My box was running with so little oomph from a standing start, when cold, that I decided it must be down to crud blocking the mesh screen so much that the oil only passed through easily when hot.
So I have just finished this job. It isn't too difficult but there are a few things you need to be aware of if you don't wan to suffer with what I did!
After having checked the filler plug will move, DON'T take it out just yet! Draining the oil is relatively straight forward, but you need Torx bits.
Once empty put the drain plug back in nice and tight. Then use a 10 mm hex socket on an extension or, preferably, a deep socket, to undo the 6 bolts that hold the sump on, hopefully they will come off with no breakages, I discovered that some ham-fisted person had broken one of the fittings that the bolts fit through to hold the sump on. It came off it two bits!
Take the sump off, clean it and keep it safe, there is a magnet at the bottom which will probably be black with very sticky stuff. You may need white spirit to get this clean, I did! but make sure it is all washed off afterwards and dried thoroughly. I then run my hands all over the inside to ensure there are absolutely no bits of anything left in. Clean the bolts and fitting thorougyl too. Under the car you will find the box continues to drip ATF all the time, just try not to get your face under it! Three bolts will remove the filter with its pick-up pipe. As you move it be prepared for it being full of ATF!
remove the pick-up pipe, there should be an O ring around the small metal pipe that goes into the pick-up pipe, mine didn't have it!
In your kit you should have 2 or maybe three O rings, a filter, and a new gasket. On your new filter, you fit the big O ring round the wide, very short pipe that goes towards the box, coat it with ATF and ease it on, the other short pipe takes the next size down O ring, ATF again. When bolting the pick-up pipe over the metal pipe with the O ring on it'll take a bit of a push to get it over the O ring but not too much. Bolt it all back to the box. Don't overtighten.
Now the fun begins!!!
If you are lucky, the gasket will sit on the edge of the sump and not keep falling off. Mine didn't. I had bought it two years ago and it really didn't want to play. I debated heating it with a hairdryer or somesuch to persuade it to go over the rim and stay there, or even using some sticky gunk to keep it on the edge of the sump but really didn't want to do that. so I broke all the rules and examined the old gasket. It seemed absolutely fine, no marks, no scratches, no indentations, in fact it looked nearly new, just needed a bit of a clean on the outside, so decided to go with it.
Meanwhile the broken fitting needed to be dealt with. One of the two legs, the inner one, had broken off just below the edge of the sump rim position. But it was pretty clean so I cleaned it in everything I could think of, finishing off with acetone, then, once dry I glued it together with liquid metal. That stopped play overnight.
So, while fitting the sump back on you will notice that there is one corner fitting that is tight next to a gearbox mount. The important thing to realise is that there is absolutely only one position the sump will go in. The positioning of the bolts and fittings is really tricky if you tighten any of them up too tight before getting them all started. I copperslipped all the bolts as usual, then fitted all bar one middle one which just would not go in despite me slackening all the others off to the point I thought they would start falling out. I even had to go and get a tap and recut the beginning of the thread to ensure the bolt would start properly. Once in and started though it was relaltively easy to get them all done up, although the one near the gearbox mount was a bit of a pain. Patience is a virtue!
Now it helps to have a helper! I have read of others doing the next bit on their own but I have never done it that way. you need to begin by filling the sump until it dribbles out, I use a plant spraying pumped pressure thing from a garde centre. It holds about a gallon and you will need loads. It is a bit slow but it is great being able to stop the flow instantly. Once it is full to this point get your helper to plant their foot on the foot brake having already heaved on the handbrake. Then he/she starts the car, keeping well away from the accelerator! He/She then goes from P through each gear pausing in each one for 3 seconds, then goes back the other way finishing in P but NOT switching off. Meanwhile you continue to pump ATF in until it flows out in a steady dribble. Then you fiddle the plug back in and tighten it.
ATF gets everywhere, on your head, down your back, in your face, it's slippery as heck and makes putting the filler plug in a bit of a pain. BUT my car now drives like a racehorse compared to how it was before. (I had done one oil empty refill about 20k ago already). So best of luck. Hope you do not have the same problems I had!
