Been a while since I posted. Got busy with everyday stuff.
I bought a high capacity tranny pan (B&M) from JCW. The pan is 100% better than I expected but just what I was hoping it would be. Very heavy finned cast aluminium,with a magnetic drain plug. (The thing was so nice I had to play with it for a day or two before It was hidden up under the truck). The only down fall was the hardware they sent with it. Nice allen bolts but with only 3 thread engagement (do not attempt to use these or you will most likely strip your holes with so little engagement), so it was off to the local hardware store for new allen bolts that would give me 12 thread engagement like the stock bolts. It does come with a new rubber gasket (setting in a drawer), I used my old one since I perfer the re-useable rubber coated metal ones like I have and it was in good condition.
For the 2X4 installation (mine being the stock 97 AODEW/4R70W), you will see the instructions will say you can use the 4X4 filter, don't belive it, the number they give you is the stock filter and and 4X4 filter for a 97 did not fit. Try taking a filter back after it has touched fluid. Ha!
The pan took about 7+ quarts of fluid! The instructions said to have 9 on hand. This is great to take heat off the tranny and make it much easier to change the fluid regular. And if your tranny pan was like mine it always had a seeping on and around it. Not enough to make a differnece or have to add fluid, just enough to make the pan wet and be annoying. I have had the new pan on for over a month and a half and not a drop of fluid anywhere. Not to mention that I don't have to worry about heat when towing (especially during the Southern summer heat) and it looks good when I am under the truck. lol

 

Glad you are happy but don't expect grand things from the larger pan.

I also installed a larger pan (Ford stock 4x4 with stock 4x4 filter, very inexpensive and doesn't alarm dealer service staff), just to get the drain plug.

An auxillary cooler will lower the temperature. A larger pan will delay the amount of time it takes to reach operating temperature, not much more.

But it's worth the $45 just to get the drain plug, at the first fluid change.

 

I agree about the drain plug. And I am not too worried about extreme cooling, I don't tow a lot and not real heavy towing when I do with this truck. But....I sure is pretty to look at when you laying on your back under the truck doing some other nasty job. HA
I do like having the extra fluid though, just knowing that there is that much more clean fluid pumping around in the tranny is kind of a nice thing.

 

what does a high capacity transmission pan gain you?