Dorman tranny pan gasket and prep

AzTruckGuy

Original poster
Member
Dec 1, 2015
501
scottsdale, az
Transfer case fluid changed out Thursday and Full Synthetic oil change done today.

Tomorrow or Monday Tranny fluid change. So I ordered the Dorman oil pan with drain plug https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002U6ELS4/?tag=gmtnation-20

Read the reviews and it seems the drain plug gasket might have an issue with leaks, so I ordered the Dorman 65270 drain plug gasket https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C11GKA/?tag=gmtnation-20

Those that have done the Dorman oil pan, have you had any issues with the drain plug gasket? Did you just move over the magnet from the old pan to the Dorman since it doesn't have one?

Tranny filter will be replaced https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C9LOHW/?tag=gmtnation-20

The new tranny filter comes with a filter seal, Ive read some change it out, while other leave in it. They say it can be a little tricky to get in and if not done correctly could damage that area. Any thoughts?

I have 4 gallons of Dexron VI, I assume this will be enough for a fluid change to clean via the tranny cooler lines?

Lastly since I am changing out the 1-2 3-4 Shift Solenoid Valves the vehicle should be in park and not Neutral?
 
Last edited:

Mounce

Member
Mar 29, 2014
13,667
Tuscaloosa, AL
I just went ahead and swapped the gasket. Didn't even try the one that comes on it. The 65270's will be tight on the plug, that's normal.

I cleaned the stock magnet off and stuck it in nearly the same place in the new pan.
 

Mounce

Member
Mar 29, 2014
13,667
Tuscaloosa, AL
Also I wouldn't worry about the filter seal. Don't be rough with the original one taking the filter out and putting the new one in and it should be fine.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
Park and neutral are essentially the same except park has the parking pawl engaged. Shouldn't bother anything with the solenoids.

Did you watch @MAY03LT 's videos? I believe he says how much he needed to do the fluid exchange.
 

AzTruckGuy

Original poster
Member
Dec 1, 2015
501
scottsdale, az
Park and neutral are essentially the same except park has the parking pawl engaged. Shouldn't bother anything with the solenoids.

Did you watch @MAY03LT 's videos? I believe he says how much he needed to do the fluid exchange.

I did today and he says 16qtrs for his Envoy? I have been reading the Trailblazer manuals that I got from the site and it says after overhaul it takes 11qrts? I just wanna make sure I enough with 4 gallons
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
There is a difference between an overhaul and a "flush" where you're trying to clear out all the old fluid from the tranny using the pump. There will be some waste. An overhaul is basically a new dry tranny so no waste.
 

MAY03LT

Member
Nov 18, 2011
3,412
Delmarva
The new tranny filter comes with a filter seal, Ive read some change it out, while other leave in it. They say it can be a little tricky to get in and if not done correctly could damage that area. Any thoughts?

If you feel resistance while taking the old filter off, leave it in place. I've done them and both taking them out and putting them in sucks equally.

4 gallons should be plenty. The fancy trans flush machines that I have used called for the manufacturers capacity rounded up a quart and that never worked, it was more like a gallon more to get all the crappy fluid out. In some cases several gallons.
 

LouisTB

Member
Apr 12, 2016
120
Tampa, FL
I'm getting ready to my trans flush soon and I also bought the dorman pan and went ahead and bought the nylon washers too. One tip is the nylon washers is going to go on very snug and isn't going to slip over the drain bolt so what I did was get it on just enough so I could thread the bolt back into the pan and then carefully thread the back on. This should push the washer flush with the base of the nut. Also the drain bolt takes a 17mm socket.
 

AzTruckGuy

Original poster
Member
Dec 1, 2015
501
scottsdale, az
Thanks for all the tips....heres my tip I used a very light film of glue on the out side of the grooves, taking care not to put glue on the inside of the grooves and used clothes hangers to hold the gasket in place until it dries. Just to get it ready for the change out.


pan.JPG
 

xavierny25

Member
Mar 16, 2014
6,323
Staten Island, N.Y
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AzTruckGuy

Original poster
Member
Dec 1, 2015
501
scottsdale, az
IMG_1990.JPG Ok everything put on fluid is changed. Took it out for a drive, didn't notice anything different. I wasn't having shifting issues before so honestly I wasn't really expecting any improvement. Just good to know the tranny fluid has been changed it looked disgusting.
IMG_1990.JPG

Ok here's my tip on how to lower the pan if your doing it by yourself and on the ground with jacks. Less mess use a jack to slowly lower the pan
IMG_1989.JPG
 
Last edited:

FearlessAZ

Member
Jun 7, 2016
156
Phoenix, AZ
Most gaskets are crap nowadays. Always best to reuse your original one if you can. Biggest thing is proper torque on those trans pan bolts. I over tightened them the first time and ended of with a good leak that I didn't notice for 2 months(Didn't have a toque wrench at the time). I also have the same pan and have had zero issues with anything leaking once I retorqued the bolts. Drain plug has been fine with zero issues. It has only been on for like 4 months though.
 

AzTruckGuy

Original poster
Member
Dec 1, 2015
501
scottsdale, az
Most gaskets are crap nowadays. Always best to reuse your original one if you can. Biggest thing is proper torque on those trans pan bolts. I over tightened them the first time and ended of with a good leak that I didn't notice for 2 months(Didn't have a toque wrench at the time). I also have the same pan and have had zero issues with anything leaking once I retorqued the bolts. Drain plug has been fine with zero issues. It has only been on for like 4 months though.

Disagree, when I took my pan off the bolts were too easy to take off, which worked in my favor. I used the gasket that came with my Ac Delco trans filter change kit, which was thicker than the original gasket. I would never re-use that old gasket on the old pan. I also didn't have a torque wrench, tightened them down and rechecked after a day, tightened them down again, no leaks on the Dorman pan
 

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