AW4 filter change pictures

[kndrewa]

there are tons of threads about changing the filter in your aw4.
however, i couldn't seem to find many with pictures.
here are a few photos for anyone interested.

[kndrewa]

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STEP 1.)
drain the fluid
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the aw4 transmission pan holds 4 liters of ATF - dextron III.
(the entire transmission holds closer to 9 liters, i only changed the pan volume)

the transmission cross member is right in the way of the drain flow.
i used this small funnel to redirect the flow away from the x-member:


after draining the fluid, i re-installed the drain plug.
not all fluid drains from the pan due to recesses and ribbing.
i will deal with the rest of the fluid in the pan in a few minutes.

[kndrewa]

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STEP 2.)
remove the bolts holding the pan to the transmission
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they should be torqued to 53-70 in/lbs, but mine came off very easily.
(perhaps tightening these would have stopped my leak!)

removal of most of the bolts is very easy:


some bolts at both ends of the pan require a swivel for easy removal.
the exhaust pipe is in the way at the front of the pan:


the transmission cross member is in the way at the back of the pan:


one bolt was blocked by the exhaust hanger:


i used a ratchet strap to pull the hanger over enough to get clearance:

[kndrewa]

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STEP 3.)
break transmission pan seal
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the factory uses red RTV sealant as a gasket.
this sealant gets hot and bakes on as it adheres to the trans and pan.
i used a rubber mallet to tap around the pan to loosen the sealant.

a sharp flat chisel helped to carefully pry the pan loose at a corner:


a quick note about the dipstick tube:
its a 2 piece unit held together with some kind of o-ring.
i couldn't get mine to seperate, so i unbolted the upper half in the engine compartment.

the dipstick tube is wedged in place on route to the engine compartment.
it is now all that holds the pan up - as seen in the lower right:

[kndrewa]

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STEP 4.)
drain remaining fluid
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as you can see, my transmission fluid was quite dark, but it didn't smell burnt.
transmission fluid is supposed to be a translucent reddish pink.
good thing i will be cycling in some fresh fluid - if yours smells burnt, change it!

quite a bit of fluid stays in the pan after the initial drain:


at this point, i unscrewed the drain plug once again.
tilting the pan allowed me to drain the remaining fluid:

[kndrewa]

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STEP 5.)
remove transmission pan from jeep
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work the dipstick tube and trans pan out from under the jeep.
it is kind of a game of angles - but you'll eventually weave it out of there.

the tube will remain connected to the pan for the entire procedure:


there are 2 small magnets in the bottom of the transmission pan.
they accumulate the small metallic particles which appear as your transmission breaks in.
i was pleased to see that i had a normal amount of wear as indicated by the metal on the magnets.


the left magnet is cleaned, the right magnet has accumulated metals:

[kndrewa]

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STEP 6.)
prep pan for new gasket
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i scraped all of the red RTV sealant from the pan.
i used a bit of parts cleaner and emery cloth on seal surfaces.
(being VERY careful, as parts cleaner should not be in a transmission!)

[kndrewa]

i should go ahead and do the 'poor mans flush' now..
..i just ran out of fluid at the time.
i will get more and drain/fill it a few more times.
that should cycle most of the old stuff out.

in the mean time i am happy to report smoother shifts!

[Kittrell]

For the record, fill capacity for the AW4 is 8 liters, or 8.45 qts. And I really hope that was a typo. Torque range on the pan bolts in 53-70 INCH pounds, not ft. 60 ft. lbs will leave you with a nice smooth shaft where thread used to live.................

Nice writeup otherwise. Now just remember to leave the pictures there forever. So three years down the road, when someone comes across this in a search, they don't see a bunch of red Xs!

[xjtrailrider]

Nice write-up, I would add that getting the pan out is easier if you remove the cross-member. That is also a good opportunity to inspect and/or replace the troublesome transmission mount.

[kndrewa]

Originally Posted by Kittrell

Torque range on the pan bolts in 53-70 INCH pounds, not ft.

thanks! yes, a typo, and one that i can't fix now.

maybe a mod can go in and edit that post for me.

[MT Mike]

Originally Posted by kndrewa

thanks! yes, a typo, and one that i can't fix now.

maybe a mod can go in and edit that post for me.

Done!

Nice write up.

[wim hoppenbrouwers]

Thanks for the pics. Very clear! Greetings from Holland

[thebrick]

Great write up. I like how you hold those pan bolts...just don't sneeze or cough...

[kndrewa]

I'm glad this thread is helping people out.

Originally Posted by wim hoppenbrouwers

Thanks for the pics. Very clear! Greetings from Holland

You're Welcome for the pics, and Greetings from Canada!
Something my grandfather used to say... ..."if you ain't Dutch, you ain't much!"

Originally Posted by thebrick

Great write up. I like how you hold those pan bolts...just don't sneeze or cough...

Haha, thanks!
Using that 'method' to hold stuff while working under the Jeep is one way to keep me from getting too big of a beer belly...