Removing Transmission Pan

[16LT4]

How I removed my pan;

 

1) completely loosen aft mount

2) place bottle jack on 6x6 dribbing, jacking up on a 4x4 spread beneath the frame.  Under the 6x6 cribbing was a ratchet strap, which ran up and over the exhaust.  The 6x6 anchored the ratchet binder.

3) place second jack under the transfer case, and gently raise the case while at the same time pulling the exhaust down.  There is enough "give" to be able to slip the pan out.  The purpose of the bottle jack is to secure the exhaust-pulling strap down to the ground.

4) once out, I drilled a hole in the pan, made a castle nut with an angle grinder and a cut-off wheel, and welded it castle-side-down to the inside of the pan, and used a standard 14mm GM drain plug so that I'll never have to revisit the pan-drop again.

 

As you (the OP) are limited as to what you can do, the easiest and most cost-effective method is to pay the dealer the couple hundred bucks to do it.  What they'll likely do is disconnect the cooler t-stat from the side of the transmission, connect 2 work lines, and use the transmission pump to pump fluid into one container, while the low pressure side draws in fluid from another.

 

The lack of transmission dipsticks is nothing new, I remember automatics back in the 1990s not having them.  My main daily driver is a 2008 and doesn't have an engine oil dipstick either; it sounds scary, but with 185k miles on it, the same amount of oil comes out at an oil change as what I put in so the lack of dipsticks don't matter to me.  Nice to have, but not detrimental without.

[Black02Silverado]

I couldn't get the pan off on our 2016 Suburban without taking down the exhaust from the manifold.  Lucky that it wasn't hard to do after that and the manifold nuts were easy  to get off.  I then installed a drain plug so that I could do drain and fills later on with ease.

 

[Western96]

On 12/19/2021 at 10:18 AM, Yotaman said:

Watch this guy I did mine like this twice I wish it had a drain plug but with a clear plastic bin to avoid mess not bad.

 

 

Yotaman

I actually did watch this before doing mine, unfortunately his ratchet strap trick just didn't work quite well enough for me. I know I'm not the only one, there's other people in the comments mentioning that it didn't work for them either.  Not sure why the different outcomes.

 

21 hours ago, M1ck3y said:

 

What if you don't have a dipstick?

 

How is the op even adding fluid.. Don't these trans require the use of a fluid flush/exchange machine?

My truck has a dipstick, no idea what to do if I didn't have one!

 

11 hours ago, steelerdude15 said:

When I changed my fluid, I wasn't able to remove the pan either. What I did was suck up as much fluid as I could through the dipstick tube and unbolted the pan from the transmission. After that, I sucked out the remaining fluid out of the pan, removed the old filter, gasket, and magnet. I cleaned the pan, the bottom of the transmission where it bolts to the pan, magnet, and gasket with brake cleaner and paper towels. I installed a new filter, reinstalled the gasket and magnet, bolted it up in the correct pattern and torque and was done. I wouldn't even worry about trying to remove the pan. Its a poor design and too much of a hassle.

How did you see well enough to do all that? Lying on my back under the truck, it would be a struggle to get my head at an angle where I could see into the pan.  Also I am pretty sure I couldn't have gotten the filter out with that long stem it has.

[Supreme Pizza]

8 hours ago, Black02Silverado said:

I couldn't get the pan off on our 2016 Suburban without taking down the exhaust from the manifold.  Lucky that it wasn't hard to do after that and the manifold nuts were easy  to get off.  I then installed a drain plug so that I could do drain and fills later on with ease.

 

 

 

 

Nice. Good job with the drain plug install. I almost took my trans pan off just for the purpose of adding the drain plug. Its till on my to-do list. The only reason that I have not done it yet, is that I just don't have the time right now. Once I do have time, that pan will be come'n off.

[steelerdude15]

47 minutes ago, Western96 said:

I actually did watch this before doing mine, unfortunately his ratchet strap trick just didn't work quite well enough for me. I know I'm not the only one, there's other people in the comments mentioning that it didn't work for them either.  Not sure why the different outcomes.

 

My truck has a dipstick, no idea what to do if I didn't have one!

 

How did you see well enough to do all that? Lying on my back under the truck, it would be a struggle to get my head at an angle where I could see into the pan.  Also I am pretty sure I couldn't have gotten the filter out with that long stem it has.

I laid on my stomach and lifted my head up to see in it. You’d also be surprised that the filter can wiggle out with the pan sitting there. I pulled the pan forward until it couldn’t go any further. I then softly wiggled it free from the transmission and turned it while in the pan to get it out. Kinda like Tetris haha.

Edited December 21, 2021 by steelerdude15

[Supreme Pizza]

22 hours ago, M1ck3y said:

 

What if you don't have a dipstick?

 

How is the op even adding fluid.. Don't these trans require the use of a fluid flush/exchange machine?

 

 

Add one.

 

 

[Black02Silverado]

1 hour ago, Supreme Pizza said:

 

 

Nice. Good job with the drain plug install. I almost took my trans pan off just for the purpose of adding the drain plug. Its till on my to-do list. The only reason that I have not done it yet, is that I just don't have the time right now. Once I do have time, that pan will be come'n off.

I actually purchased a new pan and had the drain plug installed in it.  That way I didn't have to wait to have it installed with the bottom of the transmission open for a long time.

[Supreme Pizza]

36 minutes ago, Black02Silverado said:

I actually purchased a new pan and had the drain plug installed in it.  That way I didn't have to wait to have it installed with the bottom of the transmission open for a long time.

 

 

My plan was to do the same. You can drill a hole and install a plug yourself, but the thing might leak or the upper nut could come loose and if you can get it tightened up, you would have to pull the pan again. For the price, ($39) you might as well buy a pan that comes with one. Either way, good job getting a drain plug. They should all come with them from the factory.

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-265-811-Transmission-Oil-Pan/dp/B002U6ELS4/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2L1Y26EN72XX3&keywords=transmission&qid=1640055473&sprefix=transmission+%2Caps%2C494&sr=1-12&vehicle=2008-47-497-96--9-6-8-8149--1-1-145-88-190&vehicleName=2008+Chevrolet+Suburban+1500

 

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Supreme Pizza

[mikeyk101]

2 hours ago, Supreme Pizza said:

 

 

My plan was to do the same. You can drill a hole and install a plug yourself, but the thing might leak or the upper nut could come loose and if you can get it tightened up, you would have to pull the pan again. For the price, ($39) you might as well buy a pan that comes with one. Either way, good job getting a drain plug. They should all come with them from the factory.

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-265-811-Transmission-Oil-Pan/dp/B002U6ELS4/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2L1Y26EN72XX3&keywords=transmission&qid=1640055473&sprefix=transmission+%2Caps%2C494&sr=1-12&vehicle=2008-47-497-96--9-6-8-8149--1-1-145-88-190&vehicleName=2008+Chevrolet+Suburban+1500

 

 

 

 

 

The specs on that show its for a 4L60 trans. Not sure it would be a good choice???

 

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-6722-265-811.aspx

 

I thought I saw other threads recommending the pan for Camaros and that one had the drain plug but it's a bit late to search now.

[Supreme Pizza]

1 minute ago, mikeyk101 said:

 

The specs on that show its for a 4L60 trans. Not sure it would be a good choice???

 

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-6722-265-811.aspx

 

I thought I saw other threads recommending the pan for Camaros and that one had the drain plug but it's a bit late to search now.

 

 

I hear ya. Ya, its best to research, get part numbers, and them cross reference other part numbers. Then search everything on Amazon, eBay, and forums. Then find the best price on the product that works best for your rig. The link was just an example.

[movario]

Removing the exhaust is the way it's supposed to be made. That's 3 bolts on each header, and the rear clamp holding the pipes together. Also the connectors of the O2 Sensors need to be removed. If you do it by removing the bolts of the rear transmission mount ( the ones on the crossmember), you need to replace those bolts (or at least you should) as those are expansion bolts. Part # 11561618. First pass 45 Nm (33 lb ft), Second pass 50 degrees.

The bolts of the oil pan get 9 Nm (80 lb in). (on the 8L90 its 10Nm or 89lb in)

Thats for the 6L80, 8L90

 

It also works by pulling on the exhaust with a ratchet strap and a piece of wood.

[M1ck3y]

5 hours ago, movario said:

Removing the exhaust is the way it's supposed to be made. That's 3 bolts on each header, and the rear clamp holding the pipes together. Also the connectors of the O2 Sensors need to be removed. If you do it by removing the bolts of the rear transmission mount ( the ones on the crossmember), you need to replace those bolts (or at least you should) as those are expansion bolts. Part # 11561618. First pass 45 Nm (33 lb ft), Second pass 50 degrees.

The bolts of the oil pan get 9 Nm (80 lb in). (on the 8L90 its 10Nm or 89lb in)

Thats for the 6L80, 8L90

 

It also works by pulling on the exhaust with a ratchet strap and a piece of wood.

 

Where did you get these specs for the cross member bolts?

 

*edit*

 

@CamGTP My mistake, he's talking trans mount 

Edited December 23, 2021 by M1ck3y

[16LT4]

Homemade drain plug.

 

 

[Capt Bob]

On 12/20/2021 at 9:25 PM, Black02Silverado said:

I actually purchased a new pan and had the drain plug installed in it.  That way I didn't have to wait to have it installed with the bottom of the transmission open for a long time.

I did the same thing.

I realize I'm late to this party but I'll ask anyway....Did you (OP) disconnect the exhaust hangers? This allows the exhaust pipe to be pulled down more than enough for clearance. No need to jack up the tranny. You will need the "pliers" type tool to uncouple the exhaust but it makes life a whole lot easier without undue stress on the system.

[Western96]

18 hours ago, Capt Bob said:

I did the same thing.

I realize I'm late to this party but I'll ask anyway....Did you (OP) disconnect the exhaust hangers? This allows the exhaust pipe to be pulled down more than enough for clearance. No need to jack up the tranny. You will need the "pliers" type tool to uncouple the exhaust but it makes life a whole lot easier without undue stress on the system.

I didn't, I didn't realize it would make much of a difference.  The exhaust hangers on my truck are pretty far back compared to where the pipe runs under the transmission pan.  Next time I'll try that or just remove the exhaust, this time I ended up just pumping the old fluid out through the dipstick tube and replacing it.