Transmision oil pan leaking..how hard is it?

[JEREMY19]

I got a v6 2001 sport trac, with 100,000 miles. I love it!! Had it for 9 years so far. I notice transmision oil leaking, I think is coming from the gasket. How dificult is it to replace gasket?? I'm not to worry about replacing it but, when putting oil back in the transmision. How do I do it?? What kind and how much?? Do I do it when engine is cold or warm??

[Davescort97]

It's not hard to change the gasket. Loosen all the transmission pan bolts, then drop one side down by taking more bolts off one side than the other. Drop the pan on one side and let it drain into a pan. Once most of the fluid has drained out into the pan you can go ahead and remove the rest of the bolts. You put fluid back in by the dipstick tube. You'll need a funnel. Just to change by dropping the pan you need 4 qts. of Mercon V. It should say on the dipstick what kind to use.

Ford has a recall on the 2001 Exporer sport trac. "Oil cooler lines may disengage from the transmission, causing a transmission fluid leak. 08-03-2007. You won't have to pay for this repair. Take it to the dealer.

[JEREMY19]

Thanks, i'll see if i can do this soon. What about the filter. I heard people changing the filter also. What do you recomend. I know a little about cars. I'm not afraid of taking stuff apart. I just don't want to try to safe money and at the end make something worse.

[Blue)(Fusion]

If you have it open, you might as well replace the filter, too. They're only a few bucks. Don't forget to wipe the magnet clean at the bottom of the pan. I make everything as clean as possible when putting it back together.