Hello,

Does anyone know the torque specs for the auto tranny pan bolts & the oil filter cap?

I just changed both filters and I have fluid leaks from both. Judging by how the oil filter cap gasket (the rubber o-ring) is pushing out, I think the cap is on too tight, but any pressure beyond hand-tight disforms that rubber o-ring gasket. And hand-tight cause oil to leak out as well.

I don't want to tighten the tranny pan bolts too tight since I've stripped several bolt threads on my Dodge van's tranny doing that without a torque wrench.

According to Haynes, the oil filter cap is 18ftlb. Interestingly they do not list the pan trans pan specs. They do not mention the trans filter at all.

As far as the O-ring, it sounds like you have it on wrong. It should not squeeze out at all. You need to put some oil on the O-ring before you tighten the cap.

__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

The trans pan uses a gasket that encapsulates the pan lip. It is a very positive seal requiring very little torque. I think it is only 8nm(?). Start low, you can always tighten it a bit more.

One my 99 the bolts slip through a plastic sleeve/clip. The clip holds the pan lip and the rest sleeve bottoms out on the frame of the trans. Your's appears to be the same gasket and pan but minus the plastic sleeves.

__________________
Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

I'll recheck the tranny pan gasket to make sure it didn't slip out of place. I'll recheck the torque on the oil filter cap as well! Thanks & I'll keep y'all posted!

Update:

I found that on the oil cap, they have stamped the torque specs of 25nm. When torquing it to that (I have a craftsman digital torque wrench) the rubber gasket ring squeezes out beyond the cap making it leak. Tightening the filer cap, just enough so the rubber ring is compressed just to the point where it begins to deform & squeeze out, isn't tight enough to stop the oil from leaking out too.

I noticed that this happened as soon as I put 100% synthetic oil in. Has anyone else had problems with synthetic oil leaking past the oil filter cap?

Oh, the tranny oil seems fine...no leaks.