I just purchased a used motor home with the e40d. The previous owner just had the trans serviced but the pan gasket is leaking. Does anybody know what the torques specs are on the pan bolts? I would like to tighten them to specs and see if that stops the leak before I have to drop the pan and replace all that new fluid again.

Thanks

 

I forget the exact spec but I think it is something like 40 inch pounds(might be foot pounds) but do not trust me on this.

More importantly especially if it was freshly serviced...

My experience with my E4OD and a couple other trannys is that the torque spec can be too high for some pan gasket materials. Some of the soft rubber compounds and the corks are prone to squeezing out of place if you torque to spec. The cork even splits. My opinion is that the cheap Chinese rubber and cork gaskets(seems like everyone sells these now) just don't stand up like the gaskets used to years back. The better material that doesn't squeeze out is like black fiber board and does not compress like rubber and cork do.

The symptom of a squeezed out gasket is that you will see a "tongue" of the gasket sticking out from the side of the pan and there will be a leak there. The only fix I have had with those leaks is to use a sealer and torque until you just see the gasket start to move(or you reached spec) and then back off a bit. Letting the sealer dry with the gasket in place helps minimize this. Or go buy a good hard material gasket. I have been successfull in pushing the tongue back with a flat blade of some sort, into place a cpuple times.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Thanks for the advice Jim. I will inspect the pan for evidence of squeezing like you suggest. I will try your remedy so that I might be able to save the trans fluid. I hate to buy 15 to 19 quarts of fluid to replace the gasket.

Have a good day.
Harold

 

Ah I see you are cheap, like me. If you really want to save tranny fluid and the pan has to come off, you might consider saving the cfluid and reusing it.

I have done this a couple times becasue the of the leaky gasket problem...

Clean the outside of the pan really well with say brake cleaner or another non greasy solvent. Also clean around it, anywhere that your hand might knock some dirt off. Then clean your drain pan really well. The drain the fluid, you know about loosening the bolts so that one corner drops and all the fluid comes out that corner right? Save the fluid and cover it with a stiff peice of card board. Clean the pan and tranny gasket surfaces really good with a no greasy solvent and besure to scrape off any old selant or gasket pieces. then use the sealer of your choice(I like Permatex black stuff, I think #1 or Copper Seal) and let it skin over. Then seat the gasket, usually on the pan. Then Mount the pan and torque to spec. Then check for squeezing and fix it before the sealer sets up. Then I like to leave it over night so I can be sure it is setup and dry before replacing the fluid.

Some people say don't use sealer. I would only do this with the hard gasket material since those don't squirm or squeeze out. I prefer using sealer on everything even though it is a little more work. Just had too many leaks in the past to just use a bare gasket.

Then pour the fluid thru a funnel. I will usually use a thin piece of cloth or fine metal screen to filter out anything. Usually I don't find any dirt in the screen or filter.

I use synthic fluid so I hate to throw away $50 worth of brand new fluid.

Like I said I am cheap.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

10-12 foot pounds, which is 120-144 inch-pounds.