1. Beefy is the best way to...
1. Beefy is the best way to describe the Jet transmission pan. Thick 0.160-inch walls and a machined 0.350-inch gasket flange combine with the stiff, finned, sand-cast aluminum construction to create a strong cover for your tranny. The kit comes complete with new fasteners to attach the pan.
Chances are your rig's automatic transmission pan is a stamped piece of sheetmetal approximately 0.035-inch thick. Clearly, this could translate to a huge problem when you travel off-highway because even the slightest contact between that thin little pan and trail obstacles could easily dent or slash the cover, resulting in catastrophic damage to the transmission. The easiest way to avoid this situation is to install a beefy aftermarket transmission pan like those offered by Jet Performance. Their stiff sand-cast aluminum design adds significant strength, thanks to 0.160-inch-thick walls and a thick, machined 0.350-inch gasket flange to prevent leaks. But durability is only half the story. Jet fins its pans to aid in fluid cooling; its pans feature magnetic drain plugs to capture damaging metal particles that could otherwise circulate in the tranny, and they increase the overall fluid capacity of the transmission to further aid cooling.
We had Attitude Performance in Arlington Heights, Illinois install a Jet transmission pan onto our Ford F-150's E4OD trans. Installation time was well under an hour and the pan fit like a glove. The pan for our application actually increased the fluid capacity by a full three quarts over stock, which was a very welcome benefit that comes in addition to the pan's durability because more fluid generally means cooler fluid. Jet Performance offers transmission pans for a number of transmissions.
2. It took only a couple of...
2. It took only a couple of minutes to remove the stock transmission cover. Clearly, it's a good idea to be ready for the large amount of fluid that will drain from the pan as you loosen it, so have a catch pan underneath the unit before you start. We took the opportunity to install a new transmission filter, which came bundled with a new pan gasket.
3. Scrape the old pan gasket...
3. Scrape the old pan gasket from both the pan and transmission and install the new gasket on the Jet pan. At this time you can also install the magnetic drain plug and torque it to 25 lb-ft.
4. Carefully place the new...
4. Carefully place the new pan on your transmission and install the perimeter bolts. Snug all bolts up against the transmission pan. Tighten the bolts in a criss-cross pattern, a little at a time. Torque the bolts to 10 to 12 lb-ft. Fill the transmission with fresh ATF, and you're ready to hit the trail.