A few days ago I went to my local parts store and asked for transmission fluid and filter for my 99, 5.9 Draingo 4x4. They set me up and tossed a cork pan gasket onto the pile. That seemed normal enough.

When I dropped the pan I was surprised to not find an old cork gasket but a hard rubber one with metal bolt holes.

This left me with three options.

a: swap them
2: add the cork to the rubber one (never seriously considered this one)
phlegm: toss the new cork and reuse the rubber one (seemed in perfect shape)

In the end I swapped them but I'm still uncomfortable about my decision. How bad did I screw up?



Note, I still have the rubber one.

 

If you goto the dealer and buy a pan gasket, it will be cork with metal braced holes. Only thing is that it will cost like $15-20

Personally that is the gasket i buy (the one from the dealer, less hassle for me and they seal really well)


You but one from the auto parts store you more then likely your going to get a rubber one (like the one you pulled off)

So cork gasket is not abnormal nor will it give yo any disadvantaged in anyway.

 

cork is ok, usable one time.
but rubber is better, and re-usable as long as its still soft.
i prefer to go to napa and pay an extra couple of bucks for the rubber gasket.

assuming the rubber one in your 99 was the original one, you did right NOT to reuse it.

 

I feel better now.. thanks everyone.

Now for question two. Since I changed the fluid and filter the transmission dip-stick pops back up about a quarter of an inch when I push it in. I know this means it's hitting bottom and I know it shouldn't be. It may have been doing this before the change but I'm not sure since I only had the truck a few weeks before doing it. I bolted the pan back on just fine so I don't know what might be wrong.. any ideas?

 

Rubber is A LOT better than cork any day of the week. To seal you use a light coat of regular grease. I would use Molly but Automotive Wheel Grease should do. The one you should have should be rated for use in wheel bearings with disk brakes for the heat range.

No Lithium base.....IMHO

As long as the rubber is soft they may be reused many times. Hope you held onto it. If not I'm sure you can find one. Also OEM on the motor valve gaskets are rubber as well.


On the dip stick, rotate it 180 degree's turn and try installing it. It might just be the springness pushing it back out.