Planning to drop my transmission pan, replace gasket, fill to full with new fluid what drained out.

Are there any other cheap mods i can do while i'm here? how hard is a shift kit? anything else without dropping the trans?

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71 Dodge Dart Custom 4-Door. 86K original. A/T. Blue with white vinyl top. Blue interior. 225 SL6. 1 barrel, new fuel pump, autolite platinum plugs, fuel line upgrade, new shocks, new drum brakes and hardware, A/C, all stock

Well, first figure out what exactly it is you want to do, and why. Is this just a sort of general-principle maintenance idea you have, or is the transmission leaking or behaving in some way that makes you think it needs service?

The typical minor service on this transmission consists of dropping the pan and draining the torque converter (it has a convenient drain plug), adjusting the two bands and the kickdown linkage, replacing the trans fluid filter, and installing fresh transmission fluid.

The gear selector shaft is indeed a relatively common place for trans fluid leaks, so take a look at it. It's at the left front corner of the transmission. Use a normal replacement trans filter and a good brand of either Dexron or ATF+4 fluid (the ATF+4 is a superior fluid). Do not use ATF+3. To drain the converter, there's a threaded drain plug which will rotate into view if you remove the sheetmetal torque converter inspection cover from the lower front of the bellhousing and turn the engine. Save yourself a lot of hassle and prevent a pan leak before it starts; stop by the Chrysler dealer and get the really nice new double-seal, reusable rigid pan gasket P/N 4295 875AC and use it instead of the floppy original-type gasket.

How hard is a shift kit? Well...how much experience do you have working with automatic transmission valve bodies? A shift kit isn't terribly hard to put in if you've got some experience with the kinds of procedures and precautions needed when working with a valve body, but if you're a beginner do-it-yourselfer, it is probably best to get everything working correctly in stock configuration before making changes. An improperly-installed shift kit can really spoil the transmission's shifting behaviour and make the car unpleasant to drive.

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