Changing the Trans. Fluid

Im gonna change the tranny fluid by dropping the pain and changing the filter and filling it back up.

Ive heard this takes a while , why?
anything i need to keep in mind before i start doing this tommarow.

it takes awhile 'cause its messy as hell.
first, drain it using both drain plugs on the trans. then remove the 20 or so bolts holding the pan on, and pop it off (if it doesnt fall off by itself, that is).
remove the 4 bolts holding on the filter.. now, this whole time youre going to be geting dripped on like crazy. its a disgusting mess. make sure that 100 PERCENT of the old gasket is off of the pan and the transmissions mating surface, or it is garanteed to leak when your done.
install the new filter, and the new gasket with the pan.
install all the bolts before tightening any of them. when they have all been started, snug them but do NOT overtighen. the pan will deform easily and leak.

As manybrews stated, it's very messy, but not nearly as much as a domestic. Once you get the hang of it, you can service a tranny in about an hour. One of the things that takes forever is loosening and tightening the 20 or so bolts that hold the pan on. Be careful with the bolts that hold in the filter, very light "torque" (actually, finger tight, plus about 1/4-1/2 turn more is just about right) or else you can damage the filter. Also, while the pan is off be sure to wash it in a parts washer. If you don't have a parts washer, wipe it out really well with some rags. At first, just use any old dirty rag, than use cleaner rags, until a white cloth swabbed around the pan stays fairly clean. also clean the magnets in the bottom of the pan and put them back. If you leave that sludge, the whole process becomes sorta moot, as the clean fluid will immediately pick up some of that crap. Clean both gasket surfaces really well. Umm, I don't remember right off hand, but I think Mitsubishi uses a "regular" one time use gasket. So, it may not all come off in one piece. Now, as a side note, just draining the pan will only remove 1/3-1/2 of the total fluid. The rest is still stored in the Torque converter and the actual transmission. If you want to completely change the fluid, you'll have to flush the system. This is a messy, and expensive procedure on a Mitsubishi. If you've kept up regular transmission maintnance this step can be skipped. First, the transmission must be filled back to the full line (about 2.5 quarts If memory serves me) it's really not super important at this point that it's exact, use whatever you drained out as a guestimation for what needs to go back in. Now, disconnect the transmission cooler line going into the transmission. Place this end in a bucket or other catching device. Just be sure it's a big one. Now, here it really helps to have a friend to help you out. Start the car, and put it in neutral (safety first, chock the wheels and set the handbrake. Preferably before even starting the car) Fluid should start pouring out the line that you've placed into the bucket. At this point you need to start adding fluid to the transmission at about the same rate as it's coming out 'cuz you don't want it to run dry. after about five quarts, stop adding and wait for the fluid to start "spitting" from the cooler line. as soon as this happens shut the car off. Now, just reattach the cooler line, fill to the full line, check the pan for leaks, take the car for a short drive, and make sure everything's Ok. Just as a warning, a total flush and fill requires about 12 quarts of fluid. With Mitsubishi Diamond fluid at around $4.50 a quart (or is it even more expensive now?) that comes to $54 in fluid plus the cost of the filter and gasket. Not a cheap proposition, but compared to the $2000 for a new tranny, not too shabby a deal. Oh, and while you're doing this, be sure to wear safety goggles. Fluid will be dripping on your face the entire time, and it does burn the eyes very much so. That's everything I can think of at the moment. Good luck. It's not a difficult job, just messy and time consuming. Oh, and your arms will probably ache when you're done just from holding them above your head for such a long period of time.

wow, thanks a lot manybrews and kain.

i heard MOPAR tranny fluid is what we use, can anyone else confirm this.

i guess i wont do this today, ill save this for thursday.

another tip, the height of a car. if u got acess to a professional style lift, go ahead and use it. other wise, get some nice jackstands and make sure that tehy are kinda high. i know my jackstands can go up to like 24-27 inches high and my jack does too but yea the more room u have to work in, the more comfortable u will be

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HiperSilver)</div><div class='quotemain'>wow, thanks a lot manybrews and kain. Â*

i heard MOPAR tranny fluid is what we use, can anyone else confirm this.

i guess i wont do this today, ill save this for thursday.</div>
NOOOOOOOO!!
use ONLY mitsu fluid. do not use GM, Ford, or Chrysler fluid.
Do NOT use a generic dexron 2 or 3 substitute.

Mitsu fluid is the ONLY fluid that can be garanteed to prevent the shuddering and mushy shifts you will get using a generic substitute.

i cannot express strongly enough... use ONLY mitsu fluid.

aight, how much is it a quart, and how many will i need if i just change it

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HiperSilver)</div><div class='quotemain'>aight, how much is it a quart, and how many will i need if i just change it</div>

Per quart? way too much. Like $4.50 if I remember correctly, maybe more. When I did mine, I just drained and filled (no flush). I bought 5 quarts and did not need the fifth. I'd say 5 just to be on the safe side. It's better to have an extra quart, than to need one and not have it.

oh ok, well i have 42k miles on the car, got the 30k service so my trans has been maintained, 30 k was the first tiem the trany fluid was changed, should i go ahead and perform the flush or screw it?

also where is the other plug u are talking about?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HiperSilver)</div><div class='quotemain'>oh ok, well i have 42k miles on the car, got the 30k service so my trans has been maintained, 30 k was the first tiem the trany fluid was changed, should i go ahead and perform the flush or screw it?

also where is the other plug u are talking about?</div>

12k isn't that long ago. i mean if your been treating ur tranny normally and haven't had any problems you should just let it be for a while. ov course if you've been beating your tranny around or you suspect something is up with the fluid and or your tranny might wanna consider it to maybe save your tranny...

oh something is definatly coming up on my tranny, shifts hard into first gear, but its a bit ....crappy.

Where do you buy the MITSU fluid at? I have been using the Valvoline Durablend Synthetic ATF (DEXRON III, MERCON, and MERCON V). That is what is on the label. Also, manybrews metioned that there is two drain plugs for the tranny, one on the tranny pan, and the second is where? My car sometimes shifts kind of hard going from 1st to 2nd (100k+ plus miles on it) but I have been servicing the tanny regularly.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oli97GalantES)</div><div class='quotemain'>Where do you buy the MITSU fluid at? Â*I have been using the Valvoline Durablend Synthetic ATF (DEXRON III, MERCON, and MERCON V). Â*That is what is on the label. Â*Also, manybrews metioned that there is two drain plugs for the tranny, one on the tranny pan, and the second is where? Â*My car sometimes shifts kind of hard going from 1st to 2nd (100k+ plus miles on it) but I have been servicing the tanny regularly.</div>
first, your trans shifting problems are probably from that aftermarket fluid.
its NOT meant to be used in a mitsu tranny.. get mitsu fluid at a mitsu dealership.
and the other drain plug is on the differential case (about 3 inches away from the one on the pan).
there are 2 there as you cant quite get all the fluid out of those trannies without draining the diff.. a cup or two would be trapped.

well i changed it today, little to maybee none improvement, maybee ill see it tmmarow when i drive the car a ways, but there was a lot of sludge at the bottom of the pan, pretty easy, but indeed very messy.

Yeah, that "sludge" is probably your problem. In a japanese transmission there is generally very little of that. The goo is particles of metal and cellulose that have been worn from the inside of your transmission. Especially bad considering you have only 12 thousand miles since your last service. When I did mine, it had been 80K since the last tranny fluid service, and there was hardly any goo on the bottom. But my galant also used to belong to a sweet middle school teacher lady. It sounds as though you may be looking at a new transmission soon. I'd say either take it into a shop (preferably a dealership, since most shops won't touch Mitsu transmissions and those that will probably don't really know what they're doing) and see if there's possibly a problem that could be rectified with a minor repair. Otherwise, just live with it until it completely dies. Also, be very sure you filled it completely, check it again in the morning once any air has had a chance to escape. Low fluid levels will cause problems that can mimic more serious problems.

well there wasnt realyl too much sludge, but it looked an odd color and kinda think all the way at the bottom,

Thanks Manybrews. I see the plug. Damn, I have changed the fluid myself about 3 or 4 times since I had the car and never touched that plug. :dumbass: Next time I serivce the tranny, Ill probably flush the system and get the right fluid and use that damn drain plug that Ive missed for so long.

Great, now i have something leaking, wtf, i bought a new gasket, scraped all the old gasket off and bolted it up pretty tight, this is bullshit

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HiperSilver)</div><div class='quotemain'>Great, now i have something leaking, wtf, i bought a new gasket, Â*scraped all the old gasket off and bolted it up pretty tight, this is bullshit</div>

you probably tweaked the pan slightly.

doing a trans fluid change is NOT the easiest thing on the planet. you kinda have to develope a "feel" for tightening the bolts.

if the pan IS tweaked, chances are you arent going to get it to seal correctly without replacing it.
are you 100 percent sure you got off ALL the old gasket?

OK I changed my filter and the gasket too...some AT fluid dripped for a day or so, not a whole lot...maybe 10-20 drops and everything stopped. Maybe you didn't tighten everything up hard enough. Also maybe if you spilled some fluid (I did...and lots of it too https://www.thegalantcenter.org/styl...ault/laugh.gif ), it's that fluid slowly leaking down your tranny, and onto the ground.
Drive the car for a day or so, and check everything again. If it still leaks, get under the car and see where the leak is. If it's coming from the gasket, just tighten the bolt a little bit more (1/4 of a turn).

I'll be the First To Admit.. I've never done a galant.

but.. typically

go around, starting with the "back" of the pan, and come forward, do the fluid falls away From you..*this is key*

then, scrape the gasket off (i'm Assuming it's RTV) using a Razor (this works for paper gaskets, Too)

let the damn thing drip forever.. replae the Filter, and make sure it's mounted correctly.

clean off the pan(remove metal shavings) and put the magnet back (or, get one, if you dont' have one yet)

make Sure your mating surfaces Are clean, and dry.
re-apply RTV, or paper Gasket.(thin bead of RTV.. not big globs (chunks of RTV in your tranny is not Good)

zip it all back up (careful, tranny is aluminum, and *WILL* strip)
allow for RTV to cure, and be on your way.

of course... Re-fill your tranny with fluid... and if you have The time.. remove teh Tranny cooler lines, and blow them out with compressed air.. (not too much, Though, and in both directions)

i dotn think i over tightened it, but tonite im gonna drain the pain, remove it again and check wtf is wrong

will i need to buy a new gasket or wat? or can i still use that one

first..
do NOT use any type of "liquid" gasket or RTV. this trans was not designed for that.
second..
do NOT use any aftermarket gasket. anything you get from NAPA or the like will probably be some horseshit cork gasket. cork is about the most idiotic material to make a gasket out of, because ITS POROUS! leave it to stupid american designers to make gaskets out of cork.

get a mitsu gasket , and use that. as i stated, you probably tweaked the pan a bit. the bolts are to be tighted to 14 INCH pounds, and no more. that means everyone elses ideas about "just tighted the bolts" are really bad ideas. if its leaking and the bolts are snug, tightening them further will do nothing but bend the pan more.

what you have to do is remove the pan and make sure the sealing surface is totally flat. its easy to distort as its just stamped steel, which is why you dont tighted these bolts past spec.

aight, dropped the pan, got a gasket, sorry to say it was a fram gasket but it was better quality than some generic crap at autozone, i pulled the pan, scrapped everythign, but what i saw was fromt he area where it was dripping the gasket was ripped around the screw part, which is a good reason of what might have occured, i put some ligued gasket aroudn the bol holes, popped it back up, no leaks so far, tommarow morning ill check, thanks all for your help, this topic should be a sticky, a lot of good info in here.