First Transmission Drain and Fill

[DanW]

When I do these 8 speeds, I install the Dorman pan. It's identical to OE in construction, but it has two important updates. One, it has replacement filter elements available. Two, it has a proper drain plug on the bottom of the pan.

For fluid I use Valvoline Max Life. It's ZF 8 and 9 speed compatible and costs WAY less money than the factory brand.

As far as fluid temp, I just wait until the middle of summer when ambient is 90F and do the job. That way there are no fancy tools need to measure fluid temp and there's no waiting around. Just do the job "cold" and fluid level will be perfect.

Do you have a link for that pan? That would be the setup I would want.

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[4-Low]

Do you have a link for that pan? That would be the setup I would want.

Yes sir.

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p--265-850.aspx

 

[Hootbro]

Yes sir.

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p--265-850.aspx

That is the plastic pan that is usually installed on ZF 8 Speed passenger car and RAM 1500 vehicles.

That is not an equivalent to the steel pan that is installed on JL and JT model vehicles. One would give up some protection installing that plastic pan for the sake of the ATF fluid drain function.

 

[Stan H]

Yes sir.

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p--265-850.aspx

So what your saying is your slapping a plastic pan on your Gladiator?
They come with a metal pan

 

[Stan H]

Unless your always on pavement I would highly discourage that. I know I have rubbed the paint on my metal pan and on my previous pan I painted scratches . Had it been made of plastic I would have been smoked .
I suggest buying another pan and having a bung welded in the bottom back of the pan .

 

[4-Low]

Show me an instance of somebody puncturing a transmission pan on a late model Jeep. I'll wait.

 

[Hootbro]

Show me an instance of somebody puncturing a transmission pan on a late model Jeep. I'll wait.

That kind of proves the point. Not really going to find them because they come OEM with metal transmission pans to begin with.

Where pennies add up, Jeep would not have gone to a metal pan in the JL and JT if they did not think it was warranted.

 

[4-Low]

I didn't say Gladiator. ANY Jeep. JT, JL, WK2, any of them. It doesn't happen.

Another benefit of the finned plastic pan is that it will keep the fluid cooler. This will extend transmission life.

 

[Stan H]

I didn't say Gladiator. ANY Jeep. JT, JL, WK2, any of them. It doesn't happen.

Another benefit of the finned plastic pan is that it will keep the fluid cooler. This will extend transmission life.

Hmmm well that's a new one too.

 

[jac04]

Looks like there is a finned aluminum version of that plastic pan by Autotecnica, which also uses a different filter. Interesting, but I'm sticking with my original pan, and buying Mopar fluid & filter.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=12716777&cc=0&pt=8546&jsn=3

 

[ChrisNLA]

That is the plastic pan that is usually installed on ZF 8 Speed passenger car and RAM 1500 vehicles.

That is not an equivalent to the steel pan that is installed on JL and JT model vehicles. One would give up some protection installing that plastic pan for the sake of the ATF fluid drain function.

Unless your always on pavement I would highly discourage that. I know I have rubbed the paint on my metal pan and on my previous pan I painted scratches . Had it been made of plastic I would have been smoked .
I suggest buying another pan and having a bung welded in the bottom back of the pan .

I would install the Dorman pan on my truck without much thought.

But honestly I'd also buy the Mopar just as quick. You know what's easier than swapping the filter in the Dorman? Yeeting the entire Mopar assembly into the dumpster and installing a new one.

Mine lives on the pavement, but the transmission pan is hardly low hanging fruit. You'd have to get a well placed rock in there to damage it, then what are the odds that you only lightly touch it, and not smash it and the filter into the valve body, or snag the nearby trans lines and rip them out, too?

But I digress, before my truck spends any time doing real off-roading I will likely buy an ASFIR or similar engine/trans skid as punching a hole in the engine oil pan is about the same odds as catching the transmission.

I'm not counting on a sheet metal oil pan to protect itself - I'm counting on not giving it a chance to hit the ground at all.

 

[JTGuy]

I got the PPE HD cast aluminum pan. I scrape the trans pan every time I go to the mall. The added quart of fluid will make my trans last much longer ...

 

[DanW]

Yes sir.

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p--265-850.aspx

Thank you!!

Is it steel? It almost looks like polymer in the pics.

 

[Stan H]

Thank you!!

Is it steel? It almost looks like polymer in the pics.

Premium Chinesium !!!

 

[Vtur]

Looks like there is a finned aluminum version of that plastic pan by Autotecnica, which also uses a different filter. Interesting, but I'm sticking with my original pan, and buying Mopar fluid & filter.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=12716777&cc=0&pt=8546&jsn=3

Interesting, even the filter is aluminum and the pickup placement is similar to our oe pan.

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