Depends which transmission you have. If you have the three-speed, there's two bolts that could be T20 torx or # 2 philips head. If you have the four-speed, the filter is held in place by the rubber o-ring on the short tube, then it is held in place by the pan. The four-speed has a circle around the letter "D" on the shift indicator in the instrument cluster.
Most aftermarket filters come with pan gaskets. If you use them, be careful to not over-tighten the pan bolts as that can split the gasket. We only used gasket sealer from a tube, but that leads to another issue with the four-speed. Once the pan is removed, transmission fluid will continue to drip from the lower rear edge for days as that fluid gradually seeps out of the clutch packs. That dripping fluid runs down right in the middle of the rear edge. Chrysler's black gasket sealer will not bond or seal if there is any oil residue on either surface. That will result in a leak. Their gray sealant does a much better job of sealing through a film of oil, but it cures quite a bit harder. It is harder to remove the next time.
Everyone has their preferred method of keeping oil off the sealing surfaces. The method I had the best luck with was to clean both surfaces, apply the bead of gray sealant all the way around the pan, then set that down close to the transmission. I used spray Brake Cleaner and a rag to clean the transmission surface, then I reached a finger up into the hole right in the middle, and just in front of rear edge of the pan surface where that fluid is running down from. Twist your finger to each side and splash it around to get the fluid to run out. Wash that rear edge again with Brake Cleaner and a rag. By splashing that oil out, it will take about a minute for dripping fluid to fill that well back up before it spills over and starts running onto the sealing surface again. That minute is plenty of time to grab the pan with the bead of sealant already on it, slap it in place, and start a few bolts by hand. Even if any fluid runs down now once the pan is in place, it will be squished out as you tighten the bolts. That fluid won't affect the sealing. In fact, you can add the new fluid right away without waiting for the sealant to cure.
Those are 10 mm bolts for the pan. The torque spec is real low, in the order of 7 to 10 inch-pounds. Common sense with a quarter-inch-drive ratchet and one hand will do the job nicely. If you happen to strip one out, there are "Heli-Coil" repair kits available at any auto parts store, but that requires removing the pan again. It is just as effective to remove the bolt, stick a piece of 14 gauge house wire into the bolt hole, then run the bolt in. These bolts don't have much force on them, and their job is pretty much done once the sealant cures.
Be sure to use the correct transmission fluid, not some generic off-the-shelf stuff. The four-speed takes Chrysler's ATF-3. It has special additives to prevent the lock-up torque converter from shuddering under partial lock-up that starts at around 35 mph.
Check out this article for more information:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-service-an-automatic-transmission
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Thursday, May 20th, 2021 AT 3:52 PM
