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Originally Posted by HeadlessHorseman
I learn several new things every day. Thanks RIP for sharing your experiences. I've heard from many others that RTV is a perfectly acceptable method for sealing tranny pans, but here's the thing... my leak was definitely caused by fluid getting by the RTV (and maybe bolts not torqued to spec when the dealer replaced my tranny last time?). I have to wonder that if RTV was OK, why would Chrysler make a $40 gasket (reuseable three times)? I installed Chrysler's gasket after I dropped the pan and, at least so far, not had any leakage at all.
Having torn down and rebuilt a dozen or so cars over the past 30+ years, I have learned many workarounds. But having paid for two new trannies over the past 229,000 miles in my GC LE, for me, I am a little afraid to stray far from "standard procedures," especially when it concerns what I perceive to be less-than-perfectly designed Chrysler mini-van trannies.
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HH - Very good points. With that much tranny trouble I'd go with a gasket too. My comfort zone would be a little stressed without it. Plus there's no scraping off old RTV. I especially like your point about Chrysler making the gasket in the first place. Pretty obvious many were experiencing leaks with RTV or old style gaskets so they made a beafed up gasket. I wish they'd be that responsive to BCM and other issues.
What I'm wondering is what the "standard procedure" really is? I've only got a Haynes manual and it says nothing about using a gasket. It just says to apply a 1/8 inch bead of RTV. A dealership told me I can use either. And now I see Ion's pictures of the rebuild of a 604 TE tranny (22 Apr this forum) by experienced techs at a tranny shop (appears so anyway). I don't see a pan gasket, just RTV. Do the factory manuals specify using a gasket?
In the future, if I was planning on keeping a car, I'd spend the extra bucks and use a reusable gasket just for the fact alone you don't have to scrape old RTV off. It's a big PITA!! By the way, I do my annual fluid change by sucking 3 quarts out the fill tube with a pump to avoid dropping the pan. About every 4-5 years I do the whole shabang.
Carols Dodge - I appologize for hijacking your thread. Hope things are looking up
04-23-2006, 01:20 PM
