Trans Pan Gasket Woes

[eric618]

Hi guys. I have a question. I changed my tranny fluid today. Well, I changed what came out, anyway. I got the pan gasket from a local auto parts store. Well, it didn't fit. I went back, and we checked every possible Toyota and Lexus with AWD in a 4 year radius. NONE of the gaskets were the same size. We tried for over an hour before I gave up, bought gasket material, and cut my own.

Was I/he missing something? We checked several different catalogs, and their online database and nothing fit. I'm assuming we missed something, but I'll be damned if I know what. Any input? THANKS!

[Lexusfreak]

Hi guys.  I have a question.  I changed my tranny fluid today.  Well, I changed what came out, anyway.  I got the pan gasket from a local auto parts store.  Well, it didn't fit.  I went back, and we checked every possible Toyota and Lexus with AWD in a 4 year radius.  NONE of the gaskets were the same size.  We tried for over an hour before I gave up, bought gasket material, and cut my own.

Was I/he missing something?  We checked several different catalogs, and their online database and nothing fit.  I'm assuming we missed something, but I'll be damned if I know what.  Any input?  THANKS!

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Perhaps only the OE Lexus part will fit correctly?

[eric618]

Quite possible, but the ones we checked weren't even CLOSE. Oh well. At least it's back in one piece and the fluid is actually STAYING in the pan :D

[jbarhorst2]

Was there an actual gasket when you took the pan off??

When I had to change the pan on my SC it was sealed with FIPG material, there was no paper or rubber gasket. I just assumed that the RX would be the same, but it may not be.

Tom

[lexus400]

yeah, you can use RTV... I have several times and it works just fine.

Bob

[sgriffith]

On another note (but along these same lines) I had the same thing happen to me with a radiator cap. Every auto parts store had what their computer showed would work on my RX, but none of them would fit. I ended up driving 2 hours to a Lexus dealer to buy one. The Toyota dealership about 30 miles away didn't even have one. For that very reason I only purchase my oil & oil filter from an auto parts store....every thing else comes from a dealership. Kinda sucks though when you are in a bind and need something right then.

[eric618]

Yeah, there was an actual gasket on there. It was a rubberized one. I cleaned it up and took it to the parts store and we spent over an hour trying to match it up. Nothing even came CLOSE.

Hell, I couldn't even get the fluid around here. NO ONE had it, even the Lexus/Toyota dealers. They only had it in a 55 gallon drum. I actually had to have a friend from Orlando buy it and ship it to me. :whistles: What a hassle! Oh well.

Thanks for all the input, however.

[RX in NC]

Your local Toyota parts department should be selling Toyota Type T-IV automatic transmission fluid in one-quart plastic bottles for about $3.75 to $4.00 per quart. If they don't, contact the general manager of the dealership and ask why. Then point out to him/her that there is a demand for this product by owners who feel more comfortable changing their own fluids and ask him/her to have their parts department to begin stocking the one-quart bottles within the next 30 days. Then check back every couple of weeks until they do. Persistence will pay off for you.