First Transmission Drain and Fill

[Vtur]

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.

Heat is generating by internal components. I think the plastic pan would traps the heat instead of dissipating.

Sponsored

 

[Stan H]

Heat is generating by internal components. I think the plastic pan would traps the heat instead of dissipating.

I tend to agree with this assessment. I have no proof but makes sense.

 

[JTGuy]

In the process of a drain and fill on my trans at 31K . Doing the PPE pan and filter. That factory oil does not look good at all. Very dark. I'll see inside the pan soon.

 

[Hootbro]

In the process of a drain and fill on my trans at 31K . Doing the PPE pan and filter. That factory oil does not look good at all. Very dark. I'll see inside the pan soon.

Unless it came out coal black and/or smelled burnt, I would not put too much thought into the color.

I did mine also at 31K and did an oil analysis and it came back fine. Color was a pretty dark greenish brown but about what I expected.

 

[JTGuy]

I will now have a pan with a drain plug. I wonder if a 2nd drain and refill in a week would help at all.

 

[jac04]

I will now have a pan with a drain plug. I wonder if a 2nd drain and refill in a week would help at all.

It will result in a higher % of new fluid in the system, so it certainly won't hurt.

 

[AmosMoses]

I will now have a pan with a drain plug. I wonder if a 2nd drain and refill in a week would help at all.

I did two drain and fills last summer with a couple thousand miles in between. Iam doing a third in the spring just before I hit 60k miles. Will change the filter one last time as well.

 

[g2020]

I will now have a pan with a drain plug. I wonder if a 2nd drain and refill in a week would help at all.

As you know, some are satisfied with a single pan drop. Others are satisfied with 90%+ replaced. If switching to aftermarket ATF (not ZF-approved), closer to 99% replaced is better. The amount of old ATF replaced diminishes rapidly, especially after 90%.

General Guidance on Number of Pan Drops
MOPAR, ZF, or ZF-approved equivalent: 1-3 pan drops (for ZF-approved equivalents including MOPAR, see doc #1)
Aftermarket brand: 4-6 pan drops (aftermarket brands are not ZF-approved)

- Drive vehicle between 500 and 1,000 miles before doing next pan drop

Pan Drop ATF Replacement Rates
1-(1-5.5/9.5)^1 = 57.9% replaced after 1 pan drop
1-(1-5.5/9.5)^2 = 82.3% replaced after 2 pan drops
1-(1-5.5/9.5)^3 = 92.5% replaced after 3 pan drops
1-(1-5.5/9.5)^4 = 96.9% replaced after 4 pan drops
1-(1-5.5/9.5)^5 = 98.7% replaced after 5 pan drops
1-(1-5.5/9.5)^6 = 99.4% replaced after 6 pan drops

Drop any of the calcs shown above into Google. Change the exponent for the number of jobs.
5.5 quarts = Drainable ATF (varies between 5.5 quarts and 6.5 quarts)
9.5 quarts = Capacity of automatic transmission (entire system)

- Pan drop = drain & fill (using gravity)
- Never do a transmission flush

 

[JTGuy]

I am getting the ZF trans fluid on line for about 107$ for 7 quarts. My new pan holds an extra 1.5 quarts . I will probably do 1 extra drain. So much for the lifetime fluid. Only life of the warranty.

 

[JTGuy]

I measured the removed fluid with the factory pan. 7 quarts. Maybe a little more. Remember that the ZF fluid is sold by the liters not quarts.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I measured the removed fluid with the factory pan. 7 quarts. Maybe a little more. Remember that the ZF fluid is sold by the liters not quarts.

7 quarts =6.624 litres.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I will probably do 1 extra drain. So much for the lifetime fluid.

It doesn’t have to end there. If what I did is repeatable, then you’ll notice a noticeable temperature drop after the 3rd pan drop and then a significant drop again on your 4th drop. I remember doing my first couple pan drops fairly close together, maybe a month or two apart, then was doing them annually between April/May, before our summer heat (July).

I don’t know what milage you have on your transmission but mine didn’t have much to begin with, I think it was late 2022/2023. I just wanted the break-in particles out and noticed temps then hovered around upper 190-200F at the start of its life and then by last summer at about 60k kms and the 4th pan drop, I was road tripping and saw tranny temps down to 168F.

Now that truck is gone and I have a 2023, first pan drop at 25k kms (16k miles) and before drop was done, test drive showed tranny temps at 198-200F. So, I start over and see if my experience can be repeated.

 

[JTGuy]

That PPE pan install is kicking my butt. It's heavy and the exhaust is in the way. Trying to get it into place , watch that gasket, get a bolt, drop the bolt, arms get tired, find another bolt, shift the pan into place, I am just getting too old to do this alone and none of my worthless friends can even pass me a wrench. I don't ever plan on dropping that pan again.

 

[Hootbro]

That PPE pan install is kicking my butt. It's heavy and the exhaust is in the way. Trying to get it into place , watch that gasket, get a bolt, drop the bolt, arms get tired, find another bolt, shift the pan into place, I am just getting too old to do this alone and none of my worthless friends can even pass me a wrench.

So a typical day?

 

[Maximus Gladius]

That PPE pan install is kicking my butt. It's heavy and the exhaust is in the way. Trying to get it into place , watch that gasket, get a bolt, drop the bolt, arms get tired, find another bolt, shift the pan into place, I am just getting too old to do this alone and none of my worthless friends can even pass me a wrench. I don't ever plan on dropping that pan again.

Sounds like you’re not a fan. I hope now that it’s on good enough, it’s everything you were hoping for.

Sponsored