Dodge Dakota ForumDodge Dakota PhotosDodgeDakota.net Membership
  Forums   Forum Tools
10:10:15 - 03/29/2024

General Dakota Board
FromMessage
J Morrow
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/14/2002
23:22:23

Subject: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
Can somebody tell me how to change my transmission fluid? I was recently layed off and I am trying to do the maintnance on my Dakota by myself. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

J Morrow

2000 CC Sport 4x4, 4.7L



Scotty
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/14/2002
23:54:41

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
dude,

my buddy taught me how to do it the last time he changed my tranny fluid. basically you have to take the whole bottom pan off and make sure you change the filter and gasket.

mahalo,
Scotty



Bryan
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/15/2002
13:25:49

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
Is your tranny an auto or manual?????
automatic:::

Using A drain pan to catch the oil, remove the pan under the tranny draining the oil.remove the filter, install the new filter clean the gasket material from the pan and install pan. torquing the bolts in A criss-cross pattern so you don't warp the pan. remove the dipstick from the tube, using A funnel pour transmission fluid into the dipstick tube.start engine move the shifter through the range from park to low 1 and back to park allowing A few seconds in each. install the dipstick to check the fluid level.

manual:::

Using A drain pan to catch the oil, remove the drain plug from the bottom of the transmission and let drain. after all the oil has drained, install the drain plug.find and remove the fill plug on the side of the tranny.( GEN 2 is on the passenger side ) fill the tranny with the recommended weight oil until the oil starts to pour out of the fill hole. install the fill plug.



BlueBayou
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/15/2002
15:19:04

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
Nicely said Bryan.

Only one thing.... what if you have the tranny cooler on the automatic?

That is my sticking point! lol! I have not replaced my fluid yet, but any suggestions as to how to get the torque converter and cooler drained would help also.

Blue



Bryan
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/15/2002
16:27:47

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
I am not sure on the torque converter, but you could try disconnecting the cooler lines from the tranny and blowing them out with shop air. Also check the V8 message board subject "transmission" dbaker2001 makes refrence to A new evactuation system that flushes the complete system of fluid.
good luck!!!



sandman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/16/2002
10:45:24

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
Hello Guys,When I changed my fluid and filters on my 2001 QC I used a cheap hard plastic kid's pool to catch the fluid. I crawled in from the front of the truck and placed the pool under the rear 3/4 of the pan. I then losened al of the bolts a little. I romoved the rear most bolts completly. I used the all of the other bolts to control the amount the rear of pan droped untill fluid quite flowing. I then moved the pool completly under the pan. I loosed all of the other bolts to contine draining fluid and then removed the pan. There are two filters on the 45R.. trans. one one the return side and one on the intake side. My transmission required 8 quarts to refill. I Kept adding some and driveing untill I arived at 8 quarts. You can measure how much comes out buy pumping it into containers of known size. I let my tranny drain for about 30 minutes with it up on ramps so you might not get as much out if you do not have it up on ramps.



sandman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/16/2002
23:06:24

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
I just wanted to say that if you have stayed ahead of oxidation then you should not need to flush the converter or cooler! If you have no varnish in your trans then flushing will not do alot for you. If you are worried about metal shaveings from the converter then it is best to remove the converter and flush it and remove the cooler and flush it with solvet. Hold the cooler upside down tapping it while flushing it. You can drill and tap the converter and install a drain plug but I am not a fan of this method. You can also have it power flushed with the right equipment. You can also install a filter on the return side from the cooler if your trans does not have one. There is one brand that has changeable elements and magnets as well. It will trap the metal shaveing from your torque converter before they can reenter the trans.



Mark M
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/17/2002
10:33:42

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
According to the manual the torque converter does not need to be changed. They are very clear about that.

Why did'nt the square heads put in a drain plug instead of having to drop the pan full of fluid!! This may be one thing I pay someone to do, as I don't relish getting tranny fluid all over my garage. Where did you get the filters? I have read elsewhere on this site that the 4.7 tranny has synthetic fluid. True? Do they make synthetic tranny fluid for a dodge?



SANDMAN
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/17/2002
11:18:58

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
I purchased the filters from my dealer. I tried baldwin, hastings, Filtran, and alot of other transmission shops and no one could get me the right filter. Baldwin sold me the wrong filter! So I went to the dealer and paid the price!!! Their transfluid prices are insane. They wanted 8.95 per quart for OEM. I purchased C+ATF from Redline for $7.95 per-quart. Redlines tranny fluid is 100% synthetic.I do not know if the OEM fluid is 100% synthetic or not. I would imagine that it is either synthetic blend or 100%synthetic. Redline emailed me and assured me that their C+ATF exceeded the spec. for ATF+4. They told me that they just have not had a chance to update their labels. I have it in my trans and I have had no problems. I thought about the drain plug idea as well. I do not trust the one that B&M sells. I am going to buy a spare pan drill it and weld a nut to it. I never understood why american companys do not put a drain plug on their automatics tranny's and their differiential's. Most imports have drain plugs on transmissions and differientials and it realy makes the task of chageing fluids easier and faster. I would love to find one of those aluminum mopar trany pans with the heat sinks and drain plug built in!!! So far I have not found one for my transmission.



Art
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/17/2002
13:31:32

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
No drain plug because you are supposed to change the filters aswell with the fresh oil its the same with the engine oil no point in new oil with a old filter,try hi-tech or mag-tech its one of those search on google for the website they might have them out now,A good thing to do also is to put a heavy magnet inside the pan if it doesnt allready have one,it holds the fine metal particles and as far as draining the t-converter you can drill and tap it on the vehicle if you really want to,DO NOT do this if you dont know what you are doing,if you drill into a vane you get more greif than its worth



Mark M
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/17/2002
19:36:04

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
I use a pump with a long to drain my boat crankcase. Thisnk that would work to get most of it out, then drop the pan and change the filters? I will be doin this in my garage, so the easier the better.

Another lister said 8 quarts? is that right? boy, that is some serious cash at 8 bucks a quart for the synthetics.



sandman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/17/2002
21:30:06

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
I like drain plugs. First it is alot less messy to drain the tranys with a plug and then remove the pan. You would not remove an engine oil pan before you drained it. Second if you only need to change the filters every 30,000 that does not mean you can not change the fluid every 15,000.
On a differeintial(sp) it is absolutely mind numbingly stupid to have to remove a rear cover to drain fluid out!!!!!! Their is no filter in the diff. I hate haveing to drain my American vechiles rear diff.s because I know I have to play around with that antique design with a rear diff. cover. My old Toy on the other hand has an rear end that is a copy of the old ford 9 inch. It has a magnetic drain plug on the bottom that is protected. It also has a bolt that closes of the fill hole instead of a silly rubber plug. I have seen alot these thin stamped steel covers fail while off roading because they get punctured of crushed. I love my Dak but I would like to see some improvements in little things like this!!!



Art
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/18/2002
01:25:19

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
Well you want a drain plug on your trans pan and rear diff? Then do it,not a big deal to install you know,the old 8 3/4 is the same design as the ford 9 inch and it has threaded plug aswell,the manufacturers are cheap and dont think about the do it your selfers out there or for that matter the mechanics working on vehicles either.I dont know how many times I`ve mumbled to myself why the f**k dont they put a inspection plate here and here and there while working on domestics and imports.Why dont they?probably because of cost and 90 % of people dont work on their own vehicles IMO



michael
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/24/2002
23:45:36

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
I have a '91 DAK L/B with a 5-speed manual tranny.
What I can't figure is how to open the drain and fill plugs, they're side-mounted with what looks to be "torx" type plugs? Any suggestions would be helpful!



Bryan
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/25/2002
11:39:08

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
When I changed the oil in my 5 spd tranny I took A metric bolt and inserted it into the fill plug( the bolt head ) put two nuts on the bolt, jam the nuts together. put the wrench on the nut and remove the fill plug.



andrew
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/25/2002
11:56:00

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
To the original question, what year dakota do you have and what motor/trany is in it?

On my 93' with 5.2 and auto, it wasnt that easy. In addition to dropping the pan, I had to drop the exhaust y-pipe down. Then, I had to unbolt the trany crossmember and knock it back about 3". Then I dropped the pan. Also, The filter is held in by 3 long torx screws and I wasnt sure how tight I was supposed to tighten them so I just snugged them up. After that, I installed a drain plug in the bottom of the pan. The drain plug kit is made by B&M.



deja
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

4/10/2004
14:12:02

RE: Tranny drain/refill
IP: Logged

Message:
trying to change the trans fluid and filter on my 2000 dakota quad 4.7 2wd. I have had no luck at the auto parts stores getting the correct filter and gasket. does anyone know the trans type for this? does this require synthetic fluid?



   P 1


Post a reply to this message:

Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages


Name:
Email:
Notify me when I get a reply to my message:Yes  No

Icons:            

Subject:
Message:
 



Home | Forums | Members | Pictures | Contact Us

This site is in no way affiliated with Chrysler or any of its subsidiaries.