# The dent that came to dinner **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** lesabre, buick\ **Created:** [July 23, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494 "2013-07-23T04:12:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![techniptionfit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@techniptionfit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/techniptionfit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/1 "2013-07-23T04:12:38Z")
97 lesabre. it bottomed out and now wont go forward or back. dent in tranny pan. could this cause a bad tranny or symptoms of? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/2 "2013-07-23T04:19:38Z")
If the transmission pan is pushed up against the transmission filter it could be restricting the flow of transmission fluid into the transmission. And this can cause the transmission to slip. As you can see, the transmission filter just has a small opening which allows the fluid into the transmission. [http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=91830&cc=1019708](http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=91830&cc=1019708) Tester ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/3 "2013-07-23T04:19:47Z")
@techniptionfit Did all the atf leak out? Perhaps you damaged the valve body, filter, pickup, etc. Here’s what I would do Make sure the atf level is correct Put car on 4 jackstands Remove pan Look for damaged valve body, etc. Straighten or replace pan, as needed Reinstall new/straightened pan Put in new atf Try again and good luck Please post back with an update ---
**Author:** ![techniptionfit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@techniptionfit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/techniptionfit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/4 "2013-07-23T04:21:55Z")
ive never torn into a transmission. what do these parts look like? im fairly mechanically inclined (changed several upper in take manifolds on this and my other 3800s. ---
**Author:** ![techniptionfit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@techniptionfit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/techniptionfit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/5 "2013-07-23T04:23:53Z")
i guess i wont know until i tear into it ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/6 "2013-07-23T04:26:58Z")
@techniptionfit Once you have the pan off, the filter will be staring you in the face The filter attaches to the valvebody The filter should have its own pickup The valvebody is attached to the case with several bolts Hopefully this was some help ---
**Author:** ![techniptionfit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@techniptionfit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/techniptionfit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/7 "2013-07-23T04:30:18Z")
very much help. any idea how big of a pan i will need? or how much atf i will need? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/8 "2013-07-23T04:51:09Z")
@techniptionfit [http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/RHN0/11845/N0026.oap?ck=Search\_drain+pan\_N0026\_-1\_3210&keyword=drain+pan&pt=N0026&ppt=C0166](http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/RHN0/11845/N0026.oap?ck=Search_drain+pan_N0026_-1_3210&keyword=drain+pan&pt=N0026&ppt=C0166) This is fairly cheap, readily available and should be big enough I don’t know how much atf you’ll need. Ballpark estimate is 4 quarts If you can borrow one of these, bring it. [http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/LIS0/17922/N0026.oap?ck=Search\_drain+pan\_N0026\_-1\_3210&keyword=drain+pan&pt=N0026&ppt=C0166](http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/LIS0/17922/N0026.oap?ck=Search_drain+pan_N0026_-1_3210&keyword=drain+pan&pt=N0026&ppt=C0166) ---
**Author:** ![techniptionfit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@techniptionfit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/techniptionfit)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/9 "2013-07-27T22:14:04Z")
Pan pulled 5 or 6 pea sized chuncks of metal in the pan… Does this mean the tranny is gone ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/10 "2013-07-27T22:47:14Z")
@techniptionfit Can you recognize if they are parts of the valvebody? Were you able to straighten the pan? If you can post pictures of those metal fragments and the transmission, that would be great In any case, it sounds fairly ominous at this point Even if those metal fragments were part of the valvebody, which can be replaced without removing the transmission, a repair might not make financial sense ---
**Author:** ![techniptionfit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@techniptionfit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/techniptionfit)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/11 "2013-07-27T23:40:33Z")
im thinking it doesnt make sense. time to send her to the big scrapheap in the sky. too bad too great motor. oh well ---
**Author:** ![MG-McAnick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mg-mcanick/32/188_2.png) [@MG-McAnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MG-McAnick)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 6:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/12 "2013-07-28T06:55:11Z")
If the chunks are part of the valve body, and there is a good chance that they are, how about finding a used one from a bad transmission? The valve body is not something the wears out. Examine it closely. They aren’t listed on [www.car-part.com](http://www.car-part.com) , but transmission pans are. If a salvage yard is willing to sell a pan, which you may also need, they probably have a bad transmission to pull it off of, and a valve body to sell with it. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-dent-that-came-to-dinner/80494/13 "2013-07-28T07:23:50Z")
Can you take a pic of the debris, and possibly the inside of the transmission where the pan impacted it? And show it to us, or better yet a recommended local transmission shop? The damage may be limited to the valve body or perhaps an accumulator cover or piston housing. At any rate, without knowing more I think it’s premature to condemn the car to scrap. It may be something that you can repair yourself for a couple hundred dollars.