Filters always come with o-rings and gaskets as needed. You are going to have the A604 4-speed transmission. The filter for that has a tube on top that plugs into a hole in the valve body. The o-ring will already be on it.
Chrysler never used a gasket for the pan or rear cover. If your filter comes with a cork gasket, go ahead and use it if you want, but do not over-tighten the pan bolts. That can split the gasket, then it will leak. Fiber gaskets are a little more forgiving, but you still want to be careful when tightening the bolts. Hand-tight with a quarter-inch ratchet is fine.
If the filter does not come with a gasket, or if you want to do the job the way we do it at the dealership, scrub all the old gasket material off the pan and the bottom of the transmission, then apply a bead of gasket sealant to the pan. Now is when the job gets a little tricky. The pan sits at a pretty steep angle. In the middle of the rear edge you will see fluid dripping down slowly. That is coming from the passages and clutch packs and will still be dripping days from now. That surface must be clean and dry before the sealant hits it
Chrysler has two gasket sealers, one is black and one is gray. Other manufacturers have their own versions, and there are lots of different kinds at the auto parts stores that are just as good. I am only describing the Chrysler products because I am very familiar with them and use them all the time.
The black sealant stays a little more rubbery and flexible when it has cured, but it absolutely will not bond or seal through a film of oil or transmission fluid. Some of us will wash the dripping fluid off with Brake Parts Cleaner and a rag, then have a helper standing by with the pan with the sealant already on it, to slap it on before the dripping resumes. You may get up to five seconds to do that. It is okay when the fluid runs over the sealant after the pan is in place. You just need it in place before fluid gets on those surfaces where the bond has to occur. You can even pour the new fluid in right away. The sealant cures from the humidity in the air. Transmission fluid will not interfere with that process.
Chrysler's gray sealant cures a little harder and it is harder to scrape off next time, but it is supposed to seal and bond through a light oil film. None of us are willing to risk causing a leak by proving that statement to be true. We still want the surfaces clean and dry. Since I am almost always doing everything by myself, I found that if you stick your finger up onto the hole where that fluid is running down from, you can splash around in there to empty the depressions where that fluid is puddling. Wipe the flange once more with Brake Parts Cleaner and a rag, but now it can take a good fifteen to twenty seconds for that well to fill with fluid before it spills over and starts to run onto the flange again. That gives you a lot more time to get the pan in place and get a couple of bolts started. If you still end up with a leak after that, join the club. That has happened to every experienced transmission specialist at least once.
Here is a link to an article related to this service:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-service-an-automatic-transmission
One former coworker used to stuff a rag up into the hole where the fluid was draining from. After a final cleaning of the surface, he had yank the rag out, then have a few extra seconds to get the pan in place. It worked for him, but I had better luck sloshing my finger up in there.
There is no drain plug on this transmission. Leave two bolts in place but backed-out about two turns on the front edge of the pan, then you will need to pry on the edges to break the bond. Have a large drain pan ready. You will get about five quarts of fluid all at once.
I would be more comfortable knowing the clutch volume index numbers before you do this service. If it turns out you need to have the transmission rebuilt, you will be wasting a lot of money on the filter and fluid that are part of the rebuild job.
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Monday, September 3rd, 2018 AT 8:23 PM
