 miles later.
By changing the filter you will get 80% of the old fluid out.

 

Fushing the fluid is easy, just drain the fluid out of the drain plug refill, I drove around 60-70 miles drained and refilled. I did that process I think 3 times till the fluid was a nice clean look.
The exhaust can be a little tough if the studs are rusted up so you mite want to get a stud, nut, and gasket kit incase you run into problems. To take the Ypipe out unhook the O2 sensors and remove the 3 bolts on each side on the manifolds then the 2 bolts at the muffler. I had drops on my sway bar due to lift but im not sure if the sway bar is in the way at stock location or not. I hear a lot of people having problems gettin the crossmember out I used a big hammer to remove it and had to use a Porta-power (hydrolic ram) to reinstall it.