To change or not to change…the transmission filter.

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

I would take those 2 corner exposed bolts out and put some anti-seize on them and reinstall if your mechanic didn't do that already.

Yep! You're not gonna break any seal on the pan taking one bolt out at a time and doing this. Heck, in fact, I'd do all of them.

For those that hear about these rear two bolts and them breaking/seizing up, take some PB Blaster or Kroil and spray some on the top of these bolts the VERY first thing you do when you crawl under before doing anything else. This will give it time to work on these bolts. These bolts are exposed at the top.

Those of us in the south and out of the rust belt generally don't see any issues with them but I'd still do this (I did) and still use some anti-seize when putting it back together.

 

[bloc]

A Bluetooth OBD dongle like Carista/etc and a tablet with obdfusion plus the expanded PID pack is another great way to monitor trans temp while doing this work.

Plus that setup can be used for one of the gauge displays while towing as discussed here

DIY Smartphone Scan Gauge - OBD Fusion

Having spent some time messing with an OBD-II smartphone monitor app on several long road trips, I think this topic deserves its own thread. Specifically using OBD Fusion to monitor the plethora of info available on the OBD-II data port of the vehicle. I can't take credit for this, but would...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[stonepa]

The reason behind why many people remove the pan IS to inspect what's in the pan. If it's just fluid and some dirty magnets, great. You have peace of mind. Afterall, aren't you doing maintenance yourself on a vehicle because you want to make sure it's done right and you want the vehicle to last as long as possible?

If there's a piece of a snap ring or some other larger debris in there, doesn't that give you a heads up to get it to a shop for further investigation? I'm in the camp of treating a problem early - most of the time you will come out ahead versus just letting it go or ignoring it.

I don't understand all the angst about dropping the pan. Yeah, it can take another 30 minutes, but are you really trying to do this job in 15-20 minutes to start with? I am good with dropping the pan and changing the filter every 70-100k miles and doing some drain and fills in between. If I bought new, I'd be dropping the pan and changing the filter at 60k, then 120k and then every 100k after that.

From my perspective of driving Land Cruisers since 1987, i just see zero to gain from dropping the pan. It gives me zero actionable insights so why waste my valuable time causing a potential issue? I just do a drain and refill every 60k and then have zero problems. At least for the last million miles over 4 vehicles.

 

[linuxgod]

Thanks. I think I will follow the video and exchange as much as possible. A little more complexity but better IMO. I am a bit worried about the level ending up too high or too low. That is why I liked the idea of several drain and fills, I could put back in exactly what I took out. I don't have anything that reads transmission pan fluid temp, so I'll have to pick up a scanner or rely on the OBD jumper trick.

How is everyone with lifted trucks confirming the truck is "level"? (it will be on flat ground). Mine has more of a rake than a stock truck. Should I jack up the front a little to mimic the factory rake, or is it not a big deal?

I would try to level your vehicle as much as possible, even if it's just driving the front tires up on a couple boards.

The local Toyota dealer does mine so I know they're doing it on a lift and thus the vehicle should be level.

It's worth the $ to buy an ELM327 OBD2 bluetooth reader ($20) and a copy of OBD Fusion with the Toyota PIDs ($15). Aside from lots of insight about fluid temps it makes it easy to read and clear the Toyota-specific codes if you ever get them. It was super helpful for us this summer when @TheGrrrrr had an airbag light come on while we were on Rimrocker and then couldn't get out of park. (Turned out to be a popped fuse).

BTW I think I actually have a WiFi version of the dongle if you want it - just send me your address - though you'll still have to buy OBD Fusion ($5) and the Toyota enhanced PIDs ($10). The WiFi version works the same but you lose internet access when using it so you can't really leave it connected to your phone while you drive or else you lose google maps, spotify/pandora, etc.

 

[sdnative]

BTW I think I actually have a WiFi version of the dongle if you want it - just send me your address - though you'll still have to buy OBD Fusion ($5) and the Toyota enhanced PIDs ($10). The WiFi version works the same but you lose internet access when using it so you can't really leave it connected to your phone while you drive or else you lose google maps, spotify/pandora, etc.

Thanks for the offer! But I just bought the Veepeak BLE+ on sale at Amazon. Plan to use OBD Fusion with the enhanced PIDs.