I am in the process of changing my transmission fluid in my 91 Formula. I have made the standard mess everywhere. I am having trouble getting my transmission pan back on... it's like it isn't deep enough. From what I gather from the Haynes manual the new filter is just supposed to stay put after you stick the pick-up tube up in there where it goes. Yes, I retrieved the old O-ring. But whenever I try to put the pan back, then filter falls off, and, the pan doesn't seem to fit right. It's really starting to irk me. Guidance, please....?

 

The filter should go in so far, that the top of the "flat" part is resting on the valvebody. The seal should also be able to hold the filter tube inside the pump.

 

So am I to keep pushing up on the filter until it makes a noise? Will it "pop" into place or something? Because it doesn't seem like it wants to go up too high....

 

AAARGH MY FILTER KEEPS FALLING OFF AND I'M GETTING P.O.'ed

 

Try turning the filter 180° so that the actual filter is towards the front and "wiggle" it in place untill it starts going up further, then swing it back under the tranny and push it the rest of the way in. If you don't get the pickup perfectly square in the hole, it won't go up in far enough.

 

mkae sure you got everything out. I was changing the filter on my cutlass cierra w/ a junkyard transverse four speed and i took out a rubber o-ring and went to put the filter in and spent a good hour trying to get it to seat flush before i realized it had one of those seals from a pep-boys filter kit still stuck in the hole for the pickup.

 

I'm pretty sure I got everything out of there, I have pretty long fingers and I shoved it way up in there and didn't feel anything...

 

Any chance this could be the fault of a counterman with fat fingers who got the wrong part # on the computer?

 

thats definatly a possibility. make sure your present filter matches the one you took out. if its the same and theres nothing remaining in the hole for the pickup, give the base of the filter a few light taps with the heel of your hand (i assume the wiggle tecnique didnt work for you). That will help drive it in. The other way ive done this with a crappy purolater kit is to take the seal off and drive it in with a socket and then put the filter on. Sometimes the seal slides over the pickup on the filter more easily then it slides into the hole.