Hi all.

Got my Delta back and just cleaning up some issues.

I know I have to drop the pan and drop the governor plate to get the speedometer gear on the governor.

I've never opened a trans before and the trans is going to be in the car for this. Everything looks pretty easy (famous last words, I know) but what about the pan gasket? Fel-Pro has a rubber gasket. Do I need RTV with that? any tips or tricks to install this since I'll be working under the car? How much fluid will I lose?

The other gear, I've done before

 

All of it, so plan on replacing the filter at the same time. Get a BIG drain pan, as it will make a mess.

 

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I use one of these to catch Trans fluid when pulling the pan. It is pretty cheap and big enough to catch most of it. I use a fiber gasket. Make sure your pan rail is flat and the trans case is wiped down and doesn't have debris on it. . You might want to pick up a governor cover gasket

 

How much is "All of it?"

I have 6 quarts at home, I know it's more than 6 quarts

 

Okay, I'll look into that.

The kit I got has a filter too. It's a "Pro-King" set. It's all made in China which I do not like

It's a rubber gasket. Do I need RTV? I was going to use a little bit, just to act like glue to hold the gasket in place while I bring the pan back up

 

Actually with a filter change you're probably looking at only five quarts. Six would should be enough to have on hand, unless you have an aftermarket pan.

 

No RTV needed. Be sure the pan rail is flat, however. If the bolts have been over-torqued, the rail gets dimpled at the bolt holes, which leads to leaks. You can hammer it back flat if needed. I don't even like to use hi-tack on the gasket because it makes cleanup more difficult next time (did I mention I was lazy?). One trick I've learned is to use sewing thread to tie the gasket to the pan through a few of the bolt holes. The thread doesn't affect sealing and there's no scraping and cleanup next time.

 

Using thread is a neat trick. However, doesn't the gasket usually have holes just small enough to hold a few bolts in place (without them dropping out) as you raise the pan into place and start 2 or more of those bolts?


Personally, I'm going to invest in a pan with a drain plug for my next filter replacement. I have a large drain pan, but it still can make quite a mess unless you are VERY careful when releasing the last bolts and keeping the pan (heavy with fluid nearly to the top lip) balanced while lowering it.