2006 Caravan Removed transmission pan, changed Filter

Dodge Caravan Year 2006 V6 3.3L Transmission 0il and
Filter change
Sat 5/9/09 6:35 AM

Last Saturday May 2 / 2009
Changed transmission oil, Filter, new Oil Pan with Drain Screw
KM 89800.

How I did Transmission oil and filter change:..........This was First
time I removed Transmission Pan.

Heat engine before draining transmission fluid.
1 ) Suctioned 4 liters of transmission fluid out through the dipstick
check tube. I measured the amount I suctioned out, it was 4 liters
I have a suction bottle I got at Lee Valley tools.
I also measured the oil that remained in the pan that did not come out
by suction and also came out of the Transmission Filter was 11/2 pints.

2 ) Jack up drivers side of vehicle......next time it might be a good
idea to jack up both sides of front of vehicle.
3 ) Clean around transmission pan area. Next time good idea to go to
car wash and wash around transmission pan area, kneel down get under
vehicle with wand.
4 ) I removed all 14 bolts from transmission pan. ( p.s. size of
transmission pan bolts M8 x 1.25 x M16 ),
( 1.25= metric way of determining number of threads ) Size of socket
to remove pan bolts 10mm.
After removing the 14 pan bolts, I inserted four, 8mm x 100mm long bolts
in the four corners of pan, so the pan would not just fall and flop
down, when I broke the RTV seal.
5 ) Break RTV seal transmission oil pan, front corner driver's side. (
good idea to remove front driver's side tire) First I used the Mora
knife ( use any knife ) to get some separation, between transmission pan
and transmission body. Knock the knife in just to get the bare minimum
separation. Then I inserted a beveled edged, rigid, putty knife into the
slight separation. Knocked putty knife in along the edge and it very
quickly broke the RTV gasket seal and the pan moved down on the four 8mm
x 100mm corner bolts I installed to prevent the pan from just falling
and flopping down. Remember even though I suctioned 4 liters of
transmission oil out of pan you cannot suction ALL the oil out, about
11/2pints remained in pan. I had an adequate drain container under the
transmission pan.
I was surprised how much dirt there was inside the pan, there is also a
magnet inside the oil pan and it was saturated with tiny metal filings.
I installed two extra magnets inside the new transmission pan, making it
three magnets.
The thickness of the RTV seal between the pan and the transmission body
is very thin. RTV on transmission body was less then a paper thin
coating. Use a tooth brush size, steel brush, to brush this coating off,
brushes off easily.
There was no problem breaking the RTV seal and getting the transmission
pan off. I thought much about this job and thought I would have much
difficulty getting the transmission pan off. Truth is it was easy.
Next time I will NOT first use Mora knife to get a slight gap between
pan and transmission body, I will just use beveled edged putty knife
first. Just work on one corner of the pan with the putty knife and a
rubber hammer. Next time it should be easier with the front drivers side
wheel off. However hammering the putty knife was no real problem.
Separation of the pan came easy.
Always remember to install the four 8mm x 100mm corner bolts, this
prevents the transmission pan from just falling when the seal breaks.
All the RTV seal broke for me at once. If I did not have the four corner
bolts the pan would have fell. Remember oil remains in the pan.
With one hand push the pan up and remove the four corner pan bolts, drop
the pan and drain the remaining oil in the pan into your drain pan. As I
mentioned about 11/2 pints remain in pan. Don't forget I suctioned out 4
liters of oil at the beginning.
Yes I know the 4 liters of transmission fluid I suctioned out is not the
total amount of oil in the transmission, I have the two shop manuals.
6 ) After all the transmission oil is drained and the pan has been
removed, it still drips transmission oil drops along the back of the
transmission body edge ( car was tilted in that direction). It dripped
all the time I worked on the transmission. No matter how much you wipe
with a cloth the drops will not stop.

7 ) I did not have to remove the RTV seal from the original transmission
pan, because I did not reinstall the original pan.
I purchased a new transmission oil pan from a Chrysler dealer, about
$35, then had a welder, weld me an oil drain fitting with drain screw
to the oil pan, $20. Next time I change my transmission filter which I
plan on doing once every year, I don't have to first suction 4 litres of
oil out the transmission dipstick tube, I just remove the transmission
pan oil screw, like I do with the engine oil drain screw and drain
whichever oil.

8 ) Cleaned the new transmission pan rim, also the underside of the
transmission rim surface with lacquer thinner. For a final clean
I used the same final clean I use before spray painting a vehicle. The
factory service manual recommends spreading 1/8 inch
bead of ATF-RTV around pan edge surface including screw holes. This is
what I did.
ATF-RTV I used was what is recommended in the Chrysler service manual
and purchased from a Chrysler / Dodge dealer.
AFT-RTV transmission pan sealer........Part number / Description,
05010884-AA Sealer 01-081-003.....this is exactly what is on the
Chrysler receipt. Cost was $ 7.94..........On the 3 oz. RTV tube is also
MS-GF41B..............RTV colour is Black.

9 ) Inserted 3 magnets in pan.......originally there was only one. Two
were Chrysler dealer original magnets, third was a more
powerful Lee Valley Magnet.

10 ) Inserted new transmission filter with rubber gasket.

11 ) Transmission pan was now ready to be installed about 10/ 15 minutes
after I spread bead of RTV around pan edge.
First I again inserted four 8mm x 100mm bolts in transmission edge
holes, however these bolts I cut the heads off and where I cut the heads
off, on a grinder I ground a point on the bolts, so when the bolts were
inserted into the transmission body, it would be easy to guide the
transmission pan onto the bolts. I pushed the pan up onto the bolts,
slid the pan up a little, then wiped for the last time the slight drops
of transmission fluid that accumulates on the back edge of the
transmission body, then finally pushed the pan with the TRV sealer, all
the way up to contact the transmission underside, With one hand pressing
the transmission pan against the underside inserted the pan screws, not
forgetting to remove the 8mm x 100mm guide bolts and insert pan screws.
You must also spread RTV sealer on the underside of the transmission pan
bolts, as per service manual. This I did.
Spread RTV on underside of all 14 pan bolts while both of your hands are
still free, before you start pushing pan with RTV up onto transmission.

12 ) Transmission pan bolts must be Torqued to 165 in / lbs.....which
equals 165 divided by 12, which =13.75 ft / lbs.
I torqued the pan in three increments, 50 in / lbs, then 100 in / lbs,
then 165 in / lbs.

I filled with the same amount of Mopar ATF 4 fluid I drained and removed
from transmission pan.


THE END

Today it is one week since I did the above job, not one drop of
transmission fluid has leaked, no indication of any transmission
problem. I have checked twice a day for oil leaks, in the morning when I
go to work and after work. Great to know I now have a
Transmission Drain Plug.

Denny B

 

I suspect that a lot of failures result from leakage here - in perhaps
250,000 miles of various Caravans, have had two RTV failures and one
giant O-ring failure (giant failure on giant O-ring). If one doesn't
check often, and parks in a place that isn't spic and span, leakage
will never be noticed until overheating takes place.