Ok, how much is this little wonder going to cost me? Called a couple part stores around here and they won't sell them because you have to take the tranny completely apart to get to it <??>

Does anyone know an aprox. price and where it is best to take the car?

I am hoping that it just needs the filter changed, cause the tranny is starting to have a noticable hesitation when going from 1st to 2nd (I have an AutoMagic)

ALSO: How can I get it to stop being sluggish?? All new sensors (KS, o2, CamShaft), everything is great. It's still slower than hell. Would an exhaust leak have anything to do with that?

 

Hey,

You don't have to take tranny apart to get to the tranny filter.

You can access it by lowering the pan. I got the tranny filter and gasket kit from Pepboys for about 20 bucks.

Refer the how-to section for 4th generation and you will see how to perform the tranny filter change and pan clean-up.

It will be a good idea to flush the tranny fluid if it was never flushed and car has less than 120K or so miles

 

i tried replacing the filter one time, took the pan out and everything. the filter is held on by mostly bolts, but there was one nut, right in the middle. i couldn't get the damn nut off. when i turn the nut, the bolt turns with it and there was no way i could get it off. i could probably cut a line on the bolt with a dremel or something but i didn't really want to do that. i end up not replacing it. anybody have a good method on removing that one nut?

 

That nut is not tight enough. I usually use a gripping tool that I have which is universal and while loosening it I apply some pulling down force (not too much) and that makes the top bolt to stick due to friction and then it makes me easily loosen up that nut. I don't know what exactly is the name of the tool.

 

leave the nut there, save your sanity. just clean the screen/filter and pan with spray brake cleaner. been there, had to do that. Lucas makes a good trans additive, it would be agood idea to add with the refill. my .02

 

I use ATF which has Dexron-III additives and add a black bottle of LubeGard to make it friction modified fluid which I came to know from one of the forum members here.

Nissan D-Matic ATF is friction modified fluid and you will need that LubeGard bottle to be added if you are putting in any aftermarket ATF with Dexron-III

 

I've got 189,000 miles on my tranny, and I don't honestly think the previous owners ever changed the filter, because they never had changed the spark plugs (I just did that not to long ago ... the plugs were black .... it's so sad what my car went through before I bought it)

So if I take off the pan, I can just spray the filter and pan w/ brake cleaner and that will do the trick? All I will need then is the gasket, correct?

 

Yes. I dont know if you can buy the pan gasket from pepboys or autozone I have been to both the places and they said that they don't carry the gasket anymore and that I would need to go to the dealer. I belive its recomended to replace the pan gasket and the drain bolt gasket replacing the 21 tranny bolts is optional. I am going to order the gaskets online with couple of other things.

 

i have a spare nissan gasket in my trunk... you can go to nissan to get one, mine was ~$15. also, we dont really have a "replaceable" filter in out trannies. i'd just replace the fluid and be done with it. granted, if you lower the tranny pan, you can clean all the clutch particless off the 2 magnets, but i dont know if its worth the effort. also, dont overtighten the pan bolts (dont use power tools! i'm not telling how i know ), and you should be in good shape.

 

oh yeah, i used a little Lock-tite on each pan bolt. it saves retightening later and no leaks.