That doesn't upset me. I have two kids of my own. I would question things too.
I have been working on vehicles for over 30 years. This site has been here for several years and the questions are all answered by certified technicians. We answer over 10,000 questions per month. What makes your question unique is the fact that things were changed in the vehicle before you got it. Therefore, the transmission could be different too (which I think it is). The funny thing is that it looks like the 4R100 but you said there are only 17 bolts holding the pan on. If you could see a pan gasket at a parts store, you could match it up and then you would know.
To answer your first question, ASE master certification with 30+ years experience. Believe me. I wouldn't have spent this much time just trying to fool you. My posts are usually answered with one to two replies. I'm trying to help. This is just a hard one because we don't know what the prior owner did and I'm not there to actually see the trans.
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 AT 1:18 PM