Transmission Filter - not going in.

[N3FOL]

My 1995 ATX SHO is up on stands tonight. I am in the process of replacing my transmission fluid and filter until I came upon installing the new trans filter. I pulled out the old orange rubber gasket from the old filter that was stuck on the transmission yesterday. Today, I tried to install the new transmission filter that has a new rubber orange seal around it...it won't go in. I applied a little bit of trans fluid or grease on the rubber seal...it just won't slide inside the transmission. I even tried to use a jack with a piece of block to push it in with no success.

Is there a special tool to do this job? I thought that the new filter will just snap in the whole. Need all the advice I can get. Thanks.

 

[SHOZ123]

Got the right filter? Did the aluminum band come out with the old orange seal?

 

[RCM]

Be sure that all parts of the old seal have been removed, and that you didn't gouge the bore getting it out.
With the new seal on the new filter, push it in by hand as far as you can.
Pull out the filter, leaving the seal in the bore.
Tap the seal with a socket (just smaller than bore dia) gently until it seats, push the filter into the seal.

Russ

N3FOL:
I pulled out the old orange rubber gasket from the old filter that was stuck on the transmission yesterday. Today, I tried to install the new transmission filter that has a new rubber orange seal around it...it won't go in.

 

[N3FOL]

Do you mean to say that I have to take out the orange seal from the new transmission filter and put it in the hole by hand? Is there an easy way to take off the orange seal from the filter? It looks like it has been glued on the filter pretty good. (Your suggestion might work) As for the hole, I made sure that I did not scratch the walls of the hole as I was removing the stuck orange seal from the old filter.

 

[ThrillSHO]

You shouldn't take the orange seal off the filter. I was changing one on a friend's SHO once and couldn't get the new filter in either. I had pulled the old filter out and pryed out the old seal. When I looked up in the hole, there was another orange seal. Apparently, the last knuckle head never got it out and forced a new filter and seal in behind it. I dug the second one out and the new one went in fine. Check it out - stranger things have happened.

 

[tampasho]

I changed my tranny filter a few months ago.

Pulled out the old filter and the seal stayed. New filter would not go in at all. Thinking the seal was only orange rubber I removed all of the rubber and the new filter still would not fit.

I then realized there was another part of the seal still stuck in there (aluminum or brass?) and I had to gently pry it out.

Needless to say the situation was not cool and took quite a bit of time...

So there still might be something wedged up in there.

 

[Tommy's SHO]

ThrillSHO:
You shouldn't take the orange seal off the filter. I was changing one on a friend's SHO once and couldn't get the new filter in either. I had pulled the old filter out and pryed out the old seal. When I looked up in the hole, there was another orange seal. Apparently, the last knuckle head never got it out and forced a new filter and seal in behind it. I dug the second one out and the new one went in fine. Check it out - stranger things have happened.

SAme thing happened to me......

 

[N3FOL]

Thanks for all your input guys. I will double and triple check the orifice to make sure that nothing else is stuck in there. The last time I looked, everything appeared to be nice and smooth. Pretty much aluminum is what I am looking at... At any rate, I will stick my finger inside the orifice once again tomorrow morning and hopefully nothing is stuck (brass or aluminum).

The old orange seal that was stuck on the orifice-that I took off. I just learned Saturday morning at our local Ford dealer that an orange seal can be purchased separately. The part # is F4DZ-7Z302-A. I was quoted $10.52, while FPN quoted me $10.98 then I negotiated down to $8.00/piece. Either way, it is still cheaper to get in locally since shipping will cost me an additional $7.00 from FPN. The part will come in by Wednesday, so I was planning to install the orange seal first on the orifice...then install the trans. filter with no orange seal on it. (I will have to remove the seal from the filter using a Dremel tool or anyting...) That is how my old filter came out---> I pulled the old filter and it came off easily, but with the orange seal still stuck up in the orifice.

If nothing else is in the hole, I might go with the orange seal first (purchased separately) and then install the filter with the seal taken off. Hopefully this might work. As for anything that might still be wedged on the orifice, I do hope there is...but I will have to check in the morning. For now, my SHO will have to remain on jack stands for the rest of the weekend.

 

[N3FOL]

Update on the transmission filter...

Well, you guys were correct from the very beginning. There was indeed a smaller part of the gasket that was left in the orifice. At first, I was looking at a shiny aluminum plate...then next thing you know I realized that it was something that should not be there after taking a closer look at it a week after. I had to borrow my wife's van to go to and from work last week. I just had the time to work on the car yesterday and was able to remove that small metal piece that was part of the original gasket that I took off. I am very glad that I got my SHO back on the road with fresh trans. fluid and filter. Currently, I have 113,000+ on the original trans (1995).

Thanks for all your response.

 

[Bigboy55]

I just stumbled across this post and you guys saved my bacon. I’m working on a 1996 Lincoln Continental and the Transmission filter was driving me crazy because I couldn’t get it installed. After reading your posts, I checked the transmission and sure enough, that metal sleeve was still there. Thanks everyone!