I noticed that my 99 Protege had started to leak tranny fluid on the drive way. Upon further inspection it appeared that some of the bolts around the pan had become loose. The car has about 140k on it so I thought that the best course of action would be to replace the transmission filter since the kit comes with a new gasket. I removed all 20 bolts that hold the pan in place but the pan refuses to drop. I had the transmission serviced a few years ago and I wonder if they used something instead of/in addition to the gasket to seal the pan. I'm worried that I'll end up bending the pan or gouging the bottom of the transmission and create a permanent leak if I pry too hard with a screwdriver. Any advice?

Thanks in advance,
mooree

 

they get sticky around the holes from all the heat .try to pry it with a thin putty knife,the wider the better 2" or more.DONT USE A SCREWDRIVER...they may have used some GOOP but you would see it oozing out the side a little.

 

Some shops don't use a gasket at all, instead they will often use RTV. I've found that a quick lateral whack with a rubber mallet will often break loose an RTV gasketed pan.