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Keith Shuley is a genuine hot rodder and a bona fide car nut. In that respect, he’s no different from any of you reading this article, but what makes him a little different is how he spends his days. Shuley is a Catholic priest and a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, serving as the Command Chaplain aboard the amphibious assault carrier U.S.S. Peleliu, the LHA-5. He spends his days filling the spiritual needs of those sailors, aviators and Marines who help keep our country free. But during his personal time, he fills his own need for speed. What a concept!

SLOWING DOWN A FAST MUSTANG

The Ford Mustang was one of the first cars to offer disc brakes as an option, but they were not a big hit with buyers when they were first introduced. Most buyers were happy to buy a base model with a six-cylinder engine or a slightly improved version with a 289 backed by an automatic transmission. This was the standard Mustang package that most Mustang owners wanted in those days—grocery-chasers that people had no intention of using to sit on the pole of the Indianapolis 500. Aside from the Brickyard, that’s all changed, as standard drum brakes are no longer considered standard fare, and car enthusiasts now know the benefits of full disc brakes. It’s hard to find a car today without them, at least on the front brakes.

AT LONG LAST

It is very apparent that when Frank Mauro wants something, he has the patience to wait for it. Take this ‘38 Chevy pickup, for example. Mauro had seen it in a storage yard for many years, but couldn’t convince the owner to sell it to him. It seems that the previous owner had a handle on patience himself, as the truck had actually been sitting for 25 years.

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Transform Your Transmission: Adding Easy Maintenance with Mag-Hytec!

Mag-Hytec Transmission Pan Installation on a 2000 Chevy Tahoe

OK, we all know that it is easy to ignore automatic transmission maintenance—its messy and time consuming and no one really thinks about it until the trans starts to slip. Most transmission pans are simple stamped steel and do not have a drain plug so draining the fluid makes a big mess on your garage or shop floor. If maintaining your automatic trans was easier and less messy you would probably stay on top of the maintenance wouldn’t you?

Author

Chris Tobin

Words & Photography

Benefits of Replacing Your Factory Transmission Pan

Replacing your factory transmission pan with a new pan from Mag-Hytec can make your next transmission service easier and a lot less messy—it can even extend the life of your tranny by reducing the fluid temperature and catching metal particles in the fluid preventing them from flowing through the transmission.

Features of Mag-Hytec Transmission Pans

The Mag-Hytec transmission pans are made from finned aircraft aluminum with deep high-capacity sumps for maximum cooling. Rather than rely on leak-prone paper gaskets, the pans use an O-ring for the pan-to-transmission seal (727 Torqueflite models use a hard paper gasket) and the drain plug seal. Yes, the pan has a magnetic drain plug which will allow you to drain the fluid without making a huge mess all over your floor and catch metal particles in the fluid. Additionally, the pans are machined to accept a 1/8-inch NPT temperature sender for those who want to closely monitor their transmission fluid temperature. A 1/8-inch NPT pipe plug is installed in the pan from the factory.

Applications for Mag-Hytec Transmission Pans

Mag-Hytec currently builds transmission pans for Dodge 727-DD, Ford 4R100 and E40D as well as GM 4L60E and 4L80E applications. The pans come with a black powder-coated finish with machined fins for a great look. Mag-Hytec includes polished zinc-plated Allen head cap screws with stainless steel washers and all the necessary Allen wrenches to install the cover and service the transmission.

Installation Process

We visited our friends at Advantage Performance Center in Riverside, CA to install the Mag-Hytec pan on our 2000 Tahoe Limited project truck’s 4L60E transmission. To remove the factory pan and install the new one took us a little less than 2-hours with time set aside for photography. If you are performing the swap in your garage without the help of a vehicle lift it may take longer so give yourself an afternoon. Also, be sure to pick up a new filter and transmission fluid before you begin since you won’t be able to use your rig to run down to the local parts store once you start.

Draining the Factory Pan

Draining the fluid with the factory pan in place is messy but easy enough to do, but you may need to remove the heat shield from the passenger side of the transmission to have clearance to remove the pan. For a little cleaner draining, loosen and remove the bolts at one corner more than the others and tilt the pan allowing the fluid to drain from the corner until the level is low enough to lower the entire pan and drain it into your bucket. The old filter can be removed once the pan is dropped and the new filter can be installed in its place.

Installing the New Filter and Pan

With the new filter installed the Mag-Hytec pan is ready to be installed but first you should apply a thin layer of clean transmission fluid to the O-ring to ensure a good seal. Before installing the new pan check the transmission gasket mating surface on the transmission case for dents, irregularities, or gouges. If any problems exist, carefully remove the high spots using a smooth flat file—be careful not to round off the flat gasket surface when filing.

Securing the New Pan

After positioning the new pan, align the bolt holes and install the cap screws and tighten them finger tight before torquing them to 12-16-lb-ft in a cross pattern. Do not forget to check the drain plug and 1/8-inch pipe plug for tightness, they need to be tightened to only 30-lb-in so don’t over tighten them. Finally, remove the dipstick and fill the transmission with the proper transmission fluid (refer to your owner’s manual if you are unsure of which fluid to use). The new pan holds about 3.3 quarts more fluid than most stock pans. Be sure to fill the transmission to the line on the dipstick then check it with the engine running and transmission in park and add fluid as necessary.

Conclusion

Installing the Mag-Hytec pan is no more difficult than changing the filter with the factory pan and provides the benefit of making future transmission service much cleaner and easier. It also offers improved looks and enhanced cooling capability, so consider installing a Mag-Hytec pan on your 4×4.

1. The Mag-Hytec transmission pan comes with everything needed to install in on your 4X4 including the hardware and Allen wrenches.

2. From the inside you can see the machined O-ring channel, internal ribs, magnetic drain plug and machined port to accept a 1/8-inch pipe thread temperature sender.

3. Be sure to have plenty of transmission fluid on hand before you start the installation as you won’t be able to drive your 4x4 down to the parts store if you come up short. We used Valvoline Dexron III/Mercon ATF fluid for our Tahoe.

4. The stock GM 4L60E pan has no provision for a drain plus so draining the fluid can be quite messy if you are not careful.

5. On our Tahoe the heat shield on the passenger side of the transmission had to be removed before the pan could be removed from the tranny.

6. Removing the bolts from one corner and loosening the others will allow you to drain the fluid from the corner with slightly less mess.

7. Make sure the transmission’s gasket mating surface is clean and free of any irregularities that would require careful filing.

8. Don’t forget to install the new transmission filter before installing the new pan!

9. After installing the pan, align the bolt holes and install the Allen head cap screws and washers finger tight before torquing them to 12-16-lb-ft in a cross pattern.

10. With the installation complete the transmission pan looks great and will make future fluid and filter changes much easier and cleaner.