[Squidward]

I am thinking about getting one with the filter extension for my TH350. My reason is because I am leaking around the pan gasket (I think...) after fresh rebuild and install. If I get a deep pan and filter extension, does it make sense that I can run the fluid a little lower? I suspect that my cooler is back-draining to the pan, causing fluid to rise above the pan sealing surface. Thoughts?

[my72lemans]

I run an aluminum Summit deep pan xtra 2qts. sealed up no problem. Used permatex #2(pliable) top and bottom of gasket. I would not run the fluid level lower.
jmo.

[Formulajones]

I run a deep aluminum from TCI on one car, and on the firebird I run the factory 400 turbo GM deep pan used on the 1 ton trucks from the 70's-80's, same thing that's still on my 79 1 ton.
Both work just fine, the factory steel deep pan being much easier on the wallet. Still found in the junkyards occasionally. Was still available from GM about 15 years ago but I think has since disappeared.

My father also runs an aluminum TCI deep pan on his. No issues with any of them.

[Formulajones]

Here's a shot of the firebird with the GM deep pan.

[FrankieT/A]

Deep pan is always good. I run the Derale pan. That's the one that has the cooling tubes. I would never run a cast aluminum pan for anything like oil pan, trans pan or rear end cover aluminum no problem but not cast. Reason being is if you hit something the pan won't bend or dent, it cracks leaving you stranded.

[Formulajones]

I'm not so sure about that Frankie.

I've had that cast TCI pan on my chevelle since the 1980's. I've used it on 3 different 400 turbo transmissions now (long story) but anyway, I've dropped the transmission more than once on the concrete floor from a few feet up and all it did was knock a couple corners off the aluminum fins, lol. It's pretty damn tough.

But on my cars it would be difficult to hit the trans pan on something anyway. As deep as those things are, they still don't hang down below the frame rails, or even the exhaust system on my cars. So it would have to be a very odd obstacle to get up to hit the pan and miss everything else.

That pic I posted doesn't show it well, but that pan is tucked up higher than the exhaust and the front subframe on my firebird. Those factory steel pans are the same depth as the aftermarket stuff.

Here's a bottom shot of my fathers car, running the same cast TCI pan. You have to look hard to see it, because it's tucked way up in there. To hit that thing, you would have to destroy the 10 quart oil pan, the headers, and the 3 1/2" exhaust system before you even put a scratch on that trans pan

[SRR]

One of the first things I do on every vehicle I own is put on a larger trans pan. I have the Derale on my 94 Chevy c3500 and a deep aluminum one on my 01 Merc. Not cheap, but worth the money IMO to add capacity, plus a magnetic drain plug. They also have a bung to add a temperature gauge. Those cheap chrome pans will leak no matter what you do.

[ta man]

Best thing about cast pans or covers..No warpage and they seal nice.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by ta man

Best thing about cast pans or covers..No warpage and they seal nice.

Yes, one thing I'm always doing with steel pans is knocking the bolt holes the other direction, otherwise they never seal. They are always distorted from cranking the bolts down. Don't have to worry about that with cast pans.

[taff2]

If you use a chrome plated pan then scuff the gasket sealing flange with 400 grit emery paper, this will help stop it leaking.

[66bonne]

Originally Posted by SRR

One of the first things I do on every vehicle I own is put on a larger trans pan. I have the Derale on my 94 Chevy c3500 and a deep aluminum one on my 01 Merc. Not cheap, but worth the money IMO to add capacity, plus a magnetic drain plug. They also have a bung to add a temperature gauge. Those cheap chrome pans will leak no matter what you do.

Ditto. It's a case of "Bigger is better."

Jim

[Squidward]

Wow. Has it really been a year?

I bought a B&M 30289 stamped chrome deep pan a few months ago. Since it is hotter than Satan's browneye here in AZ, it took me a while to get up the willpower to change pans.

I had to unbolt the trans mount and crossmember, and slide it back just a touch. The 72 Lemans allows the crossmember to slide fore and aft within the frame rails. I only needed an inch or so of aft movement to give me access to the rear pan bolts.

I Permatex'd the cork gasket to the new pan, and finger tighted it for very mild compression while the sealant started to set up. Then I torqued it down. No leaks. Squidward is pleased. I don't think I will fill it all the way full to the full mark. I don't see so much of a need since this pan has an extension.

The only thing I didn't like was that B&M uses a $15 proprietary filter extension and filter, so a standard TH350 filter is not useable. I thought I saw online that it might be a mopar filter.

Anyways, thought I'd give an update. The pan is shiny, and the price point is nice. But if I had to do it again I might try for a filter extension that facilitates a standard filter.

[lust4speed]

Originally Posted by FrankieT/A

... aluminum no problem but not cast. Reason being is if you hit something the pan won't bend or dent, it cracks leaving you stranded.

I've knocked the bottom off a few fins and ground down others on the cast deep pan and it has taken the abuse with no problem. A decent sized rock (mini-bolder) that was bigger than the clearance to the pan was responsible for removing chunks of the fin as the rock rolled along the pan bottom. The cast aluminum has taken a good beating without cracking.

[Cliff R]

The transmission pans will not leak if they are in good shape and you use the better fiber gasket on them. I use a little RTV to stick the gasket to the pan and nothing between the pan and the case and have never had one drop of fluid get past one.

In most cases a leak after shut down and sitting will be the manual shaft seal or "O" ring on the fill tube. I fix the fill tube deal by upgrading to the later style multiple lip seal. The manual shaft seal will leak if you happened to cut the seal lip when installing the manual shaft, and why it should be de-burred and "knife" edge removed before you push it back thru the seal......Cliff

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Squidward

Wow. Has it really been a year?


The only thing I didn't like was that B&M uses a $15 proprietary filter extension and filter, so a standard TH350 filter is not useable. I thought I saw online that it might be a mopar filter.

Anyways, thought I'd give an update. The pan is shiny, and the price point is nice. But if I had to do it again I might try for a filter extension that facilitates a standard filter.

That's interesting. Of course it's been decades since I bought my cast aluminum pan from TCI, but it uses an extension that accepts the stock filter. Of course the stock deep steel GM pans I use also use the stock filter.
I wonder what the reasoning was for B&M to incorporate an extension that only accepts their specific filter. More money for them?

[chiphead]

I run a cast aluminum deep pan in my '67. It uses the factory type filters with an aluminum extension to reach the deep pan. It also has a drain plug, which is super important when you're tweaking VB springs/spacer plate openings. It's been the only pan that will not leak when used with the thin paper/fiber gasket. I did have to notch the tranny x-member just a bit to clear, but it's worth it.

[Squidward]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

I wonder what the reasoning was for B&M to incorporate an extension that only accepts their specific filter. More money for them?

B&M 10288: 15.99 at Summit.
Run of the mill TH350 filter with pan gasket: Um, $5-6

[Squidward]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

The transmission pans will not leak if they are in good shape and you use the better fiber gasket on them. I use a little RTV to stick the gasket to the pan and nothing between the pan and the case and have never had one drop of fluid get past one.

In most cases a leak after shut down and sitting will be the manual shaft seal or "O" ring on the fill tube. I fix the fill tube deal by upgrading to the later style multiple lip seal. The manual shaft seal will leak if you happened to cut the seal lip when installing the manual shaft, and why it should be de-burred and "knife" edge removed before you push it back thru the seal......Cliff

Everything was replaced during rebuild, and checked for burrs. Tube seal is the later style. I'm pretty sure it was a matter of my pan gasket install went sideways somehow - it happens. I also snot up the gasket to the pan, and put it on with the case surface dry.

I wanted a deep pan because I always wondered if the trans cooler gravity drains on shutdown, and overfills the pan.

I will probably do a deep pan on my Firebird, too. It's probably due for a filter change anyways. But I might try a different brand that uses a stock style filter. I'm not worried about cost, but I though B&M's filter was kinda wanky.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Squidward

B&M 10288: 15.99 at Summit.
Run of the mill TH350 filter with pan gasket: Um, $5-6

Any way you can change the extension to accept the standard $5 filter?