Any tips on how to remove a stuck transmission pan?

[1KWIKSIX]

Have drained all the fluid out (luckily have a Hughes Deep Pan that has a drain plug) & removed all the botlts, but cannot budge the transmission pan. It is stuck!

I did have the aluminum pan powder coated , but the gasket sealing area was left untouched. Need your helpful suggestions. I've heard of people hammering in a thin metal putty knife, but I don't want to damage the transmission sealing surface which I'm afraid will happen.

Tried using a rubber mallet but no luck. Also tried prying (very gently) on an exposed section on a corner that I could access, but did not budge.

Not sure why it is not coming off. Transmission pan just installed earlier this summer by a local transmission shop who did the installation of the tranny & new convertor.

There is no signs of RTV being used, but I can't help but wonder if the shop did use something like this on the gasket.

I've also heard some people recommend spraying brake cleaner around the pan / gasket, but can't help thinking that this will not do much since the gasket/pan is stuck & there is no way for the fluid to enter between the two surfaces.

Looking for any help / suggestions.

thanks

dave

 

[Dave Dunbar]

Give it a couple hits with the mallet, then use the putty knife. If you get it in straight, it won't damage anything. If the aluminum gets marked up use a file to smooth it out. Nothing more than a gasket is needed to seal it back up.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[Heisenberg]

Have drained all the fluid out (luckily have a Hughes Deep Pan that has a drain plug) & removed all the botlts, but cannot budge the transmission pan. It is stuck!

I did have the aluminum pan powder coated , but the gasket sealing area was left untouched. Need your helpful suggestions. I've heard of people hammering in a thin metal putty knife, but I don't want to damage the transmission sealing surface which I'm afraid will happen.

Tried using a rubber mallet but no luck. Also tried prying (very gently) on an exposed section on a corner that I could access, but did not budge.

Not sure why it is not coming off. Transmission pan just installed earlier this summer by a local transmission shop who did the installation of the tranny & new convertor.

There is no signs of RTV being used, but I can't help but wonder if the shop did use something like this on the gasket.

I've also heard some people recommend spraying brake cleaner around the pan / gasket, but can't help thinking that this will not do much since the gasket/pan is stuck & there is no way for the fluid to enter between the two surfaces.

Looking for any help / suggestions.

thanks

dave

They must have used some sort of adhesive.

The only thing I can see is to do what you were thinking - and start with a putty knife, or then hammer a paint scraper in the seam , and start feathering.

(The paint scrapers have sort of a beveled edge - but are more rigid than a putty knife and have a metal head on the end - - so you can hammer on them)
Sort of a very thin chisel if you will.
Bevel side "down"- so any "cutting action" will be towards the pan and not the trans.
If you do happen to par the surface a little bit on your initial break-in - you can fill that scratch or gouge quite easily with JB Weld and an old hotel room key card.
It doesn't have to be Hubble Space Telescope perfectly smooth.

Usually if you can get a break going, you can then work around and it gets easier. Use some sort of shims or small screwdrivers to hold the gap until you get it broken loose.
Instead of going straight on - Try starting with the chisel action on a angle at first - just to try to get a feel for if you can break through whatever gunk is holding things up.

You could also try a sharpened ice scraper or something like that - that has material that is softer than aluminum so as not to mar the bottom of the trans.
Maybe even a thin aluminum plate sharpened like a chisel , but I'm not sure if aluminum will mar aluminum - I think it will not.
But that is going to make things harder since it is thicker.

Sometimes there is no alternative to brute force.

 

[1KWIKSIX]

Got it off, finally!
Needed to use a thin beveled paint scraper & give it a few big whacks with a BFH .