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Once you have the pan off, consider having it drilled & tapped for a drain plug.
Or get an aftermarket pan, possibly bigger capacity than stock, with a drain plug.
On AT with no drain plug, a "topside" oil changer can be a big help. Although, if you are going to drive it up on ramps, remember you have to do that *before* you remove the fluid.
As to getting the pan un-stuck, I'm surprised I'm the first to recommend a plastic hammer. I mean, it depends on what they glued it with, but most gasket sealers are not that tenacious. Tap, don't smash, OK?
As pointed out by others, be careful not to damage the sealing surfaces, particularly the one on the transola itself, if you use prying instruments to separate.
It would be a damn good shop that I would trust to do anything to really correct this, most would just glue it back in place, particularly if as some have guessed the previous owner did this because he had damaged the sealing surfaces.
Or get an aftermarket pan, possibly bigger capacity than stock, with a drain plug.
On AT with no drain plug, a "topside" oil changer can be a big help. Although, if you are going to drive it up on ramps, remember you have to do that *before* you remove the fluid.
As to getting the pan un-stuck, I'm surprised I'm the first to recommend a plastic hammer. I mean, it depends on what they glued it with, but most gasket sealers are not that tenacious. Tap, don't smash, OK?
As pointed out by others, be careful not to damage the sealing surfaces, particularly the one on the transola itself, if you use prying instruments to separate.
It would be a damn good shop that I would trust to do anything to really correct this, most would just glue it back in place, particularly if as some have guessed the previous owner did this because he had damaged the sealing surfaces.
I wouldn’t imagine a plastic hammer to help if the pan is stuck on with some gasket agent. I would go get one of those thin thin drywall putty knives. They are almost razor blade thin and sharp but not brittle like a razor blade.
Another thing op could try is some heavy duty fishing line with two wooden handles to saw cut through a corner or the whole edge.
Most transmission pans today have reusable gaskets and as far as I remember even on old transmissions instructions specifically stated not to use any sealant on the pan or the gasket. So I bet you’re right the PO damaged either the case or the pan lip. Hopefully none of the gasket sealer came loose and found it’s way in the transmission
Pry it off. Scrap the goop off. Clean it with brake cleaner. Reinstall with new goop (or a gasket if that's what it's supposed to have and the surfaces are in good condition). This is very basic stuff.
I don't know about Mazda, but some OEM's (Mopar anyway) routinely install their automatic transmission pans with RTV. It's not a problem if done correctly. Might even be preferable if somebody has damaged the gasket surfaces.
A lot of transmissions nowadays don’t even have a “filter” anymore, they just have a mesh screen. The refilling procedure can be tricky since none of them have a dipstick anymore, so I usually use a painters bucket with measurements written on the side. However many ounces I drain out, I put exactly that much back in.
A lot of transmissions nowadays don’t even have a “filter” anymore, they just have a mesh screen. The refilling procedure can be tricky since none of them have a dipstick anymore, so I usually use a painters bucket with measurements written on the side. However many ounces I drain out, I put exactly that much back in.
Ok, this will work sorta kinda. But unless you refill to what the owners manual calls for you are risking transmission failure due to under filling
Ok, this will work sorta kinda. But unless you refill to what the owners manual calls for you are risking transmission failure due to under filling
In my case the owners manual doesn’t call for anything since they don’t intend for owners to mess with it. There is a specific procedure in the shop manual that involves using a scan tool, getting the fluid up to an exact temp, and then draining excess from the overflow plug.
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