so im doing a tranny fluid change but i do not have a torque meter? -the tool that is used to measure- the final feet/pound on the bolts.

im wondering if just as long as i ensure the pan is intight and wont leak tranny fluid or fall is good enough??

yes its my first tranny fluid change
thanks

The torque spec for the trans pan bolts is around 10 ft-lbs. You don't need a torque wrench to tighten the bolts, but it will provide more even clamping force if you are not very experienced. If you use a 3/8" drive socket and handle and hold the handle so that you are not applying force more than an inch or so from the axis of rotation, you will not likely apply more than 10 ft-lb of torque. You can do this by holding the handle so the extension and socket sticks out between your middle and ring fingers in line with your arm. Install the bolts in a cross- or star-pattern that pulls the part in place evenly, without tightening adjacent bolts and certainly never several bolts in a row. When you have tightened all the bolts, go back to the first bolt in the pattern and tighten them all again.

Overtightening is a common reason for leaks on oil pans and trans pans. Overtightening can bend the metal at the bolt hole and prevent a good seal. If the bolts aren't tight enough and you have a leak, it is pretty simple to go back and tighten them up a little more. If the bolts are overtightened and the pan sealing surface is bent, it will need to come down and be straightened.

Take care when disassebling the pan not to damage the rubber and metal factory gasket. Re-use it if possible. It will seal better than the cork ones you get in a filter kit.

124 inch pounds. I just did the job Saturday morning on my 99.

Plan on replacing about 5.5 quarts of fluid. Reuse the hardened plastic gasket if it'* not cracked.

That'* all I did when I did mine (no torque wrench here, either). Main thing would be do NOT over tighten, and warp the pan or destroy the gasket and end up with a leak. Do not undertighten, and end up with a leak.

DO keep a very close eye on it for a few days, looking for leaks or seapage.

It'* just a pan, after all. Careful and close counts (in my opinion)

BTW, have a very large catch pan, and a ready supply of rags handy. As there is not way to easily drain the fluid, it'* not hard to make a huge mess and end up with tranny fluid all the way up to your shoulders (if you do it like I did, laying on your back under the car)

If you tighten them like megilla gerilla your bound to ruin the trans casing or snap a bolt.
If you have worked on cars and can go around two or three times and jently tighten them you should be OK.
Its your call but your allways better off with a torque wrench.

Thanks guys

I read the specs and it says that they bust be tightent to 12ft/p

i will go and do it withtout a torque wrench..i already have all the tranny fluid-
12quartst plus 1quart tranny additive..new gasket and filter.

i feel its a must becuase when i bought the car i noticed the trnny fluid was dark red..
but not black or dark.. and it didnt smell burtn..

but now.. its turned into a very dark blood red.. and i think its time to change.

i will do it my self twice..

i have to go see a mechanic either way i will have them double check everything,

i ordered the LI gaskets and UI gaskets along with the TB gaskets.. getting a bit of a coolant leak.. i will also ask advice on the coolant bypass, someone told me it must be replaced also.

thanks once again guys.

LIGHT torque. I would buy a wrench and use a staggered cross-pattern to torque them in stages.

Don't take chances with this one. And don't use a cork gasket.

With all the other repairs it sounds like you're heading into, I would suggest tossing a torque wrench into the list of stuff you're buying.

A good shadetree mechanic version (aka, not paying out the butt for more tool than you need) ain't too badly priced for the amount of use you'll get out of it.

This is the grip I described for low-torque applications. It is difficult to apply much more than 10 lbs torque with this grip.



But, because we all have different strengths and perceptions of strength, you might want to go to Sears and get one of these.


This 1/2"-drive beam-type torque wrench is very accurate, dependable, and inexpensive. It won't work in tight spots where you cannot see the scale (need a click-type wrench for that.) But good click-type wrenches are very pricey and are not as durable as the beam type.

For light torques, consider a 1/4"-drive inch-pound torque wrench. Much more accurate for light torques like we need on our intake manifolds.

As I said above, you'll never get that much fluid out of it. The pan is holding about 5.5 quarts. The rest is in the torque convertor and lines. Only way to get 100% of it changed is to get a flush.

And yes, definitely tighten in a outward pattern--similar to how you'd tighten head bolts. I started off in the center with 100 inch pounds, and worked all the way around in a criss-cross fashion. I then took it to 124 inch pounds in the same criss-cross fashion. Then, once around the perimeter to make sure they were all at 124 inch pounds. 250 miles since Saturday and still bone dry! Oh ya....shifts a little nicer too!