transmission pan replacement gaskets

[kenrunner]

I am losing a lot of t- fluid from around the transmission pan, I have not been able to detect any from farther up. A year or two a go I was talking to a guy who had owned several eagles and had a similar problem and said he found most standard replacement gaskets to be junk but had found one ( I believe he said with metal reinforcement ) that worked well. Since my gasket was replaced fairly recently and the leaking has not slowed down ( except maybe for the first few weeks ) I am hoping someone knows what he was talking about or has found a reliable solution.

Thanks, Ken

[eagleman]

I would like to hear more about this gasket your referring to myself and am quite interested. I have the same problem with one of my eagles and on my second eagle  I changed the trans filter three months ago and I installed a double gasket and I noticed today it now has the dreaded drip as well. Car has not even left my garage yet and its dripping. I retightened the bolts just a little and will check again tomorrow but am not holding my breath.

[mach1mustang351]

I have always found Auto trans gaskets to be tricky.  The reason being they have some elements going against them.  They seal a lot of light fluid and are in a vulnerable spot on a car.  They use small bolts which can only be torqued a small amount usually like 30 in/lbs max.  I have also found transmission pan bolt holes to sort of buldge out over time.  Here are the steps I use to ensure a good seal. 

Once pan is removed clean, check for flatness, straighten if necessary
Check bolt holes on the trans.  I take a counter sink bit and use my cordless drill to make sure there is no buldge
Clean bolt holes on trans
Clean transmission bolts
Use a quality pan gasket- I like cork, but the rubber ones work well too
Install gasket, I dont really like silicone but if the pan is sketchy I will use a light amount
Use a drop of blue thread locker on all the trans bolts.  This keeps them locked in under the light torque
Torque all bolts

This takes time but it works.  The key is the thread locker.  If the bolts get torques too much they blow out the gasket and that causes a leak.

Just my $.02

[carnuck]

The gasket for a '94ish Grand Cherokee with 42RE is what you're talking about. Reusable. Pan is better too.

I use the Napa filter kit on a card (I have a spare one or two around since I used to build Mopar trans for police duty years ago)

[AMC of Houston]

The gasket we're talking about is Crown/MOPAR # 4295875AC.   Fits 904/998 models.   Find them on-line for anywhere from $12 to $20 each.

[carnuck]

It was originally designed for the 42RE, which is the 4 speed O/D version of the 9xx trans.

[eagleman]

mach1mustang351, I have done every step you have recommended except using the blue lock tight. Guess I will knock them both down and try this one more time. To be honest this is getting quite old and creases to be fun but thanks for the advise.

[drock87]

I guess this seems to be a common issue; I thought that everybody who touched the thing (including myself) was completely incompetent. First a buddy and I replaced it, then I had my mechanic do it again (who obviously knows what he is doing since he did a beautiful job on my rear end replacement). I may have to try this.....

[mechanic80]

I found that my biggest error was over tightening the bolts which distorted he gasket. 

[kenrunner]

Thanks for the replies, this is helpful. I had a feeling this must be something that others were encountering also and indeed, from the responses, it appears to be an issue that that is not uncommon.
Ken

[carnuck]

I found that my biggest error was over tightening the bolts which distorted he gasket.  

and the pan