Dropped the pan and changed the filter, gasket, and fluid. Sorry, don't have any pictures. Fluid in pan was nice and red, just a tad bit of stuff by the magnet (my pop in law says that often times a rebuilt tranny will have some "break in metal" at the bottom), hoping that's all that was.

Drove it home, no leaks, shifts good. Hopefully I won't be back here in a week saying otherwise!!

 

Some material on the magnet is normal regardless of a rebuild or not.. Make sure you check the fluid level again.Warmed up and in neutral.

 

I did, several times. All good. Will double check again to verify.

 

I very well could be that the builders didn't properly clean out the trans lines before the rebuild. Hence the metal.

 

And I look forward to NEVER doing a tranny fluid change again! It wasn't too bad, I've done it before on my pop in law's F-150 that was lifted, now that was a pain in the neck!

I'll stick to oil changes

 

Sorry, I blew it, I should have suggested you install one of these.

 

Either you or HeyYou suggested a drain plug when I first posted about my tranny concerns, funds were tight this morning so I opted not to install it this go round.

And also, I completely forgot to add in the original post that the bolts (from the corner front to the corner back) on the drivers side were loose, to the point were I could take them out with a socket on an extension. All of the rest where fairly tight.

I also surprised myself when I got the pan and the gasket back on on the first attempt!
Victory shall me mine!

 

Did you torque the bolts with a torque wrench? Or just tighten the crap out of them? 13ft lbs. And check them a couple days later.

 

Torque wrench. Will check them again in a few days. I'm willing to assume when I bottomed out the pan got shifted or something like that and it loosened that side.

 

My father in law has a lifetime of mechanic and shop experience, his house is practically a shop without a lift.